Fresh Air, George Chakiris, Rita Moreno, and Marni Nixon

By: Terry Gross

Narrated by: Terry Gross

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the film West Side Story, Fresh Air speaks with cast members. The film is a screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical about New York City gangs circa 1960. It won ten Oscars. First, George Chakiris, who played Bernardo in the movie. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the role. Chakiris was born in 1935 and made his acting debut at the age of 12. He's been in many films, TV shows and plays. He got the West Side Story film role after playing the role of Biff in the London theater production of West Side Story. Actress Rita Moreno and vocalist Marni Nixon. Moreno won an Oscar for her role as Anita in West Side Story. She's been in dozens of films and TV shows. Many baby boomers will remember her from the kids' PBS series The Electric Company. She played a starlet in Singin' in the Rain. According to Leonard Maltin, Moreno is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first performer to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, and a Grammy. However, Maltin goes on to say the entry is inaccurate. Barbra Streisand won all four by 1970. Marni Nixon is the singing voice of Maria (played by Natalie Wood) in West Side Story. She also did voiceovers for Deborah Kerr in An Affair to Remember and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. More recently, she did voiceover work for the animated film Mulan. (Broadcast Date: October 25, 2001)

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