Ariana DeBose on Shooting ‘West Side Story’ in Blistering Heat and the Policing of Who’s Considered Latino

There’s a staggering legacy tied to the role of Anita, the Puerto Rican girlfriend of Shark leader Bernardo in “West Side Story,” and star Ariana DeBose was well aware of it. The role represents the sole recognition of a Latina acting winner at the Oscars, when Rita Moreno took home the statuette 60 years ago. But that wasn’t the only challenge, as the film’s most significant number, “America,” was shot during a heat index of about 108 degrees. “We’re dancing outdoors, on the streets of New York, and I burned holes in my shoes,” DeBose tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast…. Read Full Article