Rita Moreno, a legendary 92-year-old actress, has found a unique source of inspiration for her latest movie role. On Monday, during an appearance on ‘The View’, Moreno shared that she drew upon her negative experiences with difficult women in Hollywood for her character in the comedy film, ‘The Prank’.
In ‘The Prank’, Moreno portrays a harsh teacher who becomes the target of a murder accusation by her students after she threatens to fail them all. Moreno expressed her excitement about the role, calling it “the best part I’ve had in years” and describing the movie as “hilarious” and a potential “cult movie”.
The actress revealed that to get into character, she thought about all the women in show business who had treated her poorly.
“I thought of all the women in my life — particularly in show business — who’d really been awful to me,”
Moreno said, referring to them as “bitches”.
When prompted by co-host Ana Navarro to list names, Moreno humorously responded that there were too many to name. She explained how she used these experiences to fuel her portrayal, saying it was fun to channel those negative energies into her performance.
Moreno also took a hands-on approach with her character’s appearance, choosing a “horrible” haircut and selecting clothes from Goodwill to ensure her character, Mrs. Wheeler, looked as mean as she acted.
‘The Prank’ is set to release in theaters on March 15, following its premiere at the 2022 SXSW festival. Moreno’s approach to her role highlights not only her creativity but also her ability to turn past hardships into a source of artistic inspiration.
