As a young actress, Rita Moreno looked up to Elizabeth Taylor — although that was somewhat out of necessity. There were no Latina actresses available for her to admire.
"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," Moreno said.
It wasn't until she was cast as Anita in 1961's "West Side Story" — a role for which she would win the Academy Award for best supporting actress — that Moreno found true inspiration.
"I mean, I was playing a Latina, but I was playing a Latina of substance and self-respect. She became my role model because I didn't have one, ever," Moreno said. READ MORE AT JOURNAL SENTINEL
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