Ariana DeBose Turned Down ‘West Side Story’ Four Times, Says Casting Director Cindy Tolan

West Side Story received seven Oscar nominations this week and just one day after the nominations were released, there’s more big news!

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated West Side Story will makes its streaming debut on Disney+ in the U.S. and most international countries on March 2, the streamer announced today.

a bevy of Oscar nominations, Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is now officially coming to Disney+ in March. Disney announced Wednesday morning that the critically acclaimed musical will be streaming on Disney+ on March 2 in the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSteven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated remake of “West Side Story” is coming to Disney Plus next month.The movie will debut on Disney Plus in the U.S. and most international countries on March 2, 2022.

Angelique Jackson Among this year’s class of Oscars first-timers is “West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose, whose show-stopping portrayal of Anita in the movie musical earned her a best supporting actress Oscar nod.“Well, a lot can happen before 9:30 a.m. on a Tuesday,” DeBose quipped, jumping on the phone with Variety just hours after learning the news.Despite all the excitement buzzing around her, DeBose feels unexpectedly calm.

Well, it’s certainly that timer again. The 94th Academy Award ceremony announces its Oscar picks for 2022.

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) and Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here.Prior to 2021, Ariana DeBose and Simu Liu had certainly worked as actors. DeBose was a Tony nominee (“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”) who’d appeared in Netflix’s “The Prom” and Apple TV Plus’ “Schmigadoon!” Liu was a former stuntman who’d co-starred on the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience.”But after their breakout roles last year — DeBose as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of “West Side Story” and Liu as Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios’ superhero blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” — they’ve both suddenly become household names.

Sci-fi epic blockbuster “Dune” and Jane Campion’s dark Western “The Power Of The Dog” lead the nominations for this year’s British Academy Film Awards, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga among those up for leading actor awards.

K.J. Yossman On Tuesday, Ariana DeBose, Harris Dickinson, Lashana Lynch, Millicent Simmonds and Kodi Smit-McPhee were announced as the 2022 nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.Nominees are selected for demonstrating “exceptional talent in film over the past year.” Previous winners of the award have included James McAvoy, Eva Green, Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart, Tom Holland, Letitia Wright and Micheal Ward.The award, which is in its seventeenth year, is the only BAFTA honor to be decided by the general public, who can vote for their favorite online.Just hours after the nominations were unveiled, DeBose and Dickinson sat down with Variety to discuss their nominations.Congrats on the nominations! How are you feeling? DeBose: I’m just thrilled that I get to be here in London to celebrate this nomination and celebrate all of my fellow EE Rising Star nominees, because I am very well aware that every single one of them is massively talented and I find them all incredibly inspiring.Dickinson: Wonderful, thank you very much.

was accused of misconduct by a woman named Gabby six years prior, when she would have been 17. The film’s actors Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno addressed the accusations against the “Divergent” star in a recent joint interview with the Hollywood Reporter.Steven Spielberg’s film came out in December 2021, a year and a half after Elgort denied the claims. The “Fault in Our Stars” actor was noticeably minimized in the film’s trailers and, as noted by the Reporter, was grouped with the rest of the cast during the press tour, so interviewers could not question him independently.

Rachel Zegler is finally sharing her thoughts about her onscreen love interest’s sexual assault allegations.

Ansel Elgort’s “West Side Story” co-stars Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno have spoken to The Hollywood Reporter about the sexual assault allegations made against the actor.

Speaking out. Nearly two years after Ansel Elgort was accused of sexual assault, his West Side Story costars — including leading lady Rachel Zegler — are opening up about the allegations.

Paul Plunkett An assembly line follows a simple formula. Use the most efficient way to mass-produce something and repeat.

It took some convincing for Ariana DeBose to join the cast of West Side Story!

Ariana DeBose almost didn’t play Anita in Steven Spielberg‘s new adaptation of West Side Story, according to casting director Cindy Tolan.