Just a note, this episode contains explicit language

that some will find offensive.

["The

Life Time"]

You'll often hear actors talk about landing the role of a lifetime, and maybe sometimes it's an exaggeration.

But for my guest today, it was absolutely the real deal.

The year 1961, the part was Anita in the film adaptation of West Side Story,

and the actress was Rita Moreno, like so many of my guests this season.

The cards were stacked against Rita, a difficult upbringing, a career in an industry that pushed her into the margins,

and naysayers doubting her at every turn.

But that did not stop Rosita, as Rita refers to her young self.

She wanted that part so badly, she says she could taste it.

Well, you know the end of the story by now, but the end of that story was actually

the beginning of another one.

As we sit here today, Rita, who is 90, by the way, is one of just 16 people ever to win an Emmy,

a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, also known as an E-GOT.

It is the highest achievement in show business, the mountaintop.

As Rita and I talk about those heights, and also the depths of not just her career,

but also her love life and her path to self-acceptance,

I want you to join me in celebrating where hard work can land you,

how one person's achievement can empower an entire community,

and how the impossible is sometimes just one opportunity away.

...