Rita Moreno steals West Side Story’s thunder
Film icon Rita Moreno made her way onto the Oscars stage again to present the award for Best Picture, which went to Nomadland.
Upon presenting, she spoke about West Side Story. The classic musical will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year and made history at the 34th Academy Awards when it won 10 Oscars, which remains the most Oscars won by a musical. It’s also the second highest number of wins ever behind a three-way tie between 1959’s Ben-Hur, 1997’s Titanic and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which all won 11.
Moreno got the audience laughing when she mentioned the most important win the film received was for Best Supporting Actress, which was obviously hers, and that a less important win was for Best Picture.
The stunning 89-year-old actress still has a thriving career. After becoming the third person in history to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, she’s continued to perform onstage and onscreen notably in the recent series One Day at a Time.
She will once again star in West Side Story, but this time as a new character. The movie dropped its trailer during the ceremony and is scheduled for a Dec. 10 release.
