Is Rita Moreno Done with Hollywood?

Rita Moreno now and then
Paul Morigi/Getty Images; Gene Howard/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

It is hard to believe that Rita Moreno is 92 years old. She celebrated her birthday on December 11 and admitted that she wants to have two or three parties to celebrate! She shared that turning 92 is a very big deal and she wants to party with her friends and family but her condo isn’t big enough to host everyone, so she might split it up into several get-togethers.

West Side Story 1961 Rita Moreno

Everett Collection

Not only does she look amazing but she continues to work pretty regularly. She is one of only a few actors to secure the highly-coveted EGOT, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards, and has been working for over 60 years. Her breakout role was appearing as Anita in 1961’s West Side Story and she came back as a new character in the 2021 remake. Now, fans are wondering, can they expect more from Moreno or is she retiring?

West Side Story 2021 Rita Moreno

Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios/Everett Collection

While Moreno doesn’t have any upcoming projects according to IMDb, she was recently seen in the new film Family Switch, which has been doing well on Netflix. This year, she also appeared in the film 80 for Brady and Fast X as well as an episode of Lopez vs. Lopez and voiced Great Aunt Bussyboots in 10 episodes of Netflix’s Princess Power.

During the premiere of Family Switch, she was asked if she would be retiring or slowing down anytime soon. Moreno responded, “You know, I love what I do. Why on earth would I want to leave what I love? So that’s what I plan to do. Unless I can’t or until I can’t.” In 2021, she shared, “The only way I can retire is if I can’t walk. And even then, there’s always a wheelchair — or roller skates.”

80 for Brady Rita Moreno 2023

Paramount Pictures/Everett Collection

She added that she currently can’t talk about any upcoming projects, which could mean there is something in the works but it is still in the early stages. While Moreno continues to work, her age is catching up with her. She admitted that she relies on her daughter for help remembering things. She explained, “I’m constantly calling upon [Fernanda] to do things. I have a problem with remembering names, names of things and names of people. It’s so much a part of being 92 right now.”

Honoree Rita Moreno and daughter Fernanda Gordon arrive at the 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 6, 2015 in Washington, DC.

Kris Connor/Getty Images

She continued, “There are times when I need her wisdom, and they are more often than you might think, particularly at this age – 92 is not easy in many ways, and it’s something that’s difficult to understand. I think that as you, the parent, gets older, I believe that the child has to be thinking about, ‘Well, at some point this will end.’ It’s not something that Fernanda and I sit and discuss, but I just know that she has to think about that. I think we’re both pretty brave about it. Well, we’re really honest — very, very honest with each other.”

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1950s Musicals

November 2020

Bright and brassy, toe-tapping musicals from the 1950s

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