Actress Ariana DeBose, despite her rising stardom, remains grounded. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, DeBose shared that after her Oscar win in 2022 for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’, fellow actress Jamie Lee Curtis reached out with an important question.
That year was pivotal for DeBose’s career as she made history as the first Afro-Latina and openly queer woman to win an Academy Award, mirroring Rita Moreno's win for the same role in 1962. Additionally, DeBose was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world.
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Curtis’s question to DeBose was, “Where are your feet? Tell me where your feet are,” a query that has since helped DeBose stay grounded. “It's really something that has stuck with me ever since because it reminds me to be in the moment that I'm in and not take anything for granted," DeBose explained. This mindset has been crucial for her as she tackles upcoming projects.
However, maintaining this grounded approach is challenging in an industry that constantly pushes for more success. DeBose refers to this as ‘The Rat Race of Success,’ noting that while the term isn’t perfect, it accurately describes the pressure to keep advancing.
To navigate this, DeBose focuses on creativity and self-improvement, emphasizing the importance of kindness to oneself for a healthy life. She practices gratitude by focusing on what she has rather than what she lacks. Her mantra is, “Love it while you have it, but don't love it so much that you're not willing to let it go."
DeBose will return as the host of the 2024 Tony Awards, marking her third consecutive year as the emcee for the event.
–Farheen Ali
