The Stars of the Original Film
‘West Side Story’
George Chakiris
George Chakiris is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, singer and dancer whose remarkable career has spanned more than five decades across film, television, theater and music. Best known for his iconic
portrayal of Bernardo in “West Side Story,” Chakiris brought a smoldering sensuality and silken, cat-like movement to the role, forging a new archetype of the dancing antihero and earning both an Academy and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1962. Unknown as a key protégé of Jerome Robbins, he became one of the leading male dancers of his generation and an inspiration to many future male dancers. His film career includes “White Christmas,” “Brigadoon,” “The Young Girls of Rochefort” and “Diamond Head,” with co-stars including Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Catherine Deneuve, Yul Brynner, Lana Turner, Claudia Cardinale and Marina Vlady. On stage, he starred in “Company” and “The Passion of Dracula,” working with choreographers including Robbins, Claude Thompson, Norman Main and Michael Bennett. Chakiris has been honored twice by France’s Ministry of Culture with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is a legendary performer whose groundbreaking career has spanned more than eight decades across Broadway, film, television and music. One of the most celebrated entertainers of her generation, Moreno is one of only a select group of artists to have earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. She made her Broadway debut at age 13 before rising to international acclaim for her iconic performance as Anita in “West Side Story,”
becoming the first Latina to earn an Academy Award. 60 years later she co-starred and served as an Executive
Producer of Steven Spielberg’s remake of the film. Her career encompasses more than 70 feature films, including the Fast & Furious franchise in addition to numerous television productions such as Norman Lear’s remake of One Day at a Time and several acclaimed stage performances. Moreno is a recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honor, SAG Life Achievement Award, National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom to name a few. She continues to perform, speak and inspire audiences across generations.
Russ Tamblyn
Russ Tamblyn is an acclaimed actor, dancer, choreographer, director and artist whose career has spanned more than six decades. A Hollywood performer from childhood, Tamblyn became a worldwide sensation for his dancing and acting in MGM’s “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” where his musicality, championship tumbling and agility established him as one of Hollywood’s most distinctive young performers. His renowned acrobatic style shines in his unforgettable shovel dance in “The Fastest Gun Alive” and the title role in “tom thumb,” while his dramatic talents earned him an Academy Award nomination for “Peyton Place” and led to his iconic portrayal of Riff, leader of the Jets, in “West Side Story.” On stage, he performed opposite Chita Rivera in “Bye Bye Birdie” and appeared in “Cabaret,” “Follies” and “The Music Man.” Tamblyn later expanded his artistry into the fine arts, co-writing, choreographing and acting in Neil Young’s “Human Highway” and directing and choreographing Young’s “Greendale” tour. His remarkable career and creative journey are chronicled in his 2024 memoir, “Dancing on the Edge: A Journey of Living, Loving, and Tumbling Through Hollywood.”