NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� says it was always in her nature to be generous 鈥� to hold doors for people and help lighten a mother鈥檚 load if she was struggling with shopping bags and children.
But Moreno, still the only Latina EGOT — winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards — in history, says it took a particularly outspoken roommate to teach her the importance of politics and philanthropy.
鈥淪he really just indoctrinated me into the joys of being generous and helping people, really helping people,鈥� Moreno told The Associated Press. 鈥淎fter that, I learned to do it in a bigger way.鈥�
Following her Oscar win for 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� Moreno joined the 鈥淏an the Bomb鈥� demonstrations against atomic testing. In 1963, she joined and was close enough to Martin Luther King, Jr. as he spoke that she saw gospel singer Mahalia Jackson urge him, 鈥淭ell him about the dream, Martin,鈥� leading him to ad lib his most famous speech. For decades, she has fought against the racism and sexism she has experienced in the entertainment 鈥� for herself and for those who have followed in her footsteps.
For her trailblazing career and philanthropic accomplishments, Moreno will be honored at the WNET Group 2024 Gala at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on Tuesday night. Accepting the honor at the fundraiser for America鈥檚 flagship PBS station, and its associated public television networks and NPR stations, also allows Moreno to help the kind of artistic programs she has supported for decades.
It鈥檚 a philanthropic strategy that Moreno has long used. It鈥檚 why she served on the National Council on the Arts and the President鈥檚 Committee on the Arts and the Humanities for President Bill Clinton. And it鈥檚 why she has lent her name to the Rita Moreno Arts Building, which will house a theater for the Entertainment Community Fund in Los Angeles.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 asked to be a part of something like that, I鈥檓 always astonished,鈥� said Moreno, adding that she 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 be prouder鈥� to be honored by public television because it has been such an important part of her life and career.
Moreno spent six seasons on PBS鈥� 鈥淭he Electric Company,鈥� which helped teach young people, as well as not-so-young people, how to read. The show, which also starred Morgan Freeman and Skip Hinnant, meant so much to her that she stayed on it even while working full time on Broadway. It was during her 鈥淓lectric Company鈥� stint that she won a Tony for her role as Googie Gomez in Terrence McNally鈥檚 play 鈥淭he Ritz鈥� in 1975.
鈥淚t was not easy,鈥� Moreno said. 鈥淲e worked extremely hard on (鈥楾he Electric Company鈥�) and we did a lot of trick photography. But I loved working on it. I鈥檝e always loved being funny, so it gave me a fantastic outlet for my sense of humor. I love ridiculous humor.鈥�
But Moreno鈥檚 work on 鈥淭he Electric Company鈥� had serious impact as well. She could see it helping her daughter, Fernanda, who was five when the show began, with her reading. And for generations of Latino young people, Moreno was the first person they saw on TV who looked like them.
When Moreno was celebrated by the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015, actress Gina Rodriguez paid tribute to her by saying, 鈥淲hen you followed your dreams, Rita, you gave me the allowance to follow mine.鈥�
Neal Shapiro, WNET Group CEO and former president of NBC News, called Moreno 鈥渢he ideal choice鈥� for the honor.
鈥淲e love her,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e adore her both for the artist she is and the great work she鈥檚 brought to the American public. And we have a special relationship with her for the work we have done on past issues and that she has been on some of our shows like 鈥楾he Electric Company.鈥欌��
Shapiro said Moreno鈥檚 work, especially on Broadway, is the kind of pioneering excellence in the arts that PBS wants to bring to the entire country, not just those who happen to catch her in New York.
鈥淎nd the way she has handled her career, she鈥檚 been very concerned about representation, making sure that all voices are represented,鈥� he added.
The gala honoring Moreno will also serve as a kickoff of sorts for the nonprofit鈥檚 new Broadway and Beyond initiative, which will collect new theater programs on-air and online in May and June.
For Moreno, the gala serves as a rare respite in yet another busy period in her career. At 92, she was very involved in the recent movie 鈥淭he Prank,鈥� where she even cut the bangs of her wig herself so that she would look meaner for the role. This summer, she begins work in the new horror movie 鈥淭heirs,鈥� alongside Harvey Keitel.
And meeting all the people she has inspired would be a full-time job in itself. Moreno laughs about meeting rocker Lenny Kravitz at the Vanity Fair after-Oscars party earlier this year.
鈥淗e was all by himself standing near a bar or something and I said, 鈥楬ello, I鈥檓 Rita Moreno鈥�,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd before I could say the 鈥榥o,鈥� he was on his knees on the floor, saying, 鈥極h my god, oh my god, oh my god鈥欌�� and it was because of me.
鈥淚 just kept looking at my daughter and said, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 this?鈥�,鈥� Moreno continued. 鈥淎nd it was because he鈥檚 a huge admirer. How do you like that?鈥�
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