By Angie Romero
One of only a handful of people on this earth with an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner), Rita Moreno is truly a living legend. But just because her showbiz résumé is the stuff most people can only dream of doesn't mean she's anywhere near done.
Rita Moreno
Austin Hargrave
The Nuyorican icon just released her first-ever Spanish album, a timeless collection of songs called Una Vez Más (One More Time), produced by Emilio Estefan. As she'll proudly tell you, "It's pretty fabulous, and it speaks to the fact that I can still sing at 83."
"We have fun stuff, we have ballads, we have a jazzy version of 'Brazil,' which I've been doing in my concerts for years and years that I just love," adds Moreno. "We also do a version of 'Somewhere' [from West Side Story] in Spanish called 'Un Lugar,' which is absolutely beautiful -- I actually think it's prettier and more soulful than the one in English."
Working with Estefan, who also recruited her for his "We're All Mexican" pan-Latin unity song recently, was "the greatest thing in the world that can happen to anybody," she says. Indeed, Moreno shines throughout Una Vez Más, which opens with a gently swaying cover of "Preciosa," a tribute to her beloved Puerto Rico.
Being that this is Hispanic Heritage Month (and she's hosting the Hispanic Heritage Awards Oct. 9), we got Moreno to indulge us in a fun Q&A fit for a legend, where she looks back on some of her most memorable moments in music, movies, theater and more -- the good, the bad, and the hilarious!
You won't believe what one of her biggest fans once said to her…
My favorite co-star of all time:
Marlon Brando.
Award that has meant the most to me:
The Oscar, because it was the first and because it's still the award to win.
Best piece of advice I ever got:
Cool it!