Rita Moreno, 93, Credits 'Fantastic Genes' for Maintaining Her Health: 'I Eat Pretty Much What I Like'
The EGOT winner said that she has really good skin and is “just a lucky little b—h”
The EGOT winner said that she has really good skin and is “just a lucky little b—h”
Michael Tullberg/Getty Rita Moreno in Hollywood in March 2024.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/rita-moreno-the-prank-premiere-los-angeles-121224-dda2a9c177f0495e96ea7fac7451b482.jpg "Rita Moreno attends the Los Angeles premiere of")
- Rita Moreno appeared on Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Lemonada Media podcast, Wiser Than Me, on her 93rd birthday on Dec. 11, and shared her secret to looking so good at her age
- “I'm just a lucky little b—h," the EGOT winner said, sharing that she has "fantastic genes"
- Moreno said she doesn't work out since she ruined her knees playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard — and doesn't bother to watch her diet. "I eat pretty much what I like," she said
EGOT winner Rita Moreno — who turned 93 on Dec. 11 — says she’s in such good shape at nearly a century old because she’s “just a lucky little b—h” with “fantastic genes.”
“I try not to watch what I eat. I eat pretty much what I like. I am what my doctor calls ‘pre-diabetic,’ so I do have to be careful about sweets and stuff like that, but I've been that for years and I'm still good,” Moreno told Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Dec. 11 episode of the Seinfeld alum’s Lemonada Media podcast, Wiser Than Me.
“So to hell with it,” Louis-Dreyfus replied. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic (Left) Rita Moreno; (Right) Julie Louis-Dreyfus
“I'm just a lucky little b—h,” Moreno said., prompting the Veep alum to reply, "You really are,”
“I was just born with fantastic genes. I have really good skin for someone who is, you know, 93 today,” Moreno shared.
When Louis-Dreyfus brought up Moreno’s history of tanning, saying “I read you used to sit out in the sun and become like a piece of bacon…you haven’t had skin cancer?”
“Never, never, never,” Moreno said. “Isn’t that amazing? My mom did, she had little skin cancer things, but I never had a problem with my skin. It doesn’t mean I don’t have wrinkles.”
The accomplished dancer, who won an Academy Award for her work in the 1961 musical West Side Story, said these days, “I don’t work out at all.”
“My knees are shot to pieces from all that dancing. I mean, West Side Story,” she explained, adding that “the thing that really killed my knees was playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.” John Stillwell - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images Rita Moreno as Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard."
Related: Rita Moreno Recalls Hollywood 'Bitches' Who Were 'Awful to Me' During 'My Little Puerto Rican Past'
"I loved doing that show," the actress previously told PEOPLE about the London production, which she starred in from September 1996 to October 1996. "I loved every minute of it." However, as she told Louis-Dreyfus, playing the fading movie star took a painful toll on her body.
“You know how she makes these incredible entrances down the steps? Well, in order to come down steps, you have to go up steps backstage, right? And that almost killed me,” Moreno shared. “That really ruined my knees. It’s ruined many knees.”
“So I don’t do things that call for knee work — and that’s almost everything,” she explained, saying that to stay fit, she walks her dog. “I can’t bend them very much,” Moreno said. “When and if I am asked to a accept a wonderful award — which happens more now that I’m older and they’re saying, ‘Quick, before she kicks the bucket, let’s give her this award’ … I always have to say, ‘Am I going to go up steps to the stage to accept this award? Because, if so, then I really need some help.’ “
When Louis-Dreyfus pointed out that she saw Moreno accept an award without help, the Broadway icon replied, “like, 40 men came over and practically lifted me.” Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Rita Moreno arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2024.
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“This is bulls—t,” Louis-Dreyfus said.
“No, really, my knees hurt terribly when I go up steps,” Moreno replied, later adding that there’s one other drawback to being 93.
“The one thing that’s happened since I became this age?” she said after stumbling over a word. “I forget nouns.”
“That’s okay,” Louis-Dreyfus replied. “I’m here for you.”
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