Rita Morena Gives Painful Confession About Her Most Uncomfortable 'West Side Story' Scene
In April of 1962, Rita Moreno made history at the Academy Awards: Nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in West Side Story, Moreno won the big prize and became the first Latina woman to do so. The moment was a huge triumph — but also bittersweet. See, filming the iconic movie led to a few uncomfortable scenes that she only recently opened up about.
Off the Page
In her iconic role as Anita in West Side Story, Rita Moreno portrayed a Puerto Rican immigrant, a character who was modeled after Juliet's Nurse in Romeo & Juliet (the film was heavily inspired by the Shakespeare play). As Anita, Moreno showed off her range as an actress, dancer, and singer. She was determined to prove herself to the world.
Seeing the Truth
Before West Side, Moreno was upset with her place in Hollywood. "I became the house ethnic," Moreno said in a 2013 interview with NPR. "And that meant I had to play anything that was not American. So I became this Gypsy girl, or I was a Polynesian girl, or I was an Egyptian girl." These feelings of self-doubt culminated in a life-threatening incident.
Over the Edge
In 1961, before her audition for West Side Story, Rita Moreno attempted to end her life. Discouraging roles and hackneyed scripts placed her within the confines of stereotypes, and the weight of the world became a burden. A toxic relationship with Marlon Brandon only added to her inner turmoil.
Healing
Fortunately, Rita Moreno survived her attempt. After she recovered, she secured the audition for the role of Anita and started to feel things were going in a more positive direction. The role was the opportunity of a lifetime — but then she noticed Hollywood falling back into the same old tricks.
