Rita Moreno may be 90-years-old, but she’s still a Hollywood stunner like none other! The iconic actress and performer appeared on the March issue cover for Town & Country and looked more amazing than ever, channeling old Hollywood glamour with a dazzling all-black look that included a bodysuit, long gloves, plus a fluffy jacket and headpiece. The One Day at a Time actress delved into her life and career for the spread, going through various singular pit stops along the way.
“Let me just say, first of all, that I’ve never in my life thought of myself and the word legend in the same breath.” she stated in the interview. “I guess I am one.”
“When I started out, I wanted to be an actress in the movies. I wanted to be a star. That’s all I wanted out of life from the time I was five,” she went on. “Legacy is not something I associate with myself, and I never related to it. I don’t relate to it now. I don’t know—that’s a word I always associate with white people. It’s like a $50 word.”
Rita also expressed her disdain for an industry that continues to value younger talent, even when stars such as herself are lauded in the industry. “I still don’t have what I want. People aren’t exactly knocking my door down, you know,” she stated. “This West Side Story connection is wonderful, but that’s just one job. That’s not ongoing work. That’s not somebody saying, ‘There’s this part in the script that I think would be just wonderful for you. Would you consider it?’ It’s not happening.”
Rita, who snagged a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her vivacious performance as Anita in the original West Side Story (making her the first Hispanic actress to win the award), returned for the 2021 film in the small role of Valentina, a drug store owner who serves as a confidant to main character Tony in his quest for Maria’s heart.
“I don’t think she taught me anything that I don’t know. She didn’t teach me anything I don’t know, because I know a lot,” Rita responded when asked if her new character taught her anything, since saying Anita taught her “self respect.”
“If anything, Valentina would take lessons from me, because I am more sophisticated, and I’ve been around more than she, and I could dance circles around her,” the actress concluded.