Ariana DeBose Says She 'Scared' Every Runner in NYC After Hearing Of Her Oscar Nomination

Ariana DeBose, at first, didn’t have any words to say about her Oscar nomination because she was so shocked.

After the big news of her nomination – she earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as Anita in West Side Story – Ariana spoke to Variety about how she was feeling.

Click inside to see what Ariana shared…

Ariana first revealed that she had been on a walk with a longtime friend when the news came in.

“Well, a lot can happen before 9:30 a.m. on a Tuesday,” she joked, adding that the night before her nomination, she was anxiety-ridden. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Ariana explained that they had been “by the highway, and I could not hear a thing, but their [her agents] faces were so expressive that I took it as a good sign. I read lips in order to receive the news.”

She adds: “I’m pretty sure I scared every runner on the East River [with my reaction]. I’m trying to be a normal person, but nothing about this is normal.”

After the news sunk in, Ariana admitted that she did experience a bit of imposter syndrome: “Then suddenly you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not a mistake. It’s actually a thing that happened.’ I feel very confident in myself saying, ‘I put in the work and I did earn this, and if it all ended tomorrow, this is a damn good Tuesday.’”

She also spoke about the historic notes of her nomination – she is the first Afro-Latina actor nominated by the Academy, and just one of two out LGBTQ+ actors ever nominated.

“For me, it’s a monumental moment. It’s thrilling. It’s exciting,” Ariana shared. “But I feel every ounce of hard work and determination that I’ve had to employ throughout this journey. Every rejection — or as I like to say, redirection. Every choice I’ve made. Every risk I’ve taken. Many moments during this journey have validated those choices that I’ve made. But to get to this moment … I watched [the Oscars] growing up. To feel like I’ve been seen by a group of individuals that I have long admired is beyond. It doesn’t have words.”

You can see the full list of 2022 Oscar nominations here!