<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11897468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jennifer-hudson" source="Orion">Jennifer Hudson</keyword> reached <keyword id="14184920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="egot" source="Orion">EGOT</keyword> status after winning the best musical award at the <keyword id="14184918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tonys-2022" source="Orion">Tonys 2022</keyword>.</li><li>EGOT status is given to people who have earned awards in the four major artistic awards ceremonies.</li></ul><p>Jennifer Hudson is the latest celebrity to reach <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-an-egot-emmy-grammy-oscar-tony-explained-2018-7">EGOT status</a> after a musical she produced won the best musical award at the Tony Awards 2022 on Sunday night.</p><p>The prestigious EGOT title — an abbreviation for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — is given to people who have won awards in each of the major awards ceremonies in TV, music, film, and theater. Only 17 people have achieved this feat in 60 years, including <a href="https://www.insider.com/egot-how-long-it-took-every-winner-and-john-legend-to-get-all-awards-2018-9">John Legend</a> and Rita Moreno.</p><p>On Sunday, Hudson joined the list after the musical "A Strange Loop," which she co-produced, won the musical award, giving the former "American Idol" star her first Tony award.</p><h2>Jennifer Hudson's EGOT awards</h2><p>The 40-year-old singer won her first Emmy last year for executive producing the <a href="https://www.awn.com/news/baobab-studios-baba-yaga-wins-daytime-emmy-interactive-media">interactive animated film, "Baba Yaga."</a> Hudson also voiced the forest in the short movie, which won outstanding interactive media for a daytime program at the 2021 Daytime Emmys.</p><p>Hudson's first win on the road to EGOT was in 2007. The singer and actor won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Effie in the hit musical adaptation "Dreamgirls." The film also won a sound mixing award that year and costarred Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy.</p><p>Finally, Hudson is a two-time Grammy winner. She won best R&amp;B album in 2009 for her self-titled debut album, which landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. This was followed by a best musical theater album award in 2017 for the 2015 cast re-recording of "The Color Purple" album.</p><p>Hudson has been nominated an additional six times in multiple Grammy categories in the past.</p><p>Hudson has joked in the past that her awards success is due to her pomeranian dogs. She told People in 2020: "I got a dog and named it Oscar, and then I won my Oscar. And then I got a dog and named it Grammy, and then I won my Grammy. So I think I should get some dogs and name them Emmy and Tony – and it'll give me good luck, and I'll win. [They're] like my good luck charms."</p><p>There are multiple stars <a href="https://www.insider.com/celebrities-one-award-away-from-egot-2019-1">that are just one award away</a> from gaining EGOT status, including <a href="https://www.insider.com/stars-who-are-one-award-away-from-egot-2018-7">Lin-Manuel Miranda</a>, Viola Davis, Cher, and Martin Scorsese.</p>

Jennifer Hudson has just reached EGOT status. Here are the awards she won to do it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warner Bros. released a new 4K Ultra HD version of "<keyword id="13995952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="singin-in-the-rain" source="Orion">Singin' in the Rain</keyword>" for its 70th anniversary.</li><li>Insider spoke to director and star <keyword id="13995951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gene-kelly" source="Orion">Gene Kelly</keyword>'s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, about his legacy.</li></ul><p>At the time "Singin' in the Rain" was released over 70 years ago, there had never been a film like it. And there likely never will be one like it again.</p><p>The satirical musical comedy — directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, and Jean Hagen — has achieved classic film status in the decades since its debut, though it was only a modest hit at the time of release and won no Oscars the year it was eligible.</p><p>In honor of the film's 70th anniversary and <a href="https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/singin-rain">Warner Bros.' release of a vibrant new 4K Ultra HD version on Blu-ray</a>, Insider spoke to Kelly's widow and biographer, Patricia Ward Kelly, about "Singin' in the Rain," myth-busting false stories about the <keyword id="11897475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movie" source="Orion">movie</keyword>, Gene Kelly's legacy, and why he never wanted a <keyword id="12527277" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biopic" source="Orion">biopic</keyword> made about his life.</p><div type="image" title="Singin' in the Rain movie still" height="2105" width="2806" msid="91713213" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>You recently said Gene always thought his best-remembered film would be "An American in Paris," which swept the Oscars in 1951. I'm always surprised to be reminded that "Singin' in the Rain" won nothing at the Oscars. Why do you think a movie that's become such a classic was virtually shut out that year, with no awards recognition?</strong></p><p>Gene did talk about this. I asked him about it and what happened. His feeling was that comedy was considered a lesser element. That it wasn't real drama and the people weren't chewing the scenery and you didn't have all the neurosis of all of the actors and everything.</p><p>There wasn't a recognition of how difficult comedy is, things like the great improvisation of Donald O'Connor in the film, and the performance of Jean Hagen, who was nominated for an Oscar for the movie but didn't win. Gene always said Jean was really the glue that held "Singin' in the Rain" together.</p><div type="image" title="Singin' in the Rain movie still" height="2105" width="2806" msid="91713214" hostid="261"></div><p>Even to this day, we're a little reluctant to acknowledge musical theater, although those movies are getting some recognition — like <a href="https://www.insider.com/la-la-land-musical-references-2017-2">"La La Land,"</a> obviously. Still, there's a sense that maybe it's not as serious. But the work involved, the complexity of it, the orchestration, the choreography of all of it... I wish people would recognize it. I wish they would make more of them.</p><p>Gene thought it was the true American art form. And I think it would be nice if we begin to elevate it to that level.</p><p><strong>You've often spoken about how many myths surround this film. What's the most outlandish story you couldn't believe people ever thought was true?</strong></p><p>I keep trying to bust the myths and they just sprout up like mushrooms. They just keep coming up. I stomp it down and it pops back up.</p><p>There's one that even was out when Gene was around, and he just thought it was preposterous — that they put milk in the water [in his iconic "Singin' in the Rain" dance number] so that you could see the raindrops instead of recognizing that it's just fantastic cinematography and lighting. And it's the really difficult thing of backlighting the rain, especially when Gene is dancing along in front of all the plate glass windows, because they had to backlight that rain without showing all the equipment in the windows.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B0asbGJbLKc" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>And several of the people in the film had a tendency to elaborate. Stories about the making of the film just grew and changed and evolved, and I think in some ways it does a disservice to all of the players. I never understood why you would have to elaborate or really manufacture details about what transpired because the making of the film is so amazing. You don't have to make anything up, you just read the production notes and it blows your mind.</p><p><strong>And how about Gene himself, and the stories and myths surrounding him as an artist?</strong></p><p>You hear Gene described as a "taskmaster" and well, he was a professional. He hated being described as a perfectionist. He said, "What professional is not a perfectionist?"</p><p>He's pulling together an entire film. Rita Moreno [who appeared in "Singin' in the Rain" as silent film star Zelda Zanders] said he was in constant motion. He's up on the boom as the director, setting the shots with dancers down on the stage, and then he's setting lighting with the lighting designers. He goes in and changes into his own costume, does a take. Maybe two out of eight takes actually works for the camera and for Gene's movement.</p><p>And one story about the filming of the movie that was true: He was very sick with a temperature of about 103 degrees when he shot the iconic dance number in the rain. So he would go outside and lie on the sidewalk and just try to bake the fever out of him. And then he'd go back in and many times.</p><div type="image" title="Singin' in the Rain movie still" height="2105" width="2806" msid="91713215" hostid="261"></div><p>It's also true that they ran out of water in Culver City [the Los Angeles neighborhood where the MGM lot was] because everybody came home from work and watered their lawn and took showers. And suddenly there wasn't enough water pressure.<br /><br />He choreographed the camera movement in addition to his own movement and all of the dancers, and the lights were hot and burning, and often the bulbs would explode. And just the complexity of it was amazing. So it's kind of amazing these films got made.</p><p>Gene always said that MGM was a repertory company. You had everyone under one roof, and I think that's what made movies of this scale possible. That's why we don't see them today — because to gather all that talent in one place, it's virtually impossible.</p><p><strong>You've spoken at length about how important it is to you — and how important it was to Gene — to protect and maintain his legacy and how he had you record your conversations with him to memorialize everything. He seemed extremely aware of the fact that people would be talking about him for years after his death. What was one rumor or myth about Gene that bugged him the most?</strong></p><p>This perfectionism notion and this notion that he would ever be abusive toward anyone, or that he had a huge ego. He was the most humble man, really. And I'm not just saying that as his wife but also as his biographer. I had to check him on all this stuff.</p><p>I talked to a lot of people, and particularly the musicians and a lot of the technical people, and you get a very different story than you might get from some of the costars whose stories evolved over time. The musicians were consistent about Gene's behavior.</p><p>You'll read things that Gene would sometimes eliminate somebody else's number because he felt it outshone his, but that's not Gene at all. He said, "You surround yourself with the best. And if you surround yourself with the best, it only elevates your position." So a lot of these stories are just kind of nonsense.</p><div type="image" title="Singin' in the Rain movie still" height="2105" width="2806" msid="91713216" hostid="261"></div><p>It also bothered him that a lot of people forget that he directed anything. A lot of people will come up to me and say, "Did he ever direct any pictures?" And they'll say, "Did he ever choreograph anything?" I just had those questions this weekend. I think that's what hurt him the most because he was always left off of lists of directors and choreographers because his presence on the screen is so huge.</p><p>People are stunned that he directed "Hello, Dolly!" They just kind of forget. He said, "I want to be remembered for change in the look of dance on film. I want to be remembered for being behind the camera." And he said, "If anybody is going to do it will be you." I feel that responsibility pretty much every minute of every day.</p><p><strong>In response to the news that <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/tom-holland-fred-astaire-biopic-sony-amy-pascal-1235126701/">Tom Holland is playing another legendary dancer Fred Astaire in a biopic</a>, you <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GeneKellyTheLegacy/posts/421767099612543?__cft__[0]=AZUG3Qe3kjnXag7JSJVU4O03gm_YE2-0yEIgU69B30eWVk4M0ZsWS8ltupodKxV0usHjtoo8ySL3XqCAc5WfMMVy5GE-_PBXfXQ7N6UADYaHCZW8ClRFpQRhu1w0_x7iMCM&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R">wrote a Facebook post</a> saying that Gene absolutely did not ever want a biopic made about him. Is there any truth that you're aware of to the reports that <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/01/chris-evans-john-logan-gene-kelly-film-1234904351/">Chris Evans has been tapped to play Gene in an upcoming movie</a>? And what would your reaction be if such a project moved forward?</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Gene Kelly and Patricia Ward Kelly in 1994" height="924" width="1233" msid="91713218" hostid="261"></div><p>That was one of Gene's strongest objections. He said, "I absolutely do not want a biopic." He had watched so many of them, about his friends and Judy Garland and others. And it was really hurtful to him because he knew these people. He felt what was projected up on the screen really diminished them and their memories.</p><p>So he said, "Absolutely not. I do not want it. Do not do it." And so I'll just sit over in the corner and just keep saying that. I don't know. I don't have any association with that one. I'll just be that little voice over here going, 'He didn't want that.'</p><p><em>This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.</em></p><p><a href="https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/singin-rain">"Singin' in the Rain" is now available on 4K Ultra HD and digitally.</a></p>

'Singin' in the Rain' star Gene Kelly's widow talks about his legacy and why he never wanted a biopic made about him

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12643894" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ariana-debose" source="Orion">Ariana DeBose</keyword> made history at Sunday's 94th Academy Awards.</li><li>She is the first Afro-Latina openly queer person to win an acting Oscar.</li></ul><p>"<keyword id="12635667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="west-side-story" source="Orion">West Side Story</keyword>" actress Ariana DeBose made history at the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/oscars-2022">Oscars on Sunday</a> by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/27/movies/ariana-debose-latina-oscars.html">becoming the first Afro-Latina, openly queer actor of color to win an Academy Award</a>.</p><p>"In this weary world that we live in, dreams do come true.  And that's really a heartening thing right now," DeBose said in her acceptance speech.</p><p>"This queer, Afro-Latina actress who found her strength in life through art," DeBose added when talking about dreaming of this moment as a kid sitting in a white Ford Focus. "To anyone who ever questions your identity, ever ever, or find yourself living in the gray spaces, I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us," quoting a lyric from the <a href="https://www.insider.com/west-side-story-2021-cast-characters-red-carpet-premiere-photos">"West Side Story"</a> song "Somewhere."</p><p>DeBose wowed audiences with her performance as Anita in <a href="https://www.insider.com/west-side-story-review-2021-12">Steven Spielberg's take on the classic musical</a>.</p><p>DeBose is the second Latina to win an Oscar. The first was <a href="https://www.insider.com/rita-moreno-west-side-story-lyrics-puerto-rico-2021-12">Rita Moreno</a>, who played the same role of Anita in the 1961 film version of "West Side Story."</p><p>Check out DeBose's full acceptance speech below.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—The Academy  (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1508244926189879303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

Ariana DeBose made history with her best supporting actress win at the Oscars

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13006700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="melissa-barrera" source="Orion">Melissa Barrera</keyword> recently opened up about the experience surrounding "<keyword id="12539807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="in-the-heights" source="Orion">In the Heights</keyword>."</li><li>When talking about the film's reception, the actress said, "It just felt very personal."</li></ul><p>Melissa Barrera thought that it was "so unfair" how her breakout film, "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/in-the-heights">In the Heights,</a>" was received by critics and at the box office. </p><p>Barrera, who portrayed the role of Vanessa in the musical adaptation released last year, told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/scream-melissa-barrera-twist-ending-1235077917/">The Hollywood Reporter in an interview</a> that she felt "shitty" after learning of the reception "In the Heights" received. </p><p>"All the headlines that started coming out after we premiered were so brutal and horrible, and they felt very personal to me," she said while promoting her latest film "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/scream">Scream."</a></p><p>"It just felt like the industry was blaming us for not doing well and was blaming the fact that we were all Latinos and was blaming the fact that it was a musical that not a lot of people knew," she continued. "So it just felt very personal, and I remember feeling very shitty afterwards."</p><p>"In the Heights," set primarily in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, was adapted from the Lin-Manuel Miranda ("Hamilton") and Quiara Alegría Hudes Broadway musical of the same name. It tells the story of the Latin-American community in the neighborhood, led by bodega owner Usnavi (played by Anthony Ramos).</p><p>As previously reported by Insider's <a href="https://www.insider.com/author/debanjali-bose">Debanjali Bose</a>, the<a href="https://www.insider.com/in-the-heights-director-jon-m-chu-explains-delay-2020-3"> movie was released</a> in June 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max, and immediately <a href="https://www.insider.com/in-the-heights-director-cast-respond-whitewashing-criticism-2021-6">received criticism for its lack of Afro-Latinx actors in main roles</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/in-the-heights-director-jon-chu-named-son-after-movie-2021-6">"In The Heights" director Jon M. Chu</a> ("Crazy Rich Asians") said they tried to cast "the people who were best for those roles" <a href="https://www.theroot.com/lets-talk-about-in-the-heights-and-the-erasure-of-dark-1847064126">in response to the criticism</a>. Meanwhile, Rita Moreno, who produced "In The Heights," initially <a href="https://www.insider.com/rita-moreno-defends-lin-manuel-miranda-in-the-heights-whitewashing-2021-6">defended the choice to cast white-passing Latinx actors</a> in most of the main characters, but eventually came out saying she was <a href="https://www.insider.com/rita-moreno-disappointed-in-the-heights-colorism-accusations-2021-6">"disappointed" with herself for defending colorism</a>.</p><p>Though the film's lack of commercial success came amid the pandemic, grossing $44 million worldwide, it was also after the success of major films with diverse casts, such as "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/crazy-rich-asians">Crazy Rich Asians</a>," "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/black-panther">Black Panther</a>," and "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-night-in-miami">One Night in Miami</a>."</p><p>"It's such a weird time that we're living in, and what happened with 'In the Heights' wasn't our fault," Barrera told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/">THR</a>. "I've just learned to not have any expectations. All I can control is my experience while making a film and feeling proud of the work that I've done."</p><p>"<keyword id="12307321" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scream" source="Orion">Scream</keyword>," which also stars Barrera, is out in theaters now.</p>

An 'In the Heights' star felt 'very shitty' after the movie, featuring an all-Latino cast, flopped at the box office: 'It just felt like the industry was blaming us'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<keyword id="12635667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="west-side-story" source="Orion">West Side Story</keyword>," out Friday contains some scenes spoken in Spanish without subtitles.</li><li>During the film's press conference, <keyword id="11954897" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="steven-spielberg" source="Orion">Steven Spielberg</keyword> explained that decision was on purpose.</li></ul><p>One of the most unexpected surprises of Steven Spielberg's "<a href="https://insider.com/category/west-side-story">West Side Story</a>" is that, unlike the original film, Spanish is spoken on screen and not just in throwaway lines.</p><p>Though it's not a significant portion of the film, non-Spanish-speaking viewers may be shocked to find that the remake doesn't include subtitles. </p><p>That's on purpose. </p><p>During the film's virtual press conference, which Insider attended last month, Spielberg said, "it was out of respect that we didn't subtitle any of the Spanish. That language had to exist in equal proportions alongside the English with no help."</p><p>The film follows the ill-fated romance between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) in 1957's New York City, which causes a rift between two warring gangs, the Caucasian Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. </p><div type="image" title="Anita in West Side Story" height="2959" width="5200" msid="88164698" hostid="261"></div><p>Any time Spanish is spoken on screen, Lieutenant Schrank, who Spielberg pointed out is "clearly a racist," tells anyone conversing in Spanish in the film to speak in English. </p><p>"It leaves in the minds of the audience to decide that they're going to be more attentive because you can tell pretty much what they're saying," star and executive producer Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her performance as Anita in 1961's "West Side Story," said at the press conference of the decision. </p><p>As Moreno suggested, if you've taken a Spanish course or two, there's not much you can't figure out with context clues. But there are a few small asides where non-Spanish-speaking audiences may miss out on a joke.</p><p>Spielberg wouldn't mind that happening though. If anything, hopefully, it creates a curiosity for those to seek out what is being said. </p><p>"I also want the audiences, Spanish-speaking audiences, English-speaking audiences, to sit in the theater together so the English-speaking audiences will suddenly hear laughter coming from pockets of the theater from the Spanish-speaking audience," Spielberg said.</p><div type="image" title="Rachel Zegler and Rita Moreno at the West Side Story premiere in LA" height="1857" width="2472" msid="88164699" hostid="261"></div><p>To Spielberg's point, screenwriter Tony Kushner added at the conference, "We're a bilingual country." </p><p>"We sure are," said Spielberg.</p><p>While that choice may anger or confuse some monolingual-speaking viewers, the move is brilliant when considering the film's context.</p><p>Throughout "West Side Story," Puerto Ricans are constantly told to "speak English" because the cops and Jets refuse to take the time to understand them.</p><p>By making this creative choice, Spielberg is challenging his audience to instead "speak Spanish," and no longer be ignorant of a culture that represents <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/">19% of the United States' population (62.1 million) as of 2020</a>.</p><p>"West Side Story" is in theaters on Friday. You can <a href="https://www.insider.com/west-side-story-review-2021-12">read our review here</a>.</p>

'West Side Story' has scenes in Spanish without subtitles. Steven Spielberg says it was done purposefully, 'out of respect'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for "<keyword id="12635667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="west-side-story" source="Orion">West Side Story</keyword>."</li><li>1961's "West Side Story" is beloved by many but was criticized for stereotypes.</li></ul><p>Does Hollywood <em>really</em> need another "West Side Story," a production that has spawned countless reimaginings, spoofs, and high school musicals since its Broadway debut in 1957? </p><p>Of course not. Or, at least, that's what I thought going into <keyword id="11954897" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="steven-spielberg" source="Orion">Steven Spielberg</keyword>'s retelling of the classic. </p><p>As someone who grew up watching the 1961 Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer film and then participated in a school performance of the musical (I did set design), I was largely skeptical of why we needed <em>this</em> version of "West Side Story" and why Spielberg was the man for the job instead of a Latino director.</p><p>I was gladly proven wrong. </p><p>Spielberg's "West Side Story" is beautifully shot and faithful to the original Broadway show and film. It's also bold enough to finally feel authentic without succumbing to the pressures of catering to a monolingual audience. </p><p>A self-proclaimed die-hard fan of the musical since his parents brought home a record when he was 10, Spielberg delivers a smart update to the original, which corrects some of its blatant and ignorant racism directed towards the Latinx community.</p><div type="image" title="The Jets in 2021's &quot;West Side Story.&quot; Here, they're led by Mike Faist who plays Riff." height="1716" width="4096" msid="88055722" hostid="261"></div>Yes, to the casual fan, the 2021 film largely plays much like the original "Romeo and Juliet"-inspired tale as it tells the ill-fated story of star-crossed lovers Maria (Rachel Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort) whose infatuation causes a brawl to break out between feuding gangs — the Caucasian Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks in the backdrop of late 1950s New York City.<p>All of the songs are there (though fans will notice "Be Cool" is shuffled out of order) with the late Stephen Sondheim's original lyrics intact (Surprisingly, no changes were made to "Officer Krupke"). That alone may make you wonder why anyone would bother touching a classic. </p><p>But it's the tweaks and adjustments to characters, ages, and specific scenes that make this retelling stand out as it leans more into the film's larger themes about race and intolerance.</p><h2><strong>A good portion of the film is in Spanish and there aren't subtitles. That's on purpose. </strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Bernardo and the Sharks in West Side Story 2021" height="1716" width="4096" msid="88055723" hostid="261"></div><p>One of the most pleasant surprises of Spielberg's "West Side Story" is that, unlike its predecessors, Spanish is spoken on screen and not just in throwaway lines.</p><p>But the biggest shock is that the film doesn't have subtitles. That's on purpose. </p><p>If you've taken a Spanish course or two, there's not much you can't figure out with context clues. But there are a few small asides where non-Spanish-speaking audiences may miss out on a joke.</p><p>During the film's virtual press conference, which Insider attended, Spielberg said the lack of subtitles was "out of respect" to all the people who do speak Spanish in the United States. Screenwriter Tony Kushner added during the press conference that "we're a bilingual country." </p><p>While that may anger or confuse some monolingual-speaking viewers, the move is brilliant when considering the film's context.</p><p>Throughout "West Side Story," any Puerto Ricans are constantly told to "speak English" because the cops and Jets can't (and don't want to take the time to) understand them.</p><p>By making this creative choice, Spielberg is challenging his audience to instead "speak Spanish," and no longer be ignorant of a culture that represents <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/">19% of the United States' population (62.1 million) as of 2020</a>.</p><p>It's a bold choice — one that other directors may not have gotten away with. Hopefully, it's a decision that will embolden others to follow Spielberg's lead in the future. </p><h2><strong>The new film fixes the original's whitewashing problem.</strong><div type="image" title="Rachel Zegler as Maria" height="1608" width="2144" msid="88055725" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>In the 1961 adaptation, Natalie Wood, a Caucasian woman playing a Puerto Rican, was confusing. That casting sent the wrong message to many young Hispanic children, of all shades, who wanted to see themselves in Maria but instead were given a white actress to idolize.</p><p>I too was confused, being a light-skinned, half Peruvian woman, who grew up with a single white mom. I never knew where I really fit in. As an added complexity, because I didn't grow up speaking Spanish, I didn't feel welcome around other Spanish speakers, who jokingly referred to me as <em>gringa</em>. Seeing Wood portray Maria didn't help in my quest to find portrayals of culture onscreen.</p><p>The original film featured a sole Latina actress, Rita Moreno, who played Anita. Moreno won an Academy Award for her role in which <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/06/19/rita-moreno-west-side-story-remake-steven-spielberg/7727143002/">she was forced to wear darker makeup</a> to make the light-skinned actress look more Puerto Rican ... even though she was the only Puerto Rican actor in the film. </p><div type="image" title="Rita Moreno in 1961 West Side Story" height="2400" width="3000" msid="88055726" hostid="261"></div><p>White actors played the majority of the Latino roles in the 1961 film, which was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/many-latinos-loved-west-side-story-not-stereotypes-can-new-n990496">criticized for using brownface</a> (something that's painfully obvious when rewatching the old film today), Spanish accents, and stereotyping all Puerto Ricans as having one skin tone.</p><p>After her Oscar win, Moreno decided she wouldn't take on any roles in which she played a stereotype <a href="https://www.biography.com/news/rita-moreno-stopped-making-movies">for seven years</a>. <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/a-first-look-at-steven-spielbergs-west-side-story">The actress told Vanity Fair last year that</a> she joined this adaptation as an executive producer to right some of the wrongs of the original film.</p><p>Here, you see 20 cast members who are either Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent. For the 2021 film, Spielberg spent a year casting Latino men and women to play the Sharks in a worldwide search. Among them is breakout star Ariana DeBose, an Afro-Latina who plays Anita, the girlfriend of Maria's brother Bernardo. </p><h2><strong>All of the performances are great, but Rachel Zegler is the standout as a perfect Maria. However, </strong>Ansel Elgort didn't make Tony particularly interesting.</h2><div type="image" title="Tony and Maria in &quot;West Side Story.&quot;" height="4000" width="6000" msid="88055727" hostid="261"></div>As for Maria, in this updated film, the character embraces her heritage, speaking freely in both Spanish and English. Newcomer Rachel Zegler brings her to life with a beautiful innocence and naivety.<p>And that voice. Zegler delivers the strongest vocals of the cast. You'll be humming along to her version of "I Feel Pretty." </p><p>Other stand-out numbers include the ensemble's performance of "Tonight (Quartet)" and the giant gym performance where the Sharks and Jets wear vibrant juxtaposing warm and cool shades, respectively, giving off a fire and ice vibe to further emphasize the tension between the two groups. </p><div type="image" title="Jets vs Sharks dance" height="2057" width="4291" msid="88055728" hostid="261"></div><p>Zegler's heated duet with DeBose, who takes over the role of Anita<strong> </strong>beautifully, in "A Boy Like That / I Have a Love," is another highlight.</p><p>DeBose shows off a range of skills from dancing in the New York City streets in "America" to an emotionally fraught scene near the film's end, which also received some updated changes from the original.</p><p>The other standout actor is Moreno. In addition to her turn as executive producer, fans will smile knowing the actress has a role in this film, and it's not just a small cameo. It's one that was made for her.</p><p>One of the film's highlights (and surprises) is that she sings. It's quite impressive when you know Moreno turns 90 in December. She's still got it.</p><div type="image" title="Rita Moreno in West Side Story" height="6000" width="4000" msid="88055729" hostid="261"></div><p>Elgort ("Baby Driver") is a fine and charming Tony who can carry a tune — "Maria" is quite good. It's also refreshing to see a version of Tony who's curious when he doesn't understand Maria, wanting to learn Spanish to communicate with the young woman he adores.</p><p>Still, despite the chemistry between Maria and Tony onscreen, his presence in the film becomes a bit distracting from the larger messages its trying to convey. The actor's previous <a href="https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/sexual-assault-allegations-against-ansel-elgort-resurface-with-west-side-story-coming-soon/">sexual assault allegations</a>, which <a href="https://ew.com/movies/ansel-elgort-denies-sexual-assault-allegations/">he has denied</a>, may still feel a bit fresh in young minds while watching and tarnish the viewing experience a bit.  </p><p>Additionally, in the 2021 remake, Elgort's height is so distractingly tall (he towers over most of the cast at 6'3") that a small line was added to address it in the film. Spielberg, or screenwriter Tony Kushner, must have realized (rightly) it would be on the audience's mind. Though Elgort is the most recognizable of the cast, he's not the most memorable, by far.</p><h2><strong>'West Side Story' delivers the play as originally intended.</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Rachel Zegler West Side Story" height="2720" width="3977" msid="88055730" hostid="261"></div><p>Is Spielberg's version better than the original? Maybe not.</p><p>That's largely because other than the lead cast, the rest of the Sharks and Jets kind of flounder in the background. Still, for all its other efforts, the 2021 reimagining comes pretty close and succeeds in places where the original fails. </p><p>For example, one update in the film comes in the form of the role of Anybodys, who wants to be accepted as an equal member of the Jets after being disowned by his family (the actor has used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH5b-unQdhA">he/him pronouns</a> when describing the character). In the original, the character is simply a tomboy who aspires to be one of the guys. Here, the role is fully realized, played by nonbinary actor Iris Menas.</p><p>Though never said on screen, in the film's production notes, David Saint, executor of "West Side Story" author Arthur Laurents' estate, said that the character is indeed transgender. Saint also said it was a choice Laurents would have approved, confirming that Anybodys "is a character who was a man born in a female's body. End of story."</p><p>If this is the first way in which young viewers find "West Side Story," this is the version worth watching. With Spielberg's adaptation, it feels like we're finally seeing the play as it was originally intended but with roles and dialogue that wouldn't have been allowed in 1961 because the ideas were too progressive for the time.</p><p>To this woman who was told she was <em>gringa</em> most of her life, Spielberg's take made me fall in love with "West Side Story" all over again. I imagine, for the marginalized audience who felt overlooked when the original film came out, it may do the same.</p><p>"West Side Story," also starring David Alvarez, Brian D'arcy Jones, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll, and Josh Andres Rivera, is in theaters on December 10.</p><h2>Grade: A-</h2>

Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' fixes the original film's mistakes and delivers a perfect Maria

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> just announced the titles that are coming to and leaving the streaming service in October.</li><li>There's plenty of spooky movies coming in time for <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes-this-year-2020-10">Halloween</a>, like new horror film "Night Teeth."</li><li>And shows like "On My Block" and "Sexy Beasts" will also have new seasons premiering.</li></ul><p>Netflix just released the titles that are coming to - and leaving - the site in October. </p><p>Shows like "On My Block," "<keyword id="12117576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="you" source="Orion">You</keyword>," and "Locke &amp; Key" will all have new seasons premiering on the streaming service next month.</p><p>And plenty of Halloween-appropriate movies - including the vampire horror film "Night Teeth" - will be added to Netflix in the next few weeks too. </p><p>Here's everything coming to and leaving Netflix in October. </p><h2>Arriving in October</h2><h2>Available 10/1/21</h2><p>"A Knight's Tale"</p><p>"A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"An Inconvenient Truth"</p><p>"Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Season 1"</p><p>"As Good as It Gets"</p><p>"Awakenings"</p><p>"B.A.P.S."</p><p>"Bad Teacher"</p><p>"The Cave"</p><p>"Desperado"</p><p>"The Devil Inside"</p><p>"Diana: The Musical" - Netflix Special</p><p>"Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood"</p><p>"Double Team"</p><p>"The DUFF"</p><p>"Eagle Eye"</p><p>"Endless Love"</p><p>"Forever Rich" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Ghost"</p><p>"Gladiator"</p><p>"Hairspray" (2007)</p><p>"The Holiday"</p><p>"Jet Li's Fearless"</p><p>"The Karate Kid" (2010)</p><p>"Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life"</p><p>"Léon: The Professional"</p><p>"Maid" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Malcolm X"</p><p>"Observe and Report"</p><p>"Once Upon a Time in Mexico"</p><p>"Paik's Spirit" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Project X"</p><p>"Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"</p><p>"Rumor Has It..."</p><p>"Scaredy Cats" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Seinfeld: Seasons 1-9"</p><p>"Serendipity"</p><p>"The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light" - Netflix Anime</p><p>"Spy Kids"</p><p>"Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams"</p><p>"Spy Kids 3: Game Over"</p><p>"Step Brothers"</p><p>"Swallow" - Netflix Film</p><p>"The Guilty" - Netflix Film</p><p>"The Ugly Truth"</p><p>"Till Death"</p><p>"Titanic"</p><p>"Tommy Boy"</p><p>"Unthinkable"</p><p>"Waterworld"</p><p>"Zodiac"</p><h2>Available 10/3/21</h2><p>"Scissor Seven: Season 3" - Netflix Anime</p><p>"Upcoming Summer" - Netflix Film</p><h2>Available 10/4/21</h2><p>"On My Block: Season 4" - Netflix Series</p><h2>Available 10/5/21</h2><p>"Escape The Undertaker" - Netflix Film</p><h2>Available 10/6/21</h2><p>"Bad Sport" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Baking Impossible" - Netflix Series</p><p>"The Blacklist: Season 8"</p><p>"Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things"</p><p>"Love Is Blind: Brazil" - Netflix Series (new episodes weekly)</p><p>"The Five Juanas" - Netflix Series</p><p>"There's Someone Inside Your House" - Netflix Film</p><h2>Available 10/7/21</h2><p>"The Billion Dollar Code" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Sexy Beasts: Season 2" - Netflix Series</p><p>​​"The Way of the Househusband: Season 1 Part 2" - Netflix Anime</p><h2>Available 10/8/21</h2><p>"A Tale Dark &amp; Grimm" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Family Business: Season 3" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Grudge / Kin" - Netflix Film</p><p>"LOL Surprise: The <keyword id="11897475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movie" source="Orion">Movie</keyword>"</p><p>"My Brother, My Sister" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Pretty Smart" - Netflix Series</p><h2>Available 10/9/21</h2><p>"Blue Period" - Netflix Anime</p><p>"Insidious: Chapter 2"</p><h2>Available 10/11/21</h2><p>"The Baby-Sitters Club: Season 2" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Going in Style"</p><p>"The King's Affection" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Shameless (U.S.): Season 11"</p><h2>Available 10/12/21</h2><p>"Bright: Samurai Soul" - Netflix Anime</p><p>"Convergence: Courage in a Crisis" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Making Malinche: A Documentary by Nacho Cano" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Mighty Express: Season 5" - Netflix Family</p><p>"The Movies That Made Us: Season 3" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It"</p><p>"Smart People"</p><h2>Available 10/13/21</h2><p>"Fever Dream / Distancia de Rescate" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Hiacynt" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Love Is Blind: Brazil" - Netflix Series (new episodes weekly)</p><p>"Reflection of You" - Netflix Series</p><p>Violet Evergarden the Movie</p><h2>Available 10/14/21</h2><p>"Another Life: Season 2" - Netflix Series</p><p>​​"In the Dark: Season 3"</p><p>"One Night in Paris" - Netflix Film</p><div type="image" title="joe you penn badgley" height="3577" width="4769" msid="86543784" hostid="261"></div><h2>Available 10/15/21</h2><p>"CoComelon: Season 4"</p><p>"The Forgotten Battle" - Netflix Film</p><p>"The Four of Us" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Karma's World" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Little Things: Season 4" - Netflix Series</p><p>"My Name" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Power Rangers Dino Fury: Season 1"</p><p>"Sharkdog's Fintastic Halloween" - Netflix Family</p><p>"The Trip" - Netflix Film</p><p>"You: Season 3" - Netflix Series</p><h2>Available 10/16/21</h2><p>"Misfit: The Series" - Netflix Family</p><p>​​"Victoria &amp; Abdul"</p><h2>Available 10/19/21</h2><p>"In for a Murder / W jak morderstwo" - Netflix Film</p><h2>Available 10/20/21</h2><p>"Found" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Gabby's Dollhouse: Season 3" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Love Is Blind: Brazil - Netflix Series (new episodes weekly)"</p><p>"Night Teeth" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Stuck Together" - Netflix Film</p><h2>Available 10/21/21</h2><p>"Flip a Coin -ONE OK ROCK Documentary" - Netflix Documentary</p><p>"Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 6" - Netflix Family</p><p>"Insiders" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Komi Can't Communicate" - Netflix Anime</p><p>"Life's a Glitch with Julien Bam" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Sex, Love &amp; goop" - Netflix Series</p><h2>Available 10/22/21</h2><p>"Adventure Beast" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Dynasty: Season 4"</p><p>"Inside Job" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Little Big Mouth" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Locke &amp; Key: Season 2" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Maya and the Three" - Netflix Family</p><p>"More than Blue: The Series" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Roaring Twenties" - Netflix Documentary</p><h2>Available 10/24/21</h2><p>"We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks"</p><h2>Available 10/25/21</h2><p>"King Arthur: Legend of the Sword"</p><h2>Available 10/26/21</h2><p>"Roswell, New Mexico: Season 3"</p><p>"Sex: Unzipped" - Netflix Series</p><h2>Available 10/27/21</h2><p>"Begin Again"</p><p>"Hypnotic" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight Part 2" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Sintonia: Season 2" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Wentworth: Season 8"</p><h2>Available 10/28/21</h2><p>"Luis Miguel - The Series: Season 3" - Netflix Series</p><p>"The Motive" - Netflix Documentary</p><h2>Available 10/29/21</h2><p>"Army of Thieves" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Colin in Black &amp; White" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Dear Mother" - Netflix Film</p><p>"Mythomaniac: Season 2" - Netflix Series</p><p>"Roaring Twenties" - Netflix Documentary (new episodes)</p><p>"Thomas and Friends: Season 25 A"</p><p>"The Time It Takes" - Netflix Series</p><div type="image" title="Reese Witherspoon wearing a pink outfit and holding a drink in &quot;Legally Blonde.&quot;" height="1218" width="1630" msid="86543785" hostid="261"></div><h2>Leaving in October</h2><h2>Leaving 10/1/21</h2><p>"Death Race: Beyond Anarchy"</p><p>"Tales From the Hood 2"</p><h2>Leaving 10/3/21</h2><p>"Angel Has Fallen"</p><h2>Leaving 10/6/21</h2><p>"Real Steel"</p><h2>Leaving 10/14/21</h2><p>"Cheech &amp; Chong's Still Smokin"</p><h2>Leaving 10/15/21</h2><p>"The Creative Brain"</p><h2>Leaving 10/17/21</h2><p>"U Turn"</p><h2>Leaving 10/20/21</h2><p>"Containment: Season 1"</p><p>"Free Fire"</p><h2>Leaving 10/21/21</h2><p>"The Hummingbird Project"</p><h2>Leaving 10/23/21</h2><p>"The Mist: Season 1"</p><h2>Leaving 10/27/21</h2><p>"Rango"</p><p>"Shine On with Reese: Season 1"</p><h2>Leaving 10/28/21</h2><p>"Pup Star"</p><div type="image" title="ferris bueller's day off" height="2102" width="2802" msid="86543786" hostid="261"></div><h2>Leaving 10/30/21</h2><p>"The 12th Man"</p><p>"Zack and Miri Make a Porno"</p><h2>Leaving 10/31/21</h2><p>"60 Days In: Season 5"</p><p>"Angels &amp; Demons"</p><p>"Battle: Los Angeles"</p><p>"Beowulf"</p><p>"Billy on the Street: Seasons 1-5"</p><p>"Catch Me If You Can"</p><p>"The Da Vinci Code"</p><p>"Ferris Bueller's Day Off"</p><p>"Forged in Fire: Season 6"</p><p>"The Heartbreak Kid"</p><p>"The Impossible"</p><p>"Inception"</p><p>"<keyword id="12181226" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="legally-blonde" source="Orion">Legally Blonde</keyword>"</p><p>"Mile 22"</p><p>"Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You"</p><p>"Reckoning: Limited Series"</p><p>"Snowden"</p><p>"Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny"</p><p>"Yes Man"</p>

Everything coming to - and leaving - Netflix in October

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The first teaser <keyword id="6354464" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trailer">trailer</keyword> for Steven Spielberg's "<keyword id="1298850" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="West-Side-Story">West Side Story</keyword>" aired during the Oscars on Sunday. </li><li>The film stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, respectively. </li><li>"West Side Story," previously delayed a full year, will premiere in theaters on December 10, 2021.</li></ul><p>The first trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of "West Side Story" aired during the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/oscars-2021">93rd annual Academy Awards</a> on Sunday. </p><p>The 20th Century Fox film follows two starcrossed teenagers, Tony Wyzek (Ansel Elgort) and Maria Nunez (Rachel Zegler), as they fall in love despite each having ties to rival street gangs in 1950s New York City. Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Corey Stoll, and Brian d'Arcy James have been cast in the 2021 movie as well. </p><p>Spielberg directed and coproduced the film, while Tony Kushner ("Angels in America," "Munich," and "Lincoln") wrote the screenplay. Justin Peck, the acting resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet, choreographed the on-screen numbers.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CbUM27qw6a8" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Spielberg's "West Side Story" is an adaptation of the award-winning 1957 Broadway musical of the same name.</p><p>The play - written by Arthur Laurents with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim - is loosely based on William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Upon its release on Broadway, "West Side Story" <a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/tonyawardsshowinfo.php?showname=West%20Side%20Story">was nominated</a> for six Tony Awards, winning best choreography and best scenic design. </p><p>Codirectors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins brought the popular play to the big screen in 1961. Their reimagination of "West Side Story" received 11 Academy Award nominations and swept 10 categories, including best picture, best director, and best original musical. </p><div type="image" title="west side story 1961" height="2960" width="4006" msid="82250291" hostid="261"></div><p>EGOT winner Rita Moreno, who won best supporting actress for her performance as Anita in the 1961 movie, will appear in Spielberg's upcoming production as a brand new character named Valentina, according to <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/11/rita-moreno-returns-to-west-side-story-egot-winner-to-play-the-role-of-valentina-in-steven-spielbergs-remake-1202509734/">Deadline</a>. She's also serving as an executive producer on the 2021 adaptation. </p><p>"Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself revisiting this seminal work," Moreno told the outlet. "And to be asked by Steven Spielberg to participate is simply thrilling!  Then to work together with the brilliant playwright, Tony Kushner - what a glorious stew! I am tingling!"</p><div type="image" title="rita moreno west side story" height="900" width="1200" msid="82250294" hostid="261"></div><p>For Spielberg, "West Side Story" is a passion project. During a March 2020 interview with <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/a-first-look-at-steven-spielbergs-west-side-story">Vanity Fair</a>, the director said Bernstein's tunes and Sondheim's lyrics left an influential mark on him as a young boy. </p><p>"I grew up surrounded by classical music. 'West Side Story' was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. I absconded with it - this was the cast album from the 1957 Broadway musical-and just fell completely in love with it as a kid," he said. </p><p>Spielberg added, "'West Side Story' has been that one haunting temptation that I have finally given in to."</p><p>Initially slotted for release in December 2020, "West Side Story" was pushed back a full calendar year and will premiere in theaters on December 10, 2021. </p>

Watch the 1st teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of 'West Side Story'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57daddc1077dcc7e128b6042-1143/audrey hepburn breakfast at tiffanys egot.jpg" alt="audrey hepburn breakfast at tiffanys egot" data-mce-source="Paramount Pictures" data-mce-caption="Audrey Hepburn in 1961's &amp;quotBreakfast at Tiffany's.&quot;" /><p class="source"><span>Paramount Pictures</span></p><p class="caption">Audrey Hepburn became the fifth person to achieve EGOT status, and the first to complete it posthumously.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The biggest honor in entertainment isn't TV's Emmy, or Broadway's Tony, music's Grammy, or even film's Oscar. It's all four together: the EGOT.</p><p>That grand combination of Hollywood's greatest performance prizes is called the EGOT as an acronym representing all four of the above awards. It's a rare and amazing feat. Arguably, it's the only actual measurement of an all-around performer. It's also referred to as "the Grand Slam" of American entertainment.</p><p>It's also a milestone that could be reached again this year by Lin-Manuel Miranda if he wins for his Oscar-nominated "Moana" song. The "Hamilton" creator would be the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lin-manuel-miranda-egot-youngest-person-to-win-2017-1">youngest person ever to get the EGOT</a>.</p><p>The feat is so difficult to achieve that only 12 people are on the list of EGOT winners, including Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, Mike Nichols, and Rita Moreno.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57dae056077dccf2018b61a7-996/getty images whoopi goldberg egot.jpg" alt="Getty Images whoopi goldberg egot" data-mce-source="JP Yim/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Whoopi Goldberg cemented her EGOT status when she won both an Emmy and a Tony in the same year, 2002." /><p class="source"><span>JP Yim/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Whoopi Goldberg became the 10th person to reach EGOT status, the first winner to win two of their awards in the same year, and the first black winner, in 2002.</p></div><p></p></div></div>About five others may also claim to be unofficial EGOT winners, because one or more of their wins were honorary awards rather than given in a competition against others. Those five are Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, James Earl Jones, Alan Menken, and Harry Belafonte.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/02/the-oscars-wher" target="_blank">Vanity Fair</a>, "Miami Vice" actor Philip Michael Thomas coined "EGOT" and popularized it by wearing a gold medallion around his neck with the acronym emblazoned onto the medallion in the mid-'80s.</p><p><span>"Hopefully in the next five years, I will win all of those awards," an overconfident Thomas reportedly told an interviewer in 1984.</span></p><p>That's as close as Thomas would ever get to the phrase, as he hasn't won even one of the awards represented on his medallion. But thanks for naming the achievement, Philip! </p><p>He isn't alone is having EGOT ambition, of course. Currently, there are about 70 performers who are or had been (in the case of the deceased) one award away from achieving EGOT status, including Julie Andrews, Cher, Kate Winslet, Al Pacino, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, and Lily Tomlin.</p><p><strong>Here's a list of current EGOT winners <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_have_won_Academy,_Emmy,_Grammy,_and_Tony_Awards#Qualifying_awards_summary_.28competitive_only.29" target="_blank">from Wikipedia</a>:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Richard Rodgers</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Helen Hayes</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Rita Moreno</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">John Gielgud</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Audrey Hepburn</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Marvin Hamlisch</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Jonathan Tunick</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mel Brooks</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mike Nichols</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Whoopi Goldberg</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Scott Rudin</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Robert Lopez</span></li></ul><p><strong>And EGOT winners including non-competitive or special awards:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Barbra Streisand</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Liza Minnelli</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">James Earl Jones</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Alan Menken</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Harry Belafonte</span></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hollywood-moms-with-lookalike-daughters-2016-4">18 Hollywood moms whose lookalike daughters are following in their footsteps</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tmMzAwMDE6XSCqYi1C3ZfVsEkdEbeNZI" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'tmMzAwMDE6XSCqYi1C3ZfVsEkdEbeNZI',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

What's an EGOT? The most coveted achievement in Hollywood, explained

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54256e7b69bedddc7e2c3213-1200-924/samantha-power-1.jpg?maxX=600" border="0" alt="Samantha Power" width="600"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst </span></p></img></div><p></p></div>PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The University of Pennsylvania says U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power will speak at its commencement.</p><p>Philadelphia's Ivy League school announced Power's selection Tuesday and says she and husband Cass Sunstein, an environmental lawyer, will be presented with honorary degrees at the May 18 ceremony.</p><p>The university says it'll also honor renowned neurology professor Arthur Asbury, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, actress Rita Moreno, astronaut and Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa and Philadelphia Dance Company founder Joan Myers Brown.</p><p>The 44-year-old Power is Penn's first female commencement speaker since actress Jodie Foster in 2006.</p><p>Singer and songwriter John Legend spoke last year.</p><p>Power was confirmed as U.N. Ambassador in August 2013. The Pulitzer Prize winner previously served on the National Security Council staff as a special assistant to the president.</p><div class="nc_footer"><p>Copyright (2015) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="o2OGM3czpWcydnvhjbkDBd6feXPuExiD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'o2OGM3czpWcydnvhjbkDBd6feXPuExiD',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "rita moreno" and got 10 results

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Associated Press