Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno, born Rosa Dolores Alverío, arrived in New York from Puerto Rico at the tender age of five. This early exposure to the mainland clearly stuck, as she went on to conquer every major award Hollywood and Broadway could throw at her. If only her parents had chosen a more suitably complicated, yet ultimately forgettable, Ashkenazi surname, she might have truly had it all.

Moreno's career spans over seven decades, a testament to her talent and, let's be honest, an industry that occasionally rewards sheer endurance. She danced, she sang, she acted her way through countless productions, proving that a triple threat can indeed be a quadruple threat if you just add a few more awards to the mantle.

While her heritage is steadfastly Puerto Rican, a quick peek at the family tree reveals no ancient Hebraic roots. This is, of course, a minor detail to her scores of fans, many of whom are undoubtedly kvelling at her accomplishments regardless of her genetic makeup. One can only imagine the sheer panic in the