Ariana DeBose makes LGBTQ+ history with ‘West Side Story’

LOS ANGELES — Sixty years after “West Aspect Story” gained prime honors on the 1962 Oscars, the 2021 adaptation made historical past of its personal Sunday evening as Ariana DeBose turned the primary Afro-Latina and overtly LGBTQ+ actor to win greatest supporting actress.

“Even on this weary world we reside in, goals do come true,” DeBose stated throughout her acceptance speech.

DeBose’s win comes 60 years after Rita Moreno gained for a similar position, Anita, within the 1961 unique. That is the third time that two actors have gained for taking part in the identical position, following Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix because the Joker, and Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro as Vito Corleone.

“Anita paved the way in which for a lot of Anita’s like me,” DeBose stated.

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Moreno’s accolade additionally made historical past, as she turned the primary Latina to win an Oscar.

The 90-year-old actress instructed the 31-year-old DeBose to “get pleasure from it, honey,” and that is what she’s been doing this awards season.

“It was the summer season of a lifetime,” DeBose stated.

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The 2021 movie earned seven Oscar nominations in all, together with one for greatest image and greatest director for Steven Spielberg.

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The 1957 musical tells the story of rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, and is loosely primarily based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. For the 2021 movie, starring newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Maria and Tony, Spielberg and author Tony Kushner centered on creating an genuine portrayal of New York’s San Juan Hill neighborhood within the Nineteen Fifties. Spielberg says they introduced in historic consultants who lived within the neighborhood on the time to information the solid.

“The entire template of our reimagined ‘West Aspect Story’ primarily based on the Broadway play was it wanted to be genuine. It wanted to be sensible,” Spielberg instructed ABC Information.

“It could not be a theater musical,” he added. “It needed to be a avenue musical. It needed to really feel like these had been the true streets that these tales, these occasions, and this comedy, and this jubilation, and this tragedy was going down on.”

The Related Press and ABC Information contributed to this report.

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