Rita Moreno Reflects on Her 2013 Memoir: ‘I Speak a Lot Better Than Most People’ (Exclusive)
The EGOT winner, who will present an award at the 96th Academy Awards, looks back on her Hollywood career in the book
Rita Moreno is looking back on her literary endeavors.
The EGOT winner, 92, recently spoke with PEOPLE about the writing process for her 2013 memoir Rita Moreno.
“I found that I loved doing it,” she said. “And that I was able, because I was able to phrase things the way I like to…even though I don't have any education to speak of. I've never finished high school. I find that I speak a lot better than most people, which is very depressing, to say the least.”
In Rita Moreno, the actress reflects on her trailblazing career in Hollywood, from her early appearances on the Broadway stage to her beloved roles in film classics like Singin’ in the Rain and West Side Story. She also discusses her childhood in the Bronx, where she grew up after immigrating from Puerto Rico, navigating the racial challenges of the entertainment industry and her romances with stars like Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley.
Related: Rita Moreno Says She Dated Elvis as Revenge Against Cheating Ex Marlon Brando: 'It Was Wonderful'
“I loved putting things into words and I love describing and I'm pretty good at that,” she said. “I'm good at describing people, the way people behave. I'm good at describing feelings...So I enjoyed it. It was exhausting, but I enjoyed it.”
Speaking at a fireside chat at the Dotdash Meredith offices on Wednesday, Moreno, who was married to Leonard Gordon from 1965 until his death in 2010, also discussed some of the relationships she wrote about in her book, including Brando. The two first met on the set of the 1954 film Désirée.
"We had a thing going," Moreno said. "Oh, yeah, that was the crux of our relationship. It was really, essentially, very sexual, and he was amazing. So was I!"
Related: Rita Moreno Says Marlon Brando 'Mistreated Me in So Many Ways': 'I Tried to End My Life'
Moreno also discussed how she first became acquainted with Presley. The actress received a call from Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who told Moreno that the “Hound Dog” singer wanted to get to know her.
"I was going with Marlon [Brando] at the time,” she said. “He wasn't necessarily going with me, but I was going with him. You know what I mean?"
"’Turns out Elvis saw you with the commissary of the 20th Century Fox,’" Moreno recalled Parker telling her. "He liked what he saw and he would like very much to meet you. Would you like to meet him?"
Moreno is gearing up for the 96th Academy Awards, where she will present an award. She won her own Oscar in 1962 for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story. In a recent interview on the Today Show, Moreno teased her upcoming ceremony look.
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“I’m going to wear a gown that’s gonna knock your socks off,” Moreno said.
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