Ariana DeBose almost didn't audition for West Side Story.
The 31-year-old actress — who picked up the Best Supporting Actress gong for playing Anita in the Steven Spielberg remake of the 1961 movie musical — felt she wasn't "going to be a candidate" for the role because she wasn't famous enough and didn't look like Rita Moreno, who played the role in the original movie.
Ariana — while in conversation with Nicola Coughlan for Interview magazine — was asked by the Bridgerton star said: "I read that you didn't want to audition for West Side Story?"
In response, Ariana told her: "Well, yes and no. I didn't feel like I was going to be a candidate, because I didn't have 500,000 followers. I wasn't 'a name.' I was from Broadway, and typically when they make movie musicals in the States, they aren't using theatre talent, they're using pop stars. The other thing was that the character, Anita, didn't look like me — she's not a Black woman."
Ariana — who was involved with the debut of Hamilton on Broadway — shared that she was in New York experiencing "chaotic peace" when she found out she was nominated for the Oscar.
She said: "I was walking by the East River in New York City. You're on this walkway with the highway on one side and the tranquil water on the other. It was absolute chaotic peace, which is exactly how I felt about the news."
After the Derry Girls star asked her: "Who was the first person that you told?," after hearing the great news, Ariana revealed that it was her high school pal Jonathan.
She said: "My best friend Jonathan was with me, so I guess him. He was my prom date in school, and he will actually be at the Oscars with me! I got him a ticket."
