Five facts about Ariana DeBose, host of this year’s Tony Awards and Oscar winner

In June of this year, Ariana DeBose will emcee the Tony Awards in New York City! Ariana DeBose is a renowned actress and Oscar winner. On Broadway, she is an illustrious “triple threat.” Ariana has been selected to host the Tony Awards in 2023.

After the release of West Side Story and a lead role in Hamilton, Ariana DeBose rose to stardom.

After stealing the show in the 2021 film adaptation of the musical, the 32-year-old triple threat will emcee the legendary Tony Awards on June 11, 2023 in New York. The announcement was made by the show’s producers on April 12 and Ariana is thrilled to accept.

“I was honored to host last year and even more honored to be asked to return,” she said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “I am so excited to celebrate this incredible season and the people who make it possible. Let’s add a little urban flavor to the charm of the Tony Awards.”

Ariana demonstrated her singing, dancing and acting skills in West Side Story and, before that, wowed in The Prom on Netflix.

She was even nominated for a Tony Award for her outstanding performance in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. From her Broadway history to her personal life, here’s everything you need to know about Ariana.

1) Ariana DeBose received an Academy Award

Best Supporting Actress at the 2022 Academy Awards went to Ariana for her performance as Anita in West Side Story, for which she received a historic award.

“Now you understand why Anita says, ‘I want to be in America,’” she said in her acceptance speech, adding that Rita Moreno was “the divine inspiration” behind the performance. It should be noted that Rita played the same role in 1961 and won the same Oscar in 1962.

Ariana became the first openly lesbian woman of color to win the prestigious award, marking a major milestone. Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, released a statement at the time about the historic victory.

Sara Kate stated:

“Ariana DeBose is a tremendously talented actress and a tremendous advocate for LGBTQ people and people of color.” She “Not only did she make history as the first transgender woman of color to win an Oscar tonight, but she also sent a beautiful and timely message to LGBTQ youth.” I hope that LGBTQ youth around the world have seen her succeed, heard her speech, and realized that they too should dream big.”

2) Your partner’s name is Sue Makkoo.

At the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, Ariana was seen glowing and holding hands with her partner Sue Makkoo, 52.

The costume designer and Broadway actress met in 2018 while working on Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, making their relationship last almost five years.

3) Ariana DeBose starred in ‘Hamilton’

The stunning actress played a “secret” role in the much-discussed musical Hamilton. Although she didn’t have many lines, her pivotal role in 2021’s “The Bullet” was a source of fascination.

“When it came time to play The Bullet, I kind of connected the dots myself.” I don’t think our creators even knew what he was doing when he was doing it,” he told Yahoo! United Kingdom in 2021.

Ariana added that she thought it was “great” that so many people seemed enthralled with the supporting role. She told the outlet,

“I just saw it as something that could take on a life of its own.” “At the time I performed, I don’t think he was designated as a role on the bill. Right now he was playing Woman 3. But it’s been really surprising to see how many people have adopted it since its release on Disney+.

I’m glad people saw it and enjoyed it; Easter eggs like these keep people coming back again and again. It makes me happy to know that I am even a small part of that.”

4) His mother is an eighth grade educator.

Gina DeBose, Ariana’s mother, is an eighth grade teacher. Although the actress has never revealed the identity of her father, she has revealed that he is Puerto Rican and her mother is Caucasian.

Ariana once recalled her mother’s visit to the set of West Side Story and her meeting with director Steven Spielberg. In 2022, she told PEOPLE:

“My mother was able to visit us and met Mr. Spielberg.” “It was surprising to see how Gina was speechless. I love you mama.”

5) Ariana DeBose’s Angela Bassett freestyle went viral

On February 19, 2023, Ariana’s rap performance at the 76th British Academy Film Awards went viral on Twitter. The upbeat song honored the women nominated at the event, and one line, in particular, gained traction in popular culture: “Angela Bassett did what she did.”

On February 25, Ariana took to Instagram to express her confusion over the entire situation. “The Internet is a wild place, y’all!” She captioned a compilation of videos and photos depicting the performance and the ensuing hype. “I appreciate all the love.”