Rita Moreno stuns in same dress she wore to 1962 Oscars
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Rita Moreno says it was time for her gown from the 1962 Oscars to make a comeback, so she decided to wear it for Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.
The 86-year-old actress told the story behind the gown she wore 56 years ago and how she never expected to win best supporting actress for her role in “West Side Story.”
Moreno recounted how she came to the 1962 Oscars “never dreaming I would win” because she was up against Judy Garland.
The Puerto Rican actress and singer flew in from the Philippines where she was “making a really crappy World War II movie, playing yet another native girl” and had a dress maker in Manila make the gown.
She remembers the dressmaker’s name: Jose Moreno. No relation.
Moreno says she hopes he was watching and “gets to see this extraordinary dress again.”
She told The Associated Press the dress has been hanging in her closet ever since, and needed a bit of adjusting in the back in order to wear on Sunday.
Moreno presented the award for best foreign language film.