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West Side Story became an instant classic upon its release in 1961. The adaptation of the 1957 Romeo and Juliet-inspired stage musical, which starred Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony, was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10. That year, Rita Moreno became the first Latina ever to win an Oscar, for her role as Anita, Maria’s brother Bernardo’s girlfriend.
But for all its successes, more recent reassessments of the movie point to the ways in which its casting fell short. Years later, Moreno, who is of Puerto Rican descent, admitted that her skin was darkened for the role. Non-Latino actors, like Wood, portrayed many of the film’s hispanic characters.
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In anticipation of the release of Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story in December, and in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, TIME100 Talks Host Lola Ogunnaike spoke to actors Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose—who play, respectively, Maria and Anita—about the importance of Latino representation in film and how we can work toward building a more inclusive Hollywood.
Contents
- Lola Ogunnaike: After a long, COVID-induced wait, West Side Story will finally be in theaters this December. It’s directed by Steven Spielberg, screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner with choreography by Tony Award winner Justin Peck. And it stars you two. So on a scale of one to 10, how epic will this remake be?
- Ariana, you appeared in Hamilton and earned a Tony nomination for your starring turn in the Donna Summer musical. Now you’re playing one of the most iconic characters in movie history, Anita. Rita Moreno won an Oscar for this role. No pressure at all, right?
Lola Ogunnaike: After a long, COVID-induced wait, West Side Story will finally be in theaters this December. It’s directed by Steven Spielberg, screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner with choreography by Tony Award winner Justin Peck. And it stars you two. So on a scale of one to 10, how epic will this remake be?
Rachel Zegler: I’m going to go ahead and say 12. I think it will exceed so many people’s expectations. We can’t wait to share it with the world.
Ariana DeBose: Yeah, I agree. What she said.
Ariana, you appeared in Hamilton and earned a Tony nomination for your starring turn in the Donna Summer musical. Now you’re playing one of the most iconic characters in movie history, Anita. Rita Moreno won an Oscar for this role. No pressure at all, right?
DeBose: It’s really thrilling. I can’t say enough about how generous Rita was with me. And she empowered…
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Source : time
