West Side Story Star Recalls Special Moment Meeting Denzel Washington
West Side Story star Ariana DeBose shares a special moment she had with Hollywood legend Denzel Washington at the Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon. DeBose plays Anita in Steven Spielberg's remake of the 1961 classic movie musical, that uses the structure of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to recount the story of two gangs fighting over Manhattan's San Juan Hill. DeBose's performance has received a lot of praise, resulting in her being considered the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress at this year's Oscars.
West Side Story was initially scheduled to be released on December 18, 2020 but was pushed back to December 10, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was a critical darling upon release, that didn't help much at the box office, as it still failed to make back its budget during its theatrical run. It did manage to get a second lifeline when it moved to stream on HBO Max, and fellow directors like Guillermo del Toro praised West Side Story's craftsmanship on social media, causing clips to go viral. West Side Story is now one of this awards season's major players, with DeBose herself arguably the project's greatest chance for victory on Oscar night.
Related: West Side Story: Why Maria Forgives Tony
Now, in an interview The Hollywood Reporter, she shares an interaction with fellow Oscar nominee Washington that underscores the impact of the recognition she's received. Noting with surprise that he was the one to approach her, DeBose says she couldn't even believe that he knew who she was, let alone wanted to hug her. He then revealed that seeing her meant a lot to him, as he remembered a time when he was the only person of color in the room. Check out her quote below:
I got to talk to Denzel Washington — actually,
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