In 1961, They Played Anita and Bernardo in ‘West Side Story.’ 65 Years Later, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, Both 94, Reunited

In 1961, they lit up the screen as Anita and Bernardo, dancing across the rooftops of New York in West Side Story. Both went on to win an Oscar for their roles. Sixty-five years later, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, both 94, found each other again, and the moment was every bit as warm as fans could hope.

In short

• Rita Moreno and George Chakiris reunited at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California, as reported by BroadwayWorld on November 10, 2026.
• Chakiris came to see Moreno at “A Conversation with Rita Moreno,” hosted by CBS Sunday Morning’s Mo Rocca, and joined her backstage.
• The two will be inducted together into the Dance Hall of Fame on December 15.

 

A reunion in Palm Desert

The occasion was “A Conversation with Rita Moreno,” an evening at the McCallum Theatre where the actress looked back on her extraordinary career with her friend Mo Rocca. She shared stories about Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando.

In the audience was George Chakiris, her on-screen partner from more than six decades ago. After the show, he joined her backstage, according to BroadwayWorld. Moreno’s daughter, Fernanda Luisa Gordon, was also there.

The evening came with a sweet surprise. The theater’s president and CEO, Yvonne Bell, wheeled a birthday cake onstage, and the audience sang “Happy Birthday” to Moreno, who turns 95 on December 11.

Anita and Bernardo, the couple of the Sharks

In the 1961 film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, Moreno played Anita and Chakiris played Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Together, they led one of the most famous numbers in movie musical history, “America.”

The film won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. At the ceremony in 1962, Moreno and Chakiris each took home the Oscar for best supporting performance. Moreno became the first Latina to win an acting Oscar.

Two careers that never stopped

Moreno went on to become one of the rare artists to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. Decades later, she returned to the story that made her famous, playing Valentina in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 version of West Side Story.

Chakiris, a dancer trained in the world of Jerome Robbins, also appeared in classics such as White Christmas and Brigadoon. France has honored him twice with the Order of Arts and Letters.

Together again on December 15

Their reunion will not be the last. Moreno and Chakiris are both part of the Dance Hall of Fame’s 2026 class, alongside their West Side Story co-star Russ Tamblyn, as well as Debbie Allen, Savion Glover and Mandy Moore. The ceremony is scheduled for December 15 at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, according to music writer Eric Alper.

Hollywood reunions decades later have a special way of touching audiences, from the Hart to Hart couple, still close 47 years on to the original Charlie’s Angels at the Emmys.

Sixty-five years after “America,” Anita and Bernardo are still dancing to the same tune: friendship, and a standing ovation that never really ended.