In her own documentary, which was produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Moreno opened up even more about the filming of the original “West Side Story” film and her life hardships, including a suicide attempt. Getty Images She stars alongside a slew of actors, such as Ansel Elgort, who plays Tony. The nearly 90-year-old actress stars in the newest adaptation of the film in a different role. EGOT winner Moreno also spoke out against using brownface on actors, which she recalled in the “20/20” interview, adding that she wasn’t listened to by producers. The lyrical incident also wasn’t the only issue that arose. Earlier this year on “Good Morning America,” Moreno voiced her concern over the lyrics and discussed the issue on “The View” in December 2020. FilmPublicityArchive/United Arch Moreno won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “West Side Story.” Bettmann Archiveīut this isn’t the first time the “One Day at a Time” star has told the tale of almost calling it quits. Within days, she received new words to the song, which now read: “Puerto Rico, my heart’s devotion, let it sink back in the ocean.” Moreno, who played Anita in 1961, almost called it quits after hearing offensive lyrics in the movie’s songs. I can’t do this to my people,'” the 89-year-old star said in the interview.įortunately for Moreno, the writers changed the script and she was “saved,” she continued.

Moreno, who hails from Puerto Rico, said it was “awful” to hear those lyrics. In the song “America,” which is an argument between Anita’s character and her boyfriend, Puerto Rico is called an “ugly” island and an “island of tropic disease.” In an interview for ABC News’ “20/20” special “Something’s Coming: West Side Story,” the actress, according to Insider, divulged she nearly quit the production due to offensive lyrics. Rita Moreno almost never won the Oscar for the role of Anita in “West Side Story.” Google CEO warns even his own company doesn’t understand everything AI can do Shocking photos show children as young as 13 hired by Blackstone firm to clean slaughterhouse Tina Turner once shut down Mike Wallace’s sleazy ’60 Minutes’ sex questions ChatGPT ‘hallucination’ created false case of radio host embezzling money: libel suit

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