Los Angeles: Actor-dancer Ariana DeBose was named the best supporting actress at the 94th edition of the Academy Awards for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical West Side Story.
DeBose was a frontrunner as the winner after she bagged all major precursor awards in the best supporting actress category, including a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a BAFTA.
An openly queer Afro-Latina, DeBose played Anita, a San Juan Hill seamstress and the older sister to female lead Maria (Rachel Zegler) in the film.
“To anybody who also ever questioned your identity or you find yourself living in the grey spaces… I promise you this. There is indeed a place for us,” DeBose said in her award acceptance speech.
She thanked Spielberg for the experience of working on West Side Story, quipping he was now stuck with her.
“It was the summer of a lifetime and I am the most privileged and grateful to have spent it with all of you,” she said.
Interestingly, her win comes six decades after Rita Moreno won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Anita in West Side Story, also directed by Spielberg.
Moreno also starred in the new West Side Story as Valentina, a reconceived and expanded version of the original character Doc, who serves as a mentor to the younger characters. The Hollywood veteran also executive produced the film.
Expressing gratitude to Moreno, DeBose said, “You are staring at me right now and I’m so grateful. Your Anita paved the way for tons of Anitas like me. And I love you so much.”
The actor said her win is a dream come true for her younger self as a little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus.
“You see a queer, openly queer woman of colour, an Afro Latina who found her strength in life through art. And that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate,” she added.
An adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same title, West Side Story depicts the love story between Maria (Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort), whose ill-fated romance fans the bitter rivalry between local New York street gangs the Sharks and the Jets.
The victory comes full circle for DeBose, who started her career with Broadway debuting in Bring It On: The Musical in 2011. She also appeared in further Broadway plays Motown: The Musical (2013) and Pippin (2014).
The actor also appeared as The Bullet in the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton from 2015 to 2016.
West Side Story was also nominated in six other categories, including best picture and best director for Spielberg.