Why Rita Moreno Almost Rejected Playing Anita In 1961's West Side Story
Rita Moreno made history for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story (1961), but the actress nearly turned down the role due to insulting lyrics.
West Side Story’s film portrayal of Anita was originated by Rita Moreno in 1961, who nearly rejected the role due to the lyrics of an important song. Already known as one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time, 1961’s West Side Story was a cultural phenomenon that not only swept the Oscars the following year, but also earned Rita Moreno an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress–the very first Latina woman to do so. Moreno’s portrayal of Anita has made a profound impact on movie musicals, Latina representation, and the legacy of West Side Story that looms over Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation, but she almost turned down the role.
While Steven Spielberg was careful to declare that he wasn’t trying to “fix” 1961’s West Side Story, he did make a few key changes that improve the legacy of his reimagining. Alongside removing the Sharks' “gang” affiliation and providing a more realistic representation of the diversity of Puerto Ricans, West Side Story (2021) made a significant creative change by writing in Valentina, a replacement for Doc, specifically for Rita Moreno. By writing in the character having Moreno portray her, Valentina provides a clearer representation of West Side Story’s cultural legacy as well as a larger connection between the themes that matter as much today as they did in 1961.
Moreno's history-making role of Anita made her an enigma on the set of West Side Story (2021), but her impact never would have been possible had she not stood her ground against an anti-Puerto Rican insult in “America.” After getting the role of Anita, future Valentina actress Rita Moreno received the script for West Side Story (1961), which included the lyrics to arguably her most important number, “America.” Moreno took one look at her first line in the number, “Puerto Rico... you ugly island... Island of tropic diseases,” and declared she couldn’t go through with the film if she had to sing these lyrics. As a Puertorriqueña herself, Moreno realized she couldn’t say such insulting words about her home, further lamenting that she couldn’t do that to her people. Anita’s trajectory within West Side Story was stipulated by the fact that she was profoundly optimistic about a future in America before quickly reinstating her faith in and defending Puerto Rico, but Moreno felt "awful" saying such ugly words about her home, which led her to nearly reject the role.
In the Something’s Coming: West Side Story documentary, Rita Moreno explained that within a few days of voicing her reservations with West Side Story's song, she received a new script with much-improved lyrics. The new opening for “America” had Anita singing “Puerto Rico, my heart’s devotion – Let it sink back in the ocean,” alongside numerous positive Puerto Rican sentiments in the song. In this way, West Side Story’s Anita is powerfully embracing her heritage and home country, but still characteristically brushing it off in favor of the prospects of America. After reading West Side Story’s song change, Moreno was able to accept the role of Anita with open arms, with her portrayal soon making film history.
Steven Spielberg notably kept this lyrical change for West Side Story’s (2021) soundtrack, while also modifying some of the other issues with Puerto Rican portrayals that Moreno was uncomfortable with in the 1961 movie. Moreno recalled that she took issue with how the original West Side Story (1961) changed the skin tones of many Puerto Rican characters, including the Sharks and herself, to one shade. The Oscar-winning actress questioned why her skin had to be covered with makeup for the film when she was Puerto Rican in real life, proving she, alongside many other actors with different skin colors, was authentic for the role in her natural state. West Side Story (2021) amended this fault in the original movie as well, with Spielberg casting diverse Latino actors to truly represent the various skin tones of Puerto Ricans and Hispanic communities.