Who Is Ariana DeBose? 5 Things to Know About the ‘West Side Story’ Actress

usmagazine.com:

A movie newcomer! After appearing in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Ariana DeBose has quickly become a rising star in Hollywood, racking up impressive nominations that prove she’s here to stay.The North Carolina native, 31, played Anita in the 2021 adaptation of the classic love story, following in the footsteps of Rita Moreno, which was no small feat.“Ariana needed to bring her entire existence into this character,” Spielberg, 75, told The Hollywood Reporter in January. “The biggest challenge for her was to own her Anita, and from her audition all the way through production there was an empowerment about her that was just so palpable.

I’m not sure anyone can watch Ariana’s performance and not feel how tightly she had her arms around her own Anita and created her own special light.”While the Schmigadoon!

alum was initially wary about stepping into the 90-year-old Oscar-winning actress’ shoes for the film, she powered through her hesitation.“I was really tired one evening after [performing on Broadway in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical], and Cindy Tolan, the casting director, called and goes, ‘Hey, can you come to Brooklyn tomorrow at 10 a.m.?’ I was like, ‘But it’s 11:30 p.m.

right now. Great, so can I just dance and sing?’” DeBose recalled of her audition process during a January appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “She said, ‘Sure, sure, sure.