Ariana DeBose, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the Steven Spielberg musical, 'West Side Story has made history at Sunday's 94th Academy Awards.
She has become the first Afro-Latina, openly LGBTQ+ actor to win an Oscar. In the film, DeBose essays the role of Anita, the girlfriend of Sharks gang leader Bernardo.
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DeBose has previously been cast in the films like,'Bring It On: The Musical', 'Motown: The Musical', and 'Hamilton'. The actress-singer-dancer beat out Jessie Buckley, Judi Dench, Kirsten Dunst, and Aunjanue Ellis who were nominated for the category.
During her acceptance speech, she also thanked actor Rita Moreno for paving way for many Latina women in the industry. "But generationally between actresses, you know, the industry has changed so much, and quite frankly, her existence has opened many doors—not just for me, but for many women in this industry, many Latinas," DeBose said.
Before DeBose, Rita Moreno was the first actor to win an Oscar for her role in the 1961 film version of 'West Side Story.'
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