The word "legendary" tends to be tossed around loosely, but in the case ofRita Moreno, the description is spot-on. Moreno, 84, who has been starring on stage and screen for six decades and is one of only 12 performers to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, continues to take on new roles including her part in Norman Lear's reboot of the popular 1970s-'80s sitcom, One Day at a Time, which debuts on Netflix in January 2017.
But Moreno admits that when her husband of 46 years, cardiologist Leonard Gordon, died five years ago, she felt anything but legendary. She says she felt overcome by the loss and overwhelmed regarding what to do next, especially when it came to her finances.
"My husband used to take care of everything," Moreno says. "But every now and then he'd say, 'You want to take a look at this stuff?' I'd say, 'Oh God, no. I'm the artist in the family.'"
Now, as a spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Life Unscripted initiative, Moreno is encouraging people-especially women-to learn about their finances and insurance needs before facing the loss of a loved one. She recently talked to Parade about money matters, empowerment and her new sitcom role.
First, where in the world do you get all your energy?
Honestly everybody says that about my energy. I assume it shows. To me, it's just me being me.