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Rita Moreno Quotes

Powerful Rita Moreno for Daily Growth

I auditioned for 'West Side Story' just like everybody else, and I nearly had a heart attack, because I hadn't danced in about - oh, I don't know, about 15 years.

- Rita Moreno

Everybody, About, Nearly, West Side Story

I was a Spanish dancer. I don't mean to put that down, because that was great, too, but nothing like the kind of dancing you had to do in 'West Side Story,' which was called jazz.

- Rita Moreno

Dancing, Which, Spanish, West Side Story

I loved being in the film called 'Carnal Knowledge' - the one with Jack Nicholson, which was very dark but a really brilliant movie. I loved being in 'The Ritz.' 'The Ritz' I think is just hilarious. I just saw it again recently and by God, it's still funny!

- Rita Moreno

Movie, I Think, Very, Hilarious

The part of my personality that most irritated my husband, some of our big, big disagreements were when I got what he called 'showbiz.' He meant flamboyant or raucous.

- Rita Moreno

Big, Some, Meant, Flamboyant

The wonderful thing about cabaret is, you can do a lot of things you can't do in a concert. You can't do smoky ballads for 50 minutes in a concert. It's a different animal.

- Rita Moreno

Minutes, About, Cabaret, Smoky

I am not exactly Mrs. Good Housekeeping, although I love to cook, bake, even iron, but only because it's not mandatory.

- Rita Moreno

Love, Cook, Am, Mandatory

Actually, my true name is Rosa Dolores Alverio. And then I became Rosita Moreno when a stepfather stepped in. And when I got to MGM studios, which was my first film contract, they just thought that Rosita wasn't a good name, and they changed it to Rita. And yes, it was their idea.

- Rita Moreno

Thought, Idea, Became, Stepfather

When I was nominated for the Oscar, I was absolutely positive that Judy Garland would win for 'Judgment at Nuremberg,' and then they call my name, and I was absolutely paralyzed. And I remember walking down to the stage and saying to myself, 'Don't run. It's not dignified.'

- Rita Moreno

Run, Down, I Remember, Judy

If you're in a business where Latinos only play Indian maidens and what I call 'Conchita Lolita' parts - the little fiery spitfires - you do what you have to do.

- Rita Moreno

Business, Play, Fiery, Latinos

I call myself the hardware shelf. There's a lot of awards and honors there. And I have earned that. I didn't ask for it, I didn't beg for it, I didn't pay for it. I earned that. People see the accomplishments - but it's good to remind people that so much strife and labor and tears and heartbreak came before that, that it really is earned.

- Rita Moreno

Tears, Heartbreak, Strife, Honors

I played a Siamese girl from Thailand. I played an Arabian girl. I did a lot of American Indians. I never, ever was able to do a part without assuming some kind of accent.

- Rita Moreno

Kind, Some, American Indians, Thailand

I wore so much rubber when I was at MGM, I bumped into the wall once, and I ricocheted.

- Rita Moreno

Once, Rubber, Bumped, MGM

Let's face it. How often do you see an Asian face in films and television? They are practically invisible. Now and then, you will get one, and, interestingly, he gets the role of a scientist. Isn't that interesting?

- Rita Moreno

Will, Role, Films, Now And Then

The reason there weren't any, I am surmising, is that a lot of Latin kids, Latino kids, in those days didn't have the money to take those kind of classes.

- Rita Moreno

Reason, Kind, Classes, Latin

Maybe Elvis was inhibited by inbred religious prohibitions or an Oedipal complex, or maybe he simply preferred the thrill of a denied release. Whatever put the brakes on the famous pelvis, it ground to a halt at a certain point, and that was it.

- Rita Moreno

Religious, Certain Point, Halt

When I was girl, you could still get certain jobs if you didn't have a diploma.

- Rita Moreno

Get, Could, Still, Diploma

I was not treated like a serious young actress, and that was very hard. It sent me into psychotherapy, which is one of the smartest things I ever did. It taught me that I had to find value in myself.

- Rita Moreno

Actress, Treated, Which, Psychotherapy

My idol when I was a kid was Elizabeth Taylor.

- Rita Moreno

Kid, Elizabeth, Taylor, None

Lupe Velez was way before me; Dolores Del Rio was way before me, so I had no one. So the only one I could think of that I identified with was this gorgeous creature named Elizabeth Taylor, so she became my role model.

- Rita Moreno

Role, Became, Named, None

Oh, I think Scarlett Johansson is a terrific actress. I think she's just marvelous.

- Rita Moreno

Think, She, Actress, Marvelous

When you engage your brain, it just keeps getting fatter and richer and wonderful.

- Rita Moreno

Engage, Getting, Richer, Fatter

There are some fabulous treasures of photos of me during the early days of my career; there are these pin-up photos that make me laugh: I look like the poor man's Maria Montez. But there are some I look at, and I didn't realize how sexy I looked back then.

- Rita Moreno

Career, Some, Early Days, Make Me Laugh

I think lying is a bad idea. Sooner or later, someone's going to catch you.

- Rita Moreno

Think, Bad, I Think, Bad Idea

This is my idea of heaven, coming home and watching the news.

- Rita Moreno

News, Watching, Idea, Coming Home

My video has a lot to do with the inside of a woman. Usually, exercise videos refer to exteriors only. They never talk to a woman where she lives - in her heart and soul. I do that at the beginning and end of mine.

- Rita Moreno

Woman, Mine, Lives, Refer

It's kind of heartbreaking when I talk about it now, I still get very moved by the lack of opportunities that were available to myself and to the very few others who were Hispanic young actresses.

- Rita Moreno

Very, Still, Heartbreaking, Hispanic

I am the happiest Hispanic I've ever met. Truly.

- Rita Moreno

I Am, Happiest, Ever, Hispanic

My first American experience was in the harbor of New York City when I saw that amazing big, tall lady. I remember thinking, 'Oh my goodness, a lady runs this country.'

- Rita Moreno

Big, Country, I Remember, Runs

I knew what my scripts would say before I opened them: 'Enter Conchita.' I played handmaidens, Indian squaws, and Mexican dancers.

- Rita Moreno

Dancers, Knew, Before, Scripts

I first became aware of Gina Rodriguez when she was just starting out starring on 'Jane the Virgin,' and a friend sent me an article in which she mentioned me.

- Rita Moreno

Which, Became, Rodriguez, Article

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