Ariana DeBose

“I had been involved in the development process of 'Hamilton' for quite a number of years before we brought it to Broadway.”

“I was taught to hustle, to grind, to always try and find your next gig.”

“I don't like work experiences, period, where I feel like I'm asked to fit a box, because my job is to discover the box and to define the box. That's my job, in my opinion.”

“I had grown up watching the Tonys on the television. I think every sensible theater geek is watching that opening number, dreaming of participating in it one day.”

“I've danced for camera before, done a few TV gigs, and I loved it.”

“Actors are weirdos.”

“It's really fascinating how society has chosen to view or define what it is to be Latino. Latinos are not a monolith. There's no one way to present.”

“Much like identity, my relationship with my body and my style evolves.”

“I dance colors. Music shows me colors. I frequently say, 'I dance music; the music does not dance me.'”

“I work with brands where we can find a shared creativity where I'm inspiring them and they're inspiring me.”

“I have always had a strong sense of intuition.”

“I'm not really a fussy red carpet kind of girl.”

“I believe in variety and I don't believe in doing the same thing twice.”

“Broadway shows, you can do them for years and that's great. It's not my style, personally.”

“I'd love to make movies, the challenge of it. They're almost always shot out of order, so you have to figure out where your character is in a moment, even if you haven't yet shot the moment that got you to that place.”

“You know, the journey of coming out, the journey of identity is ongoing and to stand in your authentic truth for all the world to see is a very scary and vulnerable thing to do. It's very rewarding, but it's not always cupcakes and sprinkles, right? Acceptance is sometimes not an overnight reward, but it's possible.”

“My whole career is based on how I can continue to challenge myself. That's why I've taken each of the jobs that I've had.”

“In your formative years what you see really shapes so much of who you're going to become and so many of the things I experienced during those formative years have allowed me to be the empathetic person that I am.”

“To be recognized by your fellow actors, that's real special.”

“I don't think roles for queer women have to always present in one specific way.”