Rita Moreno Agreed to Be in ‘One Day at a Time’ on One Condition
It goes without saying that Rita Moreno is one of Hollywoodβs most legendary stars. Sheβs only one of two actors who has achieved EGOT status and won the Triple Crown of Acting, and the only Latina to do so. Sheβs enjoyed a successful career on-screen that has spanned several decades, and she still enjoys success today even in her late 80s.
Rita Moreno has been on TV for decades
Rita Moreno achieved much of her success on the silver screen in movies such as West Side Story, The King and I, and The Ritz. But she also has appeared on television shows throughout her seven decades as a working actor.
In the 1970s, Moreno starred on the popular PBS childrenβs show The Electric Company. At the same time, she appeared in other childrenβs shows such as The Muppet Show (for which she won an Emmy Award) and Mister Rogersβ Neighborhood. In the β90s, she was the voice of Carmen Sandiego in Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, which garnered her multiple Daytime Emmy nominations.
Moreno also starred in the TV adaptation of the classic comedy 9 to 5 in early β80s, and appeared on classic sitcoms including The Golden Girls and The Cosby Show, as well as contemporary Latin-centered dramedies like Ugly Betty and Jane the Virgin.
Rita Moreno still hasnβt seen the original βOne Day at a Timeβ
Since 2017, Moreno has been enjoying yet another career revival thanks to the popular sitcom One Day at a Time. Itβs a remake of the sitcom of the same name from the β70s, and is led by original creator Norman Lear.
The series stars Dancing With the Stars competitor Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez, an Army veteran and the matriarch of the Alvarez family. Unlike the original series, the new One Day at a Time is centered around a Cuban-American family and their specific experiences given their background. Moreno plays Lydia, Penelopeβs over-the-top mother who provides comic relief at every turn.
Despite Morenoβs many years in television, she actually hasnβt seen the original series. She discussed her relationship with Lear in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
βWeβre the two old farts on the show,β Moreno said endearingly about Lear. βWell, Iβm the fartette.β Theyβd never had any sort of personal relationship, but when Lear approached her at a political dinner and asked if sheβd be interested in doing One Day at a Time, she jumped at the opportunity β without even hearing what the show was about.
Rita Moreno had specific conditions before joining βOne Day at a Timeβ
When Moreno was on a conference call with Lear and the two head writers to join One Day at a Time, she agreed to jump on board on one condition. ββI know sheβs an older woman, I know sheβs a grandma, but she has to be sexual,'β Moreno recounted. βAnd they loved it!β
βI love the character I play because she is really a diva. Sheβs so dramatic. Sheβs so theatrical,β Moreno said of her sassy on-screen persona Lydia.