The Astonishing Transformation of a Latina Movie Star: The Untold Story of Rita Hayworth's Remarkable Name Change

Summary

The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 on Netflix highlights Latino culture and history by ensuring that Haller's character is Mexican and featuring his family members in the series.

Rita Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino, underwent a name and appearance transformation to conform to the narrow portrayal of actors in 1940s Hollywood. Consequently, Hayworth's triumph as a captivating blonde icon in films such as Gilda reflected the enduring effects of racism on the depiction of Hispanic and Latino individuals in the movie industry.

The second part of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 is now available on Netflix and explores the troubled backstory behind Rita Hayworth's name. This television series is based on the Michael Connelly books and was previously adapted into a movie in 2011. After more than a decade, it has been revived with Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in the lead role of Mickey Haller, a character originally portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in the film. By casting Garcia-Rulfo, who is of Mexican heritage, the series returns to its original roots as described in the books.

In the latest season of The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix, the portrayal of Mickey Haller as a Mexican character allows for the inclusion of his family members and the exploration of Latino culture and history. This is demonstrated in episode 8 of season 2, where Mickey compares his mother, Elena (played by Mexican telenovela star Angélica María), to the iconic film star Rita Hayworth. Mickey questions whether his daughter is familiar with Hayworth, who gained fame in the 1940s, and Hayley describes her as "a Latin movie star who changed her name." This highlights an important aspect of Hayworth's personal and professional journey.

Rita Hayworth Changed Her Name From Margarita Carmen Cansino

Prior to becoming one of Hollywood's biggest names, Rita Hayworth was known as Margarita Carmen Cansino. Born in Brooklyn to Eduardo Carsino, a Spanish Romani, and Volga Hayworth, an Irish/English-American, both of her parents were dancers. Her grandfather, Antonio Cansino, was a renowned classical Spanish dancer with a famous school in Madrid. With such a background, it was only natural for Hayworth to enter the entertainment industry.

During her early years as a professional dancer, Hayworth embraced her Latin heritage. She dyed her natural brunette hair black and performed alongside her father in a group known as the Dancing Cansinos. As a teenager, she signed a contract with Fox under the name Rita Cansino, portraying characters from various nationalities such as Argentinian, Egyptian, and Russian. However, when she began working with Columbia Pictures on her next contract, everything changed. She transformed into an all-American film star, known as Rita Hayworth.

Why Rita Hayworth Had To Change Her Last Name In Hollywood

Hayworth's entry into mainstream Hollywood in the 1940s coincided with a time of limited representation. Actors, regardless of their actual ethnicities, were typically categorized as either ethnic and exotic foreigners or all-American. In Hayworth's case, she had to choose one of these identities. To align herself with the latter, she changed her name, dyed her hair blonde, and even raised her hairline. Consequently, she became renowned for her beauty and glamour, fitting into the category of an all-American star. Changing her surname was necessary as it had a Spanish connotation that might not have resonated with audiences. Instead, Hayworth adopted her mother's maiden name, which reflected her white Irish heritage.

Regrettably, Hayworth is not the only Hollywood star who had to downplay their Spanish roots to achieve success. Anthony Quinn, a widely acclaimed actor who won two Academy Awards in the 1950s, was Mexican and Irish. Born as Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca, he adopted a stage name to appeal to American audiences. This name change was deemed necessary and proved beneficial for their careers in the long run. However, it came at the price of losing their cultural identity.

Gilda, released in 1946 as a film noir, propelled Hayworth into stardom, captivating audiences with her portrayal of a seductive blonde, even though her hair color was artificially achieved. Even today, Gilda remains highly regarded as Hayworth's standout performance, aided in part by its inclusion in the acclaimed film Shawshank Redemption. Although Hayworth faced racism that compelled her transformation and had a lasting influence on Hispanic and Latino representation in the industry, projects like The Lincoln Lawyer strive to instigate positive change and shed light on Hollywood's reprehensible history.