Advocate Channel Correspondent Stephen Walker went one on one with legendary actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno to talk about the newest season of Netflix’sOne Day at a Time, representation for Latinas in TV, and not shying away from controversial topics.
On how she landed the role of Lydia on One Day at a Time, Moreno told Stephen:
"I was at a fundraising political dinner, and I was sitting with Norman Lear, among other people, and he said ‘I am coming back to television and would love to have you in my series.'"
Lear described the reboot to Moreno as a new take on One Day at a Time, “but this time there would be a family of Cuban people.”
Moreno's only condition for accepting the role?
“She [Lydia] has to be a sexual person. Just because she’s old doesn’t mean that everything has died.”
The pair also discussed Moreno’s role as executive producer on Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story reboot, and opportunities for women in Hollywood.
“It’s so hard to find women directors,” Moreno said. “They exist. It’s just that it’s difficult to find them because they’re not given the opportunities.”
Watch season 3 of One Day at a Time on Netflix now.
