Ariana DeBose is an American actress, dancer, and singer who has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. She is best known for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first openly queer woman of color to receive an Oscar in an acting category.
DeBose was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1991. She began training in dance at a young age and made her television debut in 2009 as a contestant on the sixth season of So You Think You Can Dance. After appearing in a few minor roles, she made her Broadway debut in 2011 in the musical Bring It On: The Musical. She went on to star in other Broadway productions, including Motown: The Musical (2013), Pippin (2014), and Hamilton (2015-2016). In 2018, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
In addition to her work on stage, DeBose has also appeared in several films and television shows. She made her film debut in the Netflix musical film The Prom (2020) and also starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon! (2021). In 2022, she hosted the 75th Tony Awards.