Discover how Rita Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles and scenes of the star on set today.
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It airs Friday, September 26 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.
This documentary explores the star’s rich, 70-year long career using vérité footage of Moreno today, archival footage of her roles and appearances, reenactments of her childhood, and animation and interviews with Moreno, those close to her and performers she influenced. It also delves into the lesser-known struggles Moreno faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and sexual abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando and an attempted suicide a year before she won her Oscar. Film interviewees include Gloria Estefan, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, and more.
Photo: Portrait of film and Broadway actor Rita Moreno as she puts on makeup in the mirror.
Credit: PBS.