Rita Moreno is a force of nature. Honestly, there isn’t really another way to put it. When Netflix announced they were rebooting the classic Norman Lear sitcom One Day at a Time with a Cuban-American twist back in 2017, some people were skeptical. Reboots usually suck. They feel like cheap cash grabs designed to prey on nostalgia without adding anything new to the conversation. But then we saw Lydia Riera. From the second she slid those purple curtains open in the pilot episode, it was over. One Day at a Time Rita Moreno became the heartbeat of a show that dealt with depression, immigration, and identity with more grace than almost anything else on television.
She was 85 when the show started. Let that sink in for a second. While most actors are long retired or taking "distinguished elder" cameos, Moreno was doing the literal most. She was dancing. She was delivering rapid-fire insults in Spanglish. She was wearing high-fashion outfits that she probably kept from her own legendary closet.
The Genius of Lydia Riera
Lydia isn't just a grandmother; she’s a displaced diva. Moreno played her with this incredible layer of "glamour as a survival mechanism." You see it in the way she insists on wearing heels just to walk to the kitchen. It’s funny, sure, but the show—and Moreno’s performance—makes it clear that this is how Lydia kept her dignity after leaving Cuba as a teenager during Operation Peter Pan.
It's actually pretty rare to see a character on a sitcom who is allowed to be that vain and that deeply empathetic at the same time. Usually, the "funny grandma" is just a trope. She’s the one who says the inappropriate thing and then sits back down. Not Lydia. She’s the engine of the Riera household. She’s the one clashing with Penelope (Justina Machado) about religion and traditional gender roles while simultaneously being the fiercest protector of her grandkids, Elena and Alex.
Moreno brought a specific kind of theatricality to the role that only an EGOT winner could pull off. You have to remember, this is the woman who won an Oscar for West Side Story in 1962. She knows how to use her body. She knows how to command a room. In One Day at a Time, she used that stage presence to turn a small Los Angeles apartment into a grand stage. Every entrance was an event.
Why the Performance Felt So Real
A lot of the magic came from the chemistry between Moreno and Justina Machado. They fought like a real mother and daughter. It wasn't that "perfect TV family" vibe where everyone learns a lesson in 22 minutes and hugs it out. They had fundamental disagreements.
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There’s a specific episode in Season 2 where Lydia discovers Penelope has been taking antidepressants. The way Moreno plays that scene is heartbreaking. She’s not being "mean"—she’s coming from a generation and a culture where mental health struggles are viewed as a lack of faith or a personal failing. You see the confusion in her eyes. You see her trying to reconcile her love for her daughter with her own rigid worldview. That’s where the One Day at a Time Rita Moreno magic really lives—in the nuance of a woman who is both the hero and, occasionally, the obstacle in her family's path to progress.
She didn't shy away from the aging process, either. Even though Lydia was obsessed with looking young, the show let her be vulnerable about the physical realities of getting older. There’s a plotline about her preparing her "death box" (a very Lydia move) that manages to be both hilarious and deeply moving.
The Wardrobe and the Flare
Can we talk about the outfits for a minute? Because they matter. Moreno famously worked with the costume designers to ensure Lydia looked "expensive" even on a budget. The hoop earrings. The scarves. The sheer amount of animal print. It was a visual representation of the character's refusal to be invisible. In a Hollywood landscape that often ignores women over 50, let alone women in their 80s, Moreno was a neon sign screaming that she was still here and still fabulous.
She often insisted on doing her own stunts, too. Well, "stunts" in a sitcom sense—the dancing, the quick physical comedy, the dramatic falls. She has the energy of someone half her age. It’s infectious. You can tell the rest of the cast was just trying to keep up with her.
Addressing the Misconceptions
People sometimes think Lydia was just a caricature of a Caribbean grandmother. That’s a mistake. If you look closely at the writing and Moreno’s choices, she’s subverting those tropes constantly. She’s a devout Catholic who eventually learns to fully embrace her lesbian granddaughter. She’s a traditionalist who ends up in a complicated, non-traditional "relationship" with Dr. Berkowitz (Stephen Tobolowsky).
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She showed that growth isn't just for the young characters.
One of the most powerful moments in the entire series is the Season 3 finale, where Lydia has a medical emergency. The show takes us inside her mind—a dream sequence where she’s back in Cuba, dancing with her late husband, Berto. It could have been cheesy. In the hands of a lesser actor, it probably would have been. But Moreno makes you feel the weight of her loss and the beauty of her memories. It’s a masterclass in silent acting.
The Legacy of the Reboot
When Netflix canceled the show, and Pop TV later picked it up (and then also canceled it), the fans went wild. A huge part of that "Save ODAAT" movement was driven by the love for Moreno’s performance. People weren't ready to say goodbye to Lydia.
It’s rare for a show to capture the specific intersection of the immigrant experience and the American dream without feeling preachy. One Day at a Time did it by keeping the focus on the people. Moreno’s Lydia was the bridge between the old world and the new. She represented the sacrifices made by the generation that came before, while also proving that you’re never too old to change your mind about the world.
She brought a level of prestige to the multi-cam sitcom format that we haven't seen in years. Sitcoms are often looked down upon by "serious" critics, but Moreno treated every line like it was Shakespeare. She found the tragedy in the comedy and the comedy in the tragedy.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of the show or just someone who appreciates legendary acting, there are a few things to take away from Rita Moreno’s run on this series.
- Watch the "Hello, Penelope" scene: It’s in the pilot. It sets the tone for everything. It’s a masterclass in how to establish a character’s entire personality in under sixty seconds.
- Observe the physical comedy: Watch how Moreno uses her hands. She never just says a line; she performs it with her entire body. If you’re an aspiring actor, this is what "using the space" looks like.
- Revisit the Season 2 finale: "The Grandparents." It deals with the reality of citizenship and the fear of deportation. Moreno’s performance here is grounded and gritty, stripping away the "diva" persona for something much more raw.
- Study the timing: Pay attention to how she waits for the laugh. She knows exactly when to step on a line and when to let the audience breathe. It’s a skill honed over seven decades in show business.
Rita Moreno didn't just play a grandmother on One Day at a Time. She created a cultural icon. She reminded us that aging doesn't mean fading away—it means getting louder, bolder, and more colorful. Whether she was flirting with Dr. B or arguing with Penelope, she was the undisputed queen of the screen.
To truly appreciate what she did, go back and watch the episodes where she has no lines. Just watch her reactions in the background. She is always "on." She is always Lydia. That's why, years after the show ended, we’re still talking about her. She didn't just give a performance; she gave us a masterclass in how to live life at full volume.
If you haven't seen the final season that aired on Pop TV, track it down. It’s worth the effort just to see her take one final bow in the role that defined her late-career renaissance. She remains the gold standard. Period.