Valentina also serves as Tony’s voice of reason. She does too, Valentina, but her opinions are stated in a more subtle way,” Moreno said.

“She’s just such a long way from Anita, who is volatile and has an opinion and all that. Valentina is based on Doc, the character who owned the store where the Jets hung out in the original film. 28 November 2018 Getty Images Moreno played Anita in the 1961 West Side Story film Rita Moreno is to return to West Side Story almost 60 years after appearing in the original film. Moreno is back on Spielberg’s remake as an executive producer and as Valentina, a new role created specifically for the film. She means a lot to the Latino community and to the entertainment industry at large.' ‘How far have we really moved forward?’ Rita Moreno is one of the most iconic performers alive, from her breakout role in West Side Story to her recent role in the Steven Spielberg remake. 'She means a lot to the Puerto Rican community. West Side Storys Rita Moreno: J-Lo cant be sole representative of Latinos 10 February 2021 Loomis Dean/Sundance Institute The Rita Moreno documentary looks back at the Puerto Rican. 'She means a lot to me,' DeBose said of Moreno.

“By virtue of being a Black woman, that makes it a different portrayal, because my physical manifestation has to inform this particular version.”ĭeBose said the remarks carry a special meaning, considering how “there’s no way in the world any woman taking on this particular endeavor wasn’t going to feel a tremendous amount of pressure.” Moreno’s portrayal of Anita in the original film earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, making history as the first Latina to win the honor. “I was very adamant that whatever interpretation I delivered for this performance was going to be massively different,” DeBose, who is Afro Latina, said. Anita calls him out in Spanish, asking if he said that because she is “prieta,” Puerto Rican slang for dark-skinned or Black. In one scene, Bernardo suggests that Anita is not really part of his family, even though they all live under the same roof and she pays rent. In the remake, Anita doesn’t shy away from bringing up issues of colorism and racism within her own Latino community - and how it affects her perception of the world. In every iteration, including Spielberg's film remake, the role of Anita continues, withstanding the test of time.

Now, “West Side Story” is an iconic period piece that has been revived countless times on stages worldwide. Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. She has agency, and she does speak up,” DeBose said. “Anita is inherently a woman who knows her own mind.

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