Rita Moreno took to the defense of In The Heights writer-producer Lin-Manuel Miranda Tuesday, as he faced criticism for the film’s lack of Afro-Latino representation.
‘It’s like you can never do right, it seems,’ the legendary actress and EGOT winner, 89, said while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Moreno, who recently collaborated with the Hamilton creator on the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, called Miranda ‘the man who literally has brought Latino-ness and Puerto Rican-ness to America’ on the late night show.
The latest: Rita Moreno, 89, took to the defense of In The Heights writer-producer Lin-Manuel Miranda, 41, Tuesday as he faced criticism for the film’s lack of Afro-Latino representation
She added: ‘I couldn’t do it. I mean, I would love to say I did, but I couldn’t. Lin-Manuel has done that, really single-handedly, and I’m thrilled to pieces, and I’m proud that he produced my documentary.’
The West Side Story star that she hoped criticism of Miranda, who adapted his In The Heights musical for the silver screen, wouldn’t overshadow the release of the highly-anticipated motion picture.
‘I’m simply saying, can’t you just wait a while and leave it alone?’ she said. ‘There’s a lot of people who are Puertorriqueño, who are also from Guatemala, who are dark and who are also fair.
‘We are all colors in Puerto Rico … it would just be so nice if they hadn’t come up with that and left that alone, just for now.’
Details: The West Side Story star that she hoped criticism of Miranda wouldn’t overshadow the release of the highly-anticipated motion picture
Point of view: The Humacao, Puerto Rico-born actress said critics were ‘really attacking the wrong person’ in Miranda
Background: Moreno recently collaborated with the Hamilton creator on the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
The Humacao, Puerto Rico-born actress, who’s also been seen on the TV shows Bless This Mess and Jane the Virgin in recent years, said critics were ‘really attacking the wrong person’ in Miranda, who himself issued a public apology on the matter Monday.
Miranda, who is a producer on the film adaptation of his stage musical, tweeted that he’s sorry for not including more dark-skinned Afro-Latinx actors in the cast.
‘I started writing In The Heights because I didn’t feel seen. And over the past 20 years all I wanted was for us-ALL of us-to feel seen,’ he wrote.
Miranda has issued an apology via Twitter after a colorism controversy surrounding his just released movie In The Heights. Pictured at the Tribeca Festival on June 9
‘I’m truly sorry’, the actor, musician and playwright said in a statement. ‘I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen’
‘I’m seeing the discussion around Afro-Latino representation in our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles.’
Miranda, 41, went on: ‘I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen in the feedback. I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy.’
The actor, playwright and musician acknowledged that the movie ‘fell short’ and promised ‘to do better’.
‘I’m truly sorry,’ Miranda shared.
‘It is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles,’ he tweeted. ‘I promise to do better in my future projects’
‘I’m learning from the feedback, I thank you for raising it, and I’m listening,’ he added. ‘I’m trying to hold space for both the incredible pride in the movie we made and be accountable for our shortcomings.
‘I promise to do better in my future projects, and I’m dedicated to the learning and evolving we all have to do to make sure we are honoring our diverse and vibrant community.’
In The Heights tells the stories of several characters living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City.
Miranda, who was born in the neighborhood, wrote the original play while at university.
In The Heights tells the stories of several characters living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. Miranda is a producer on the movie that he adapted from his successful stage musical
In 2004, he partnered with playwright and lyricist Quiara Alegría Hudes to turn it into a stage musical which premiered on Broadway in 2008.
It won four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
The film version starring Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and Leslie Grace and directed by Jon M. Chu was released in the United States on June 10 in theaters and simultaneously streaming on HBO Max.
Last week, The Root’s Felice Léon had expressed concern about ‘the lack of Black Latinx people represented’ in the film, observing that the main cast ‘were light-skinned or white-passing Latinx people.’
Chu responded in an interview with Léon, explaining: ‘In the end, when we were looking at the cast, we were trying to get the people who were best for those roles.
‘But I hear you on trying to fill those cast members with darker-skinned [actors]. I think that’s a really good conversation to have, something that we should all be talking about.’