'West Side Story' star Rita Moreno on the advice she shared with new star Ariana DeBose
ABC News
"West Side Story" star Rita Moreno discussed both the remake and the original film in an interview with ABC News.
Rita Moreno became the first Latina to win a best supporting actress Oscar in 1961 for her portrayal of Anita in the iconic musical "West Side Story." Now, half a century later, the 89-year-old actress is starring in Steven Spielberg's version of "West Side Story."
"I don't think of it as a remake. I really don't. I think of it as Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story.' It's a reimagining," Moreno told ABC News.
The musical, which was inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," is set in New York City in the 1950s and tells the story about rival gangs -- the Sharks, who are Puerto Rican, and the Jets, who are white.
The drama in the musical centers around the relationship between Tony, a former member of the Jets, who falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.