- She comes with history.
- Hello, cutie.
- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
- I was really drawn to her.
She made me feel like
women could do anything
because she did.
She was a Latina, like me.
- She just brings such authority
and such honesty to
whatever she's playing.
- Some people might
view Rita Moreno
as the embodiment of
the American dream.
- At the age of 16 years old,
she was the sole
breadwinner for her family.
- Little Puerto Rican girl,
who nobody thought much
of at MGM with a contract.
(dramatic music)
I really was very often
treated like a sex object.
- The studio had
asked contract players
to go out on pretend dates.
- Before I know it, he's
forcing himself on me.
- When you're in a
contract to a studio,
they own you.
- Don't you touch me.
I think sometimes
there are wounds
that simply don't heal well.
- She made herself into
somebody she wasn't
for a very long time.
- For the very first
time in my life,
I felt very useful.
- She really cares about issues.
And then she is just full of
you know what and vinegar.
- Wear your nationality
like a flag.
Be proud of it!
Be proud you're Puerto Rican!
Be proud your negro!
- We always have to
prove we're worthwhile.
That's a lot of work.
- At 87, with a hit show,
and a movie in the works.
It's a remake of West Side Story
with Latino actors
in the lead roles.
- If we thought there
was no place for us
in this world of the arts
that we wanted to get into,
we could look up and see Rita,
and say, okay, well
she could do it.
How close can I get?
(upbeat music)