Ariana DeBose Biography:

Ariana DeBose, born January 25, 1991, is a popular American actress, dancer, and singer. She has been nominated for a Tony Award and has won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and other honors. She was listed among the top 100 global influencers by Time magazine in 2022.

Wiki Profile

Real Name:	Ariana DeBoss
Date of Birth	January 25, 1991
Place of Birth:	Wilmington, North Carolina
Nationality:	American
Marital Status:	Single
Occupation:	Actress
Net Worth	$4 million

Early Life and Education

DeBose had no contact with her Afro-Puerto Rican father. Gina DeBose, her white mother, raised her as a single parent in Raleigh and Wake Forest, North Carolina.

DeBose began taking dance lessons at the age of three. Her talent was quickly apparent. In an interview, DeBose’s mother stated, “I always like to say, she came out dancing.”

When DeBose, then 13, came out as gay, her mother was accepting. DeBose attended Western Carolina University after graduating from Wake Forest-Rolesville High School.

Career

When DeBose was about to start sixth grade, her mother, a teacher, relocated to Wake Forest to provide her daughter with more arts opportunities.

DeBose continued her dance lessons there. She won a dance contest organized by Cold Stone Creamery when she was 15 years old.

DeBose’s original career goal was to be a backup dancer, but she fell in love with theater when she was about 10 or 11 years old.

She appeared in North Carolina productions of Aida, Les Misérables, and A Chorus Line. DeBose met the show’s star, Charlotte d’Amboise, while working on A Chorus Line, and she later became her mentor.

In 2009, an 18-year-old DeBose appeared on the reality show So You Think You Can Dance. She reached the top 20 before being eliminated.

Though she didn’t win, the show helped inspire her move to New York. “I left the show knowing I wanted to do more than just dance,” DeBose told Latina magazine;

“I missed the challenge of singing, dancing and acting at the same time.”

DeBose was cast in Bring It On: The Musical in 2011, an adaptation of Gabrielle Union and Kirsten Dunst’s film about rival cheerleading squads.

DeBose performed in the show’s national tour before making her Broadway debut in 2012.

DeBose played Mary Wilson in Motown: The Musical in 2013. For that show, she also understudied the role of Diana Ross. Her next appearance was in Pippin.

In 2016, DeBose appeared on the show Blue Bloods. A recorded performance of Hamilton, featuring DeBose in the ensemble, was released on Disney+ in 2020. That same year, DeBose starred as popular cheerleader Alyssa Greene in the Netflix musical Prom.

DeBose brought her talents to Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+ in 2021. She co-starred in this musical parody with Keegan-Michael Key and Kristin Chenoweth. In January 2022, DeBose will also host Saturday Night Live.

Personal Life

DeBose was previously involved with Broadway props master Jill Johnson. She is currently dating and living in a country cottage in New York with Broadway costume designer Sue Makkoo.