Ariana DeBose, 31, is an American dancer, actress and singer who won over critics and audiences via an Academy Award-winning turn as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s version of “West Side Story.” She can be seen on this season of HBO’s “Westworld,” and on June 12, she will get the chance to shine for theater lovers on live television as the host of the 75th Tony Awards.

                By                    Michelle Tompkins

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This is not necessarily a new audience for DeBose, who was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2018 for her portrayal of Disco Donna in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.”

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DeBose has been one of the most-talked about new celebrities and was listed as one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People in 2022. She first came into the public eye as a contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance.”  She capitalized on that experience and tackled Broadway, where she was a cast member in “Bring it On: The Musical,” “Motown: The Musical,” “Pippin,” “Hamilton,” “Company” with the New York Philharmonic and “A Bronx Tale.”

DeBose seems to be capitalizing on her momentum and this rising star has an estimated net worth of $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. 

Early Life and Career

Ariana DeBose was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Jan. 25, 1991.  Her diverse cultural experience comes from having a Puerto Rican father and a white mother; she identifies as “Afro-Latina,” per MyDomaine. She began taking dance classes as a child and studied dance in Raleigh at the CC & Co. Dance Complex. She dropped out of Western Carolina University to pursue her showbiz dreams, and the rest is history.

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Personal Life

DeBose is public with her identity as a queer woman. One of her main activist projects (one which she launched) is the Unruly Hearts Initiative, an initiative designed to help youth connect with LGBTQ-friendly groups.

In 2020, she departed New York City to move upstate into a 900-square foot cottage with her partner, Sue Makkoo.

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