Rita Moreno Talks ‘One Day At A Time’, Reviving ‘West Side Story’ With Steven Spielberg, And The “Delicious” Betty White

What’s left to say about Rita Moreno that hasn’t already been said? Through a career that goes back close to 75 years, she’s accomplished everything one could accomplish, including completing the EGOT cycle in the span of about 16 years, starting with her Oscar for 1961’s West Side Story. She’s also been at the forefront of advocating for Latinex representation on shows and movies, a stance which kept her off screen for seven years after winning that Oscar.

Moreno has always had a youthful energy about her, and it shows in her current project, playing Lydia Margarita del Carmen Inclán Maribona Leyte-Vidal de Riera, mother to Justina Machado’s Penelope Alvarez on Netflix’s One Day At A Time. She’s a Cuban immigrant who, as Moreno told Decider, is “shameless,” but in a good way. “She really thinks she’s God’s gift to men,” she says with a laugh. She’s also one of the funniest parts of the show during its three seasons, snapping back the curtains to her makeshift bedroom with a dramatic flair that few actors could pull off.

Moreno sat down with Decider while she was in a South Bend, Indiana hotel relaxing after a conference where she was a speaker. She talked about Lydia, how the chemistry of the ODAAT cast was established from day one, and the source of Lydia’s accent. She also talks about her involvement in Steven Spielberg’s revival of West Side Story, where she’s credited as an executive producer and will also play the role of Valentina.

Speaking of her mother’s accent, she tells some jokes about it that she was sure we weren’t going to print, but they were too funny to leave on the cutting room floor.

DECIDER: How has the show settled in for you, and how has the character of Lydia settled in for you now that you’re three seasons in?

RITA MORENO: It’s a good question because I think there’s a little bit missing from Lydia at the moment as to agenda. It’s something that I am going to discuss with the writers, because I want to be sure that if we have a fourth season, if God is good and Netflix is willing, I would like to see her have something important that is ahead for her or is in the midst of happening for her. Whether it’s local politics, something or other, or any number of things that I can think of. I want to be sure that Lydia has an agenda like the other main characters do.

Obviously, with her daughter [Penelope, played by], Justina [Machado] … by the way, isn’t she a terrific actress? She knocks me out. She knocks me out. She’s probably one of the best acting partners I have ever had. I adore her as a person too. We’re very lucky to have each other on this show because everybody truly, truly is very fond of each other.

All I’m getting at is that I’m going to have a chance to talk to the head writers, Mike Royce and Gloria Calderon Kellett, about what they have in mind for … at this point, they usually have story ideas in mind for the character of Lydia. I would hope that some of it is, as with their other episodes, something very funny that could turn into something very sad, which is … that’s them at their best. They have managed to get this balance, and that’s a ushering. You don’t know how hard that is.

What you’re saying though is she really hasn’t had her own arc in a way?

Actually, no. I’m not saying that because she has had it. But now we’ve used up … it seems to me I could be dead wrong. Until I know what’s the plan for next season, assuming we are lucky enough to have a next season, I’d like to know what’s in store because it’s very, very easy to take a character like Lydia, whom I adore … What could be bad about playing Lydia, for Pete’s sake? But it’s very easy to just turn yourself into a character. I want to be very, very sure. I know the writers are very fussy about that too, about her just being a wisecracking wacky character. That is never going to happen because that would absolutely ruin these stories. It would also just suddenly have this person just doing wisecracks. But on the other hand, it could be a trap because she is so big.

How do you rank Lydia as far as a broad, big personality compared to some of your other characters?

Oh, she’s huge, but in the most delicious sense. She is vain. She really thinks she’s God’s gift to men, and she’s not beyond lying to make a point, even though as you may be dead wrong. That’s what’s so much fun about playing her. She’s way too prideful, and that just … it’s delicious to play that. Absolutely delicious.

Very traditional too.

And she is. That’s good too, because I cannot tell you how many people tell me, “That’s my abuelita.” I cannot tell you … there’s an audience filled with people who say, “My God, it’s my grandmother.” So it’s not as though she is made out of whole cloth. She’s made out of some serious stuff based on serious things. That’s great.

I was told that Lydia’s accent was your mother’s accent.

That’s right. That was my mom’s accent. That’s how she actually talked. I love doing that because it’s funny, and/or it’s charming. My mom used to make some hilarious mistakes. I’ll tell you one that you cannot possibly print so I’m not worried. But it’s very funny.

It’s when my half brother, Dennis Moreno was going to junior high, and the school was called “Le Conte.” Now, you’re way ahead of me, I’m sure. Sure enough, my mother would brag to company in his presence. [In mother’s voice] “Oh Yayce, I am so proud of him because he is going to La Cunt Junior High.” Told you you can’t print it. She would say that so proudly, and he would take her aside and he’d say, “Mommy, why didn’t you just say ‘junior high?'” Isn’t that hilarious?

She used to change the [In mother’s voice]“shits” on the bed, then she’d for a nice swim at the “bitch.”

You guys must have had field day with that stuff when you were kids.

Oh my God, yes. But sometimes it was horribly embarrassing. You don’t think that’s so great when you’re a kid, believe me.

But looking back now, does it seem funnier?

She was charming. She was absolutely adorable and charming. Yes. The fun of it is that she would say it was such authority. It would never occur to her that she was mispronouncing something.

Because she doesn’t know what she’s mispronouncing. It sounds right to her.

Exactly. You’re going to the “bitch” [means] you’re going to the beach. What’s the big deal?

Lydia’s youthful energy is very apparent. She doesn’t think she’s in her 70s.

No. Of course not. That’s right. She also thinks she’s God’s gift to men. The woman is shameless. She will flirt with a fence post.

She wants to kiss Andy Garcia, right?

[Laughs] I think it would be so much fun if we had him as a guest star time. I would love that. We’re not big on doing guest stars because … and I absolutely agree that it’s not that kind of show, but you have people dropping in. It makes perfect sense for Gloria Estefan to be in that opening episode because she’s a perfect sister for my character. The fact that they’re really essentially the same woman. They’re both vain, they both lie. I think it’s absolutely hilarious. I got to tell you, I had so much fun with her.

But she’s a good friend too, because I met her through her husband when he was producing my album in Spanish.

And then also she has a connection to the show because he thinks the theme song.

Do you know how many people don’t know that’s her? I can’t believe it. What I love about the theme song, the way they did it is that Emilio, who is the musician in the family, Latinized the arrangement.

With Lydia’s youthful energy … you have youthful energy too. Was Lydia written a certain way and you molded it with what you brought to it?

Well, it was a wonderful combination of them, the head writers and myself, because they knew who were they were writing for. But I don’t think they knew that I could be quite as a funny as I am playing Lydia. It was a very important part of being her, and it’s a talk I had with Norman [Lear] and them, the two head writers, before the show even got written. I said, “I know she’s old, and I know that she’s a grandmother, but she must be sexual.” And they loved the idea, all three of them. Norman and the two writers just said, “Oh, that’s great.” And boy, have they taken advantage? She’s shameless.

The way she’s friends with Stephen Tobolowsky’s character, is it something that when you get to that certain age, it’s realistic? That you see friends of yours that have companions that aren’t romantic? Though she just also leads him along for three years.

She does. But she finally let him know in this year’s season that it ain’t going to happen. It broke my heart. I felt so sorry for his character. Isn’t he sweet? He’s so darling. I love it the most when I make him laugh. He thinks my Lydia is very funny.

When you’re talking about Justina and say that she’s one of the best acting partners you’ve ever had, which is saying a lot, obviously… Did you know that from day one of rehearsing? Did it develop over time?

Well, no. I saw it at the very first … what we call the table read, and I thought, “Oh my God. This girl is really talented. What a joy this is going to be.” And it’s never been anything but. Of course, our favorite thing to do is when our characters disagree with each other and they argue. I love the arguments because they get so Latino, and the eyes are flashing and the hands are going. I love that. I love the fact that they both believe … even though it’s never been acknowledged, they believe in some voodoo and the devil and that kind of stuff. I just love that.

I’ll tell you what, when Lydia had the stroke, and you had that episode where all the characters who are close to her come and talk to her while she’s in a coma, her monologue brought me to tears, and I had to be really careful because I’m supposed to not be hearing anything. In fact, I asked permission. I asked Gloria, I said, “Can we let a tear slip out?”, She said, “No, no, no, no, no.”, She said, “I don’t want you … I want her to be in a coma.” But it happened. It got to me about the second take we did.

It’s a monologue. I felt a tear coming, and I started to talk to the tear and I said, “Don’t you dare come out”, and I’m doing this while she’s doing her heartbreaking monologue. I’m talking to the tears, saying, “Don’t you come up. Don’t you dare.”

Did it obey? Did it stay in?

No. Luckily, she goofed on her dialogue or something, and we had to do it again.

This version of One Day at a Time, does if feel to you like one of the more realistic depictions of a Latino family that we’ve seen?

Absolutely. Absolutely. This is what we hear over and over and over. It’s a trajectory that we want. It is something that we always want to respect, and it is so satisfying that people just see us as a family. It’s thrilling. It’s marvelous. I think one of the most astonishing inspirations that the writers had was to make the granddaughter come out as gay. That is crazy brilliant.

And the fact that she doesn’t use gender pronouns and all that…

I know. Which is, of course, annoying and absolutely maddening to Lydia. But I love that. She just hates that shit.

How do you feel about how traditional Lydia is compared to the way you might be? Is there some what of how Lydia is traditional that you agree with, or is there a lot that you’re like, “No, I’ve never liked that.”?

Of course not. I don’t agree with much of what she believes, but I respect it and I love it. I think it’s important. I think it’s important because I want the young people who watch to understand what that is about. I’m really, really glad to be playing that role in the series.

The fact that they’re Latino runs through the entire series, but after season 3, do you think people are still looking them as, “This is the show about a Cuban family?”, Or are they now at the point where people are like, “This is about a family?”

I get the feeling that more and more were becoming a family to the audience because the audience is also having a lot of American people saying, “God, this is a funny show and it’s about a family.”

Given what you’ve experienced in your career … and I’ve read back in the West Side Story days, even after you won your Oscar, you were still getting roles that were that were very stereotypical.

Well, I was still getting offered roles. I made a decision not to accept any, and ha ha I showed them. I didn’t do a movie for seven years.

Given what you know about how things have progressed in Hollywood, is this something that you see that’s new for you? Is it something that … obviously, it’s welcomed, but is it new?

It’s absolutely new and it’s good and it’s necessary, and I still believe … I know that we’re still underrepresented and we still have a lot of work to do. I think we still have a long way to go. We are underrepresented, and I don’t know that I will actually see that change hugely in my lifetime. But I at least can see it beginning to happen, and that’s wonderful.

Why is it so hard for sitcom writers to balance the drama with the comedy? What does Mike and Gloria and their staff do to be able to do that so effectively?

Wow, what a great question. The answer is, I don’t know. The simple and short answer is, I don’t know. Because it does take a very specific skill, and I don’t think that a lot of people can pull it off in the sense that you may see … and you do see sometimes in a sitcom, a serious situation arise and it’s touching and all that, and then what happens because the people who write don’t have the skill, they go from that touching moment and back into comedy in a very clumsy way. That doesn’t happen with us. That’s like magic. I don’t know how they do that because that is really, really difficult. I guess the way you do it is you have one character say something absurd, and it begins to lighten up.

I also imagined since in the better comedies, the comedy comes from the character and not from a joke.

That’s probably the best answer. I’m going to steal that from you. Because it is a difficult … it’s really a difficult thing to figure out.

Compared to some of the characters you played in the past, do you think that you would’ve been able to play a role similar to her in the past? Obviously, different ages, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago?

No, I don’t think so. I think everybody would have been so bloody scared that they would be rewrite after rewrite after rewrite til she got washed out. Because I saw that happen a number of times when I would do a pilot, and then somebody would object to this or that, and before you knew it, they washed out the thing. That’s what happens. They get scared. They love it, they love it, they love it, and then the suits get scared. And then these suits scare these writers, then the director gets scared. That’s what happened for years. I saw it happen.

There was a pilot that I did with Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks producing, and it was about … I believe it was about Greek people. There were some wonderful things there that were very honest and they were very funny. There was some stuff that you could assume was detrimental. I remember that the audience went, “Ooh.”, and that seemed to scare everybody.

Was it My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the TV version of the movie?

No, it wasn’t that. It was something … and I can’t remember what it. It was okay. It wasn’t thrilling, but it was okay. It was thrilling to have Rita and Tom there. Oh my God. It’s just divine. But before you knew it, the suits came in and said, “Oh, nope. That audience reaction tells us something.” I’m assuming this because nobody told me, but you could tell by the second show that we did. By that I mean the second show, the same night. That it had been changed.

What do you think has more influence over the fact that this show is the way it is now? Is it Norman or Netflix or both?

I think it’s first and foremost, Norman. He’s the guy who presented the idea to Netflix I also need to give credit to Brent Miller who was his business partner because I do believe that it was Brent’s idea. Brent after Norman’s book came out said to Norman something on the order of, “God, don’t you want to go back to television?”, and I think Norman said something like, “Yeah, it would be nice.” Brent did something very interesting. He went to an advertising agency and asked them to give him a report, a written report on what the audiences were. The ages, nationalities, that kind of stuff.

And they sent him a report that said that there was a huge audience in the waiting for women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. And they were Latin. Isn’t that interesting? Brent went to Norman said, “Look at these statistics.” I do believe it was Brent who said, “Why don’t we do a One Day at a Time?” That’s why he’s Norman’s partner.

What was his role in shepherding this through? I guess you two known each other for a number of years.

No, I haven’t. I didn’t know him. I got this job because I was sitting across from him at a dinner table at a political fundraiser, and he something like, “I’m going back to television, and I want you in the show.”, And I literally immediately said, “Okay.” And then about 10 minutes later I said, “Wait a minute. What is it?” It turned out to be One Day at a Time. I was certainly one of the earliest people he thought of, and that’s how that happened.

What does it take for you now to commit to a series? At this point I’d imagine you can pick and choose.

You know what? I cannot pick and choose. You’re wrong. It’s interesting that I give that impression. I cannot pick and choose. I’m not offered something every two minutes at all. When the Norman Lear offered this, I was thrilled. It’s not like I had to throw things aside. I’m sorry to say. I should have been, but that’s not the real world.

But is there any consideration now like, “Okay, well this looks like a good idea. This doesn’t look like a good idea. The pilot script doesn’t seem to work”, or you’re just figuring, “Okay, we’ll throw caution to the way and then see if it works.”?

Absolutely. I just wanted to work with him, and I thought if I only do a pilot, it’s with him and that’s all that meant anything to me. I was so thrilled. By the way, we had this incredible pilot. It was as though these actors had been with together with all their lives. It was the most astonishing chemistry. It happened at the first read.

How has that chemistry evolved?

I’m trying to tell you that it happened from the first read.

So it’s the same now?

It was absolutely bizarre. Let me describe the scene for you. We were at a table, and in the audience as it were, is all of Sony, all of all the ones that mattered, all of Netflix and the writers and of course, Norman. It was almost creepy that we had this astonishing, astonishing chemistry. We read that script like we’ve been together … like this was our 44th week. It’s not as the actors. Possibly, one of the reasons … it certainly was a contributing factor, was that we were, in truth, real Latinos, and we felt extremely comfortable with each other.

What perspective do you think Gloria brings as the co-showrunner?

Well, it is female over and above everything. It’s very important to her. And then it’s the Cuban sensibility. She’s very much a Cuban woman, and it’s very important to her. She’s got many, many stories to tell, and when she doesn’t have a role, she has hearsay stories from her family. I think she brings an enormous amount to it, but you can’t leave out Mike Royce in the sense that this is a man who did a family show for years, which is one of my absolute favorites, and I’m still watching reruns, and that’s Everybody Loves Raymond. I love that show.

When you’re talking about the chemistry, can you compare it to any other project, whether it’s on stage or in the movies on TV that you’ve worked on over your career?

I don’t ever remember anything like that. I really don’t. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. I’m sure it does, but it’s not like I’ve worked with tons and tons of cats. I haven’t. One of the reasons being that I’m a Hispanic, and I didn’t get that many jobs. I never had that experience before, ever.

How did your involvement in Steven Spielberg’s new version of West Side Story come about?

This is insane, and I am so excited. I cannot tell you. I’m jumping up and down like a little girl. Apparently, he always loved my work in West Side Story. That’s what he tells me, and that’s what I hear. He always loved the movie. He just became a huge fan of the movie, and he called up … he told me that he called up Robert Wise [who directed the original film] and became very friendly with him and had endless lunches with him, talking mostly about the damn movie. How did you do that shot and what made you think of that shot, that kind of thing. They became very, very close. He’s always, always wanted to do it. The interesting thing is that he tells me that they’re doing it in the same year.

I thought maybe it would be an updated version and that worried me at the time because I thought, “Well, if it’s really updated, you going to have to do some rap. Won’t you?” That really dismayed me. What happens with the songs and the dances? No, no, no. I believe it’s still in … what is it, 1957?

But let me tell you something about him and [screenwriter] Tony Kushner, which just kills me. You know who Tony Kushner is? Of Angels in America. They have bent themselves into pretzels to try to write some of the things that weren’t exactly right in the original film, such as the kids have to be kids, they have to be young. Everybody forgets that this is based on — I think it’s a brilliant concept — Romeo and Juliet, so Juliet should really be a girl, not a woman. They found a girl with a beautiful voice. She’s Hispanic. All of the Sharks are as they should be, Hispanic. They’re all very young, also.

And then they decided, he and Tony … I don’t know who decided first, but I’m guessing it’s probably Steven, but I’m just guessing, that they should talk to a lot of Puerto Rican people. So they called up The University of Puerto Rico, and they asked to have a panel meeting with an audience where people could ask questions and/or voice complaints, and that’s exactly what they did, which was just astonishing. Needless to say, the panel was absolutely poleaxed at this willingness to get it right. Not only a willingness, but he was absolutely pushing that. He felt it was very, very important.

So there’s some things that are going to change because obviously 2019, 2020 is a lot different time. Even though it takes place in the ’50s, are some of the stereotypes are going to get eliminated?

Exactly. Exactly. That’s exactly what’s going to happen. I have only read a very, very raw first draft. I couldn’t even tell you what’s going to happen or how everybody’s going to sound. I know that I’m playing Valentina who’s Doc’s widow and runs the candy store.

I read your anecdote about Kushner’s Spanish in the script, which I thought was funny.

Well, it was meant to be funny, and then apparently … boy, that really made me stop and think. Apparently, some nasty people saw that and completely twisted it around so that it sounded as though I was slapping their hands, and that’s what they said. They said, “She had to slap their hands.” No such thing. I thought it was so charming. Because he needed to have some dialogue for the boys in Spanish, and he didn’t really have time or the inclination at that point was a very, very raw script to go to a translator and all that. So he just used the Spanish and that he could use. That’s what that was. But I got such a report on this. It made me very, very leery of what I could say because there are people who are just dying to make this project not look good.

Well, it’s also the culture we’re in, where anything gets taken and twisted and shoved out on Twitter and Facebook.

I know. I know. I’m still shocked. Because when I first heard that, I thought, “Oh my God, that’s not what I meant for Tony. It was meant to be a charming story.”

Is your behind-the-scenes role on the movie is to guide Tony and Steven a little bit?

Really you need to ask Steven. But as he put it to me, he says, “You are the bridge to this film.” Because I’ve had one preliminary meeting with him, and he’s just … he’s a lovely, lovely guy by the way. I call him a nice Jewish boy who happens to be a genius, but he really is that. He’s a darling man. He just sees me as a bridge to this movie. He loved me in it as Anita, and it felt right to him.

You’ve always been outspoken. Where does that come from? Does that come from your upbringing? Is that just something you decided early on, that you’re not going to bullshit anyone?

You know what? I think it comes from all the years of hiding my feelings. Because I wasn’t always that way, and once I made up my mind, which was way late in my life to tell the truth as it were, that’s what decided I ought to do and if people didn’t like it, well, I’m sorry, but this is the way I feel. I have a right to my feelings, and I have a right to make them public if I want to. Of course, I didn’t live during that period, which is now, when people can just tear you apart and rake you across the coals. People are so cruel. I don’t understand. I really don’t. I am poleaxed, stunned and mystified by the directional hatred and anger that’s existing in this country right now. I think it’s something that our president has unleashed and given permission to.

It was there. It was there, but it was being hidden. Why was it being hidden? Because I think, people were ashamed of the way they felt. I don’t think they’re ashamed of the way they feel now.

When did you think you became as outspoken as you are now?

When did I become my own person? Is that what you’re asking? I think it happened when I became an activist, and that was born when I attended the March on Washington, and Harry Belafonte invited a Hollywood contingent to attend. Sammy Davis Jr. was there and Dianne Carroll and all kinds of people were there really as Harry’s guests. We were literally sitting at the area of the Lincoln Monument where Dr. King was speaking. I think it started then. I became inspired. I looked in back of me and saw all of those people, some of whom had walked, many of whom took buses wearing coveralls, like they were farmers, and it was thrilling and inspiring.

More than that, what was really, really just beyond thrilling, I was so close to Dr. King’s person, we all were, we in the Hollywood contingent, that I heard Mahalia Jackson’s say to him while he’s speaking, “Tell them about the dream, Martin. Tell them about the dream.” He left his speech that he had prepared, and launched into the “I Have a Dream” speech. Come on! That’s thrilling.

How much do you think, being outspoken has affected your career, and do you regret at all going in this direction?

First of all, I think “regret” is a terrible mistake because you can’t undo anything that you’re regretting. You can’t undo it. There’s no way. It’s a waste of your emotions and time and guilt. So, the answer is no, regrets have nothing to do with it. There are things that I am so sorry for that I didn’t attend to in my younger life and I’m sorry about that. But I really try very hard not to fall into the regret trap. All it does is make you feel really, really bad about something you can’t do anything about. So no, I don’t believe in that.

You’ve said it cost you work after West Side Story.

Well, I don’t think that’s what cost me work. I think what cost me to work was the Latino thing.

Because of the roles you were being offered?

Oh, absolutely. No, I don’t think it was being outspoken, because when you’re … let me see. When you’re outspoken and not a lot of people hear you, you’re not going to get in trouble. And a lot of people didn’t hear me at the time. I was really talking against the wind. You know it, the press people know it because they could quote me. But I wasn’t heard that all much. It didn’t happen until … that didn’t happen until way much later. Way after West Side Story.

Basically the ’70s, essentially, is when I would say people connected with you a little bit more.

Exactly. And then I did a movie called Carnal Knowledge, which was … Wow. I don’t even know if it ever did play Georgia because the Georgia Supreme Court banned it. But I don’t know if it ever did play in Georgia.

Well, we hope so. Was there anything you wanted to mention about West Side Story or One Day at a Time or anything else that we haven’t talked about?

Only that for an 87-year-old person, I am one of the world’s luckiest old ladies.

That’s really great. I just thought at some point, you and Betty White should get together. 

Oh, we have. We have. She is so delicious. I’ll tell you a story about her, an anecdote that’s so funny. Well, it’s funny to me anyway. It’s when I was doing Fran Drescher’s series, Happily Divorced, and we were in New York along with many other people who were promoting their new shows [for TV Land]. They had a party where they had an enormous amount of actors and actresses, but mostly they had extremely loud rock music. What could possess anybody to play enormously loud rock music to a crowd like this is beyond me. Whose great idea was that? We spent this busy afternoon shouting at each other, and I just hated it.

I got to where Betty was and introduced myself and we laughed about it and I said, “I don’t understand it. We’re yelling at each other because it was that loud.” And then Betty said, “I have an idea.” She said, “Let’s start screaming at the top of our lungs.” But she says that the difference is that, “You fall on the floor.”

She said to me … and we were all dressed up, she says, “You fall on the floor and start screaming your head off. I will stay here on the couch and scream my head off and get some attention, and when we get the attention”, she says, “we’ll tell him to turn down the fucking music.” I said, “Good idea.” I get down on the floor with my beautiful outfit, and I start screaming and boy, can she yell? She’s got the lungs of an elephant. She starts to yell, and I start to yell and I’m laying on the floor like an idiot. The most attention we got literally, was one couple turned around holding their drinks and looked at me, and then turned back and kept on talking. Nobody paid attention.

I finally got up half hoarse, and I said to her, “Well, so much for fame,” but nobody gave a shit. I think that’s what I said to her. I said, “I don’t think they give a shit.”

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, VanityFair.com, Playboy.com, Fast Company’s Co.Create and elsewhere.

Stream One Day At A Time on Netflix