Video: Ariana DeBose Reveals the Best Lesson She Learned From Rita Moreno

Ariana DeBose is sharing the best lesson she received from Broadway icon Rita Moreno, who she worked with on West Side Story. "I didn't actually learn it from her during the making of West Side [Story], but since we've made the movie, we've stayed friends," DeBose explained on a recent visit to Watch What Happens Live.

Both performers played the role of Anita in the film adaptations of West Side Story. Moreno played it first in the 1961 film, with DeBose taking on the role for Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake. They both went on to win Academy Awards for their respective performances. 

"She was like, 'Don't ever stop being bold and loud...Be exactly who you are,'" DeBose recalled.

In another segment, she revealed the note that director Spielberg gave her on the set of the film. Watch that below!

Ariana DeBose is an award-winning actress known for her varying roles onstage and in film and television. She received an Academy Award for her groundbreaking performance in Steven Spielberg's reimagining of West Side Story.

In 2021, DeBose had a breakout role in “Schmigadoon!,” the Lorne Michaels' executive-produced Apple TV+ musical comedy series, for which she returned for its second season. She also received critical acclaim for her performance in Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the hit Broadway musical The Prom opposite Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington and James Corden. 

More recently, DeBose starred in Matthew Vaughn's action film Argylle and Disney's 100th anniversary animated feature film Wish. She is currently starring in Amazon MGM's House of Spoils.

Onstage, DeBose is perhaps best known for her role as “Disco Donna” in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. For the same role, she was nominated for a Drama League Award for “Distinguished Performance” and won a Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show”.