PHOTOSWho Is 'The Prom' Breakout Star Ariana DeBose? Get To Know Her In 6 Sexy Snaps
She’s a star! Ariana DeBose is lighting up the small screen as the breakout star of Ryan Murphy’s TV take on the celebrated Broadway musical The Prom.
From the glittery opening credits to the all-out dance finale, The Prom is a triumph. The musical film features a cast of Hollywood A-listers, including Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington and more.
The TV spectacle is a storyline that puts inclusivity and representation at the forefront, shining a spotlight on what matters most: LOVE!
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For DeBose, who identifies as Afro-Latina and queer, being able to live her truth and tell the story of two young woman falling in love was a dream come true.
The 29-year-old actress plays Alyssa, a popular high school student secretly dating her classmate, Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman), who gets banned from the prom after she tells everyone that she wants to attend with a girl.
Although Streep and Kidman shine in the film, at the center of the story is Alyssa and Emma and their quest to find themselves and be who they are together.
“There were many people like myself who never really imagined that women who identify as queer or lesbian would ever be romantic leads. And yet here we are. So that’s really thrilling and exciting,” DeBose told ET.
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With The Prom out now on Netflix, DeBose is a star you need to get used to seeing.
So who is the Broadway diva melting our hearts on the small screen and on stage? OK! gets to know Ariana DeBose.
She Was On ‘SYTYCD’
The dancing diva made her breakthrough in 2009, when she was a contestant on the hit competition show 'So You Think You Can Dance,' making it into the Top 20.
She’s A Total Tony Awards Pro
The Broadway star pulled a rare feat — performing at the Tony Awards twice in the same year (the year she made her Broadway debut!). DeBose performed in the Tony-nominated Best Musical 'Bring It On' as well as the musical sensation 'Motown' in 2013.
She Was In ‘Hamilton’… But Almost Didn’t Take It
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DeBose left the Broadway show 'Pippin' to appear as the Bullet in the then Off-Broadway show 'Hamilton' in 2015. The show moved to Broadway later that year and became the huge sensation it is today. DeBose was nominated for an Astaire Award for her dancing in the hit production. The actress admitted to Playbill that she "almost didn't take 'Hamilton,'" because she wanted a leading role for herself. She ultimately decided on joining the cast and the rest is history (literally).
This Isn’t Her Only Major Movie
She has another musical in the works. DeBose will play Anita in the 2021 film adaptation of 'West Side Story.'
She’s Queer… And Living Her Truth
DeBose is openly queer. The singing sensation has been candid about her sexuality, telling Them in 2018: "People say 'you’re dressing like a male, or dressing femme, or dressing like a butch lesbian…' No, boo — I’m dressing like me. I don’t subscribe to societal norms, and I’m more than a label someone else gives me.”
She Can Basically Play Any Role
Girl can SANG! DeBose performed a medley of "Roles She'll Never Play" at the April Fools edition of 'Bi**ing and Belting' at 54 Below.
