oscars_11_Rita Moreno

It’s no easy feat filling Broadway diva Chita Rivera’s (dance) shoes in her critically acclaimed role of Anita in West Side Story. But Rita Moreno did that and more in the 1961 film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. The Puerto Rican actress not only earned rave reviews for her portrayal of spitfire Anita, but she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 34th Academy Awards. Moreno was the first Puerto Rican actress to be nominated for an Oscar, and the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress, West Side Story, 34th Academy Awards, Won

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