Ariana DeBose

Ariana DeBose (born January 25, 1991) is an American actress, singer, and dancer, known for her work in musical theater, film, and on "So You Think You Can Dance". She originated the role of The Bullet in the Broadway cast of "Hamilton" and played Alyssa Greene in Netflix's "The Prom", directed by Ryan Murphy. She can be heard playing director/choreographer Zoey Taylor in "As the Curtain Rises", an original Broadway soap opera podcast from the Broadway Podcast Network.
Early life.
DeBose was born on January 25, 1991, in North Carolina. Her mother, Gina DeBose, is an 8th grade teacher. DeBose trained in dance at CC & Co. Dance Complex in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her father is of Puerto Rican and African-American descent, while her mother is white.
Career.
2009–2014: Breakthrough.
DeBose made her breakthrough in 2009, when she competed on the TV series "So You Think You Can Dance", making it into the Top 20. She later appeared on the soap opera "One Life to Live" and played Inez in the North Carolina Theatre's production of "Hairspray" before booking the role of Nautica in the 2011 Alliance Theatre production of "". She also appeared in the ensemble of the New York Philharmonic production of "Company", which was filmed for television. At the end of 2011, "Bring It On" embarked on a national tour across the United States. DeBose continued her role into the 2012 Broadway production and understudied the character Danielle.
Her career launched, DeBose played Mary Wilson in "" on Broadway in 2013, understudying the role of Diana Ross. DeBose left the show soon later to play Eponine in a regional production of "Les Misérables" before returning to Broadway as a noble and a player in the musical "Pippin", understudying the role of the Leading Player, which she ended up taking over for a short period in 2014.
2015–2018: "Hamilton", "A Bronx Tale" and "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical".
DeBose left "Pippin" to appear as the Bullet in the ensemble of the off-Broadway musical "Hamilton" in early 2015. The show moved to Broadway later that year and became an overnight sensation. DeBose was nominated for an Astaire Award for her dancing in the show, in which, as a member of the ensemble, she portrayed the bullet with which Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton. She left "Hamilton" in July 2016 and made a guest appearance on the TV series "Blue Bloods" as Sophia Ortiz. She also starred as Daphne in the thriller film "Seaside."
She returned to Broadway in November 2016 as Jane in "A Bronx Tale" until August 2017. She also hosted the corresponding Broadway.com vlog "Bronx Bullet" for eight weeks.
DeBose went on to play Disco Donna in "" in San Diego at La Jolla Playhouse in late 2017. She reprised this role on Broadway, which opened in April 2018. She received a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. She also frequently performs at Feinstein's/54 Below.
2019–present: "The Prom" and "West Side Story".
DeBose played Alyssa Greene in the film adaptation of "The Prom" opposite of Jo Ellen Pellman and will play Anita in the 2021 film adaptation of "West Side Story". In February 2021, it was announced that she would play Kira Foster in the upcoming film "I.S.S.". In March 2021, DeBose released a dance-pop recording and video of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Shall We Dance" for the album "R&H Goes Pop".
Personal life.
DeBose identifies as queer and came out to her grandparents in 2015.
In December 2020, Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman launched the Unruly Hearts Initiative. The initiative was created to help young people connect with organisations and charities that advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.