Why is Rita Moreno Famous?

Credit: @theritamoreno

There are those who continue to ask why Rita Moreno is famous; it never fails to sound like a silly question. However, we get it. Even though we all know she’s a highly talented actress, singer, and performer, she’s reached a level of success and fame that only a small handful of other actors have reached. It’s what makes her famous. The lovely actress has been in the industry since 1943, which means she’s 80 years in the public eye, and her fans have more questions about that. Why is Rita Moreno famous? How old is Rita Moreno? What’s her net worth? We have all the answers.

1. How Old is Rita Moreno?

We already mentioned that she’s been in the entertainment industry since 1943. That is 80 years. Eight decades. She doesn’t even look old enough to be in her 80s, let alone famous for 80s years. However, Rita Moreno is much older than you might think. She was born on December 11, 1931, which means she celebrated her 91st birthday just before the 2022 Christmas holidays. She looks amazing, doesn’t she? Moreno was born in Humacao, which is in Puerto Rico. Her birth was not the best situation for her mother, who was only 17 at the time.

She worked as a seamstress, and her father was a farmer. To make matters worse, her mother took her to New York City when she was only five, but she did not take Moreno’s baby brother. Her mother remarried, took her stepfather’s name, and had no contact with her birth father again. She only just saw her baby brother for the first time in more than 80 years in 2021.

2. What is Rita Moreno’s Net Worth?

Rita Moreno’s career is long, successful, and filled with plenty of noteworthy mentions. She’s also done well financially. As of 2023, Rita Moreno’s net worth stands at $10 million. She’s earned most of her money from her work on stage, in the movies, on television, and as a musician. At the moment, she’s living in California and enjoying her golden years.

Credit: @theritamoreno

3. Why is Rita Moreno Famous?

Now we get to the point of what so many people are asking. For one, Rita Moreno is one of Hollywood’s longest-working and most successful actresses. However, what she’s most famous for is the fact that her talent and success have allowed her to join the most exclusive club in Hollywood history. She is one of 17 people who get to say they are part of this exclusive but small list of people.

She’s part of the EGOT club. What’s that, you ask? The EGOT club is an unofficial club of people who are so good at what they do that they have taken home a win at every major award show in the business. She’s earned an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony for her work. Not many people get to say they have all four of the most prestigious awards in the industry, but she and 16 of her peers do.

She’s part of the exclusive Triple Crown Club of acting, too, which means she has all three of the major acting awards (the Grammy is excluded from this because it’s for music). The Triple Crown of Acting ‘club’ is almost as exclusive as the EGOT. Only 24 actors and actresses have ever taken home all three, and she’s one of them. In fact, she’s one of 15 women who have this award, but only nine men. She made it into the EGOT club in a matter of 15 years, and she was only 46 when she made it happen.

Her first award was an Oscar for her role as a supporting actress in West Side Story. Her second was a Grammy. She created a children’s album in the 70s. She earned a Tony when she was the lead actress in The Ritz on Broadway. Her Primetime Emmy came in 1977, rounding out her wins when she took home the award for her role in The Muppet Show (she won again for another show the following year).

4. Is Rita Moreno Married?

She is widowed. Her husband, Dr. Leonard Gordon, died in 2010. They were married in 1965, and their marriage was officially 45 years prior to his death. They are the very proud parents of a daughter. Her name is Fernanda, and she made them grandparents to two little boys. On the same note, Rita Moreno stated that at one time, she considered leaving her husband, but breaking up her family wasn’t something she wanted to do.

Credit: @theritamoreno

5. Rita Moreno Went Through a Botched Abortion

For eight years in the 50s and early 60s, she and legendary actor Marlon Brando had a relationship. They were tumultuously on and off, but it was with Brando that she became pregnant. He is the one who plotted her abortion, but it went awry. She did not abort the baby during the process. Instead, she bled profusely while the baby died and needed to be surgically removed. He then left her for a co-star in a movie, and Moreno attempted to swallow enough of Brando’s sleeping pills to die. Her suicide attempt was obviously unsuccessful.