-Welcome back, everyone.
We're talking to Ariana DeBose right here.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Now, you're hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.
But let's talk "West Side Story."
Man, oh, man, I think this is --
Yeah, you are phenomenal in it. -Thank you.
-I think you got nominated for over 40 awards or something.
-It's wild. -It's wild, right?
But congrats.
When you get the call to do -- is it like,
"Hey, Steven Spielberg wants to meet you for his new movie"?
Or do you know that it's "West Wide" or what's...?
-No, I was doing "Summer,"
the Donna Summer musical, at the time.
I was singing -- ♪ oh, no ♪ eight times a week.
-That's right. -And I was really tired
one evening after the show,
and Cindy Tolan, the casting director, called,
and she goes, "Hey, can you come to Brooklyn
tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.?"
And I was like, "But it's, like, 11:30 p.m. eight now."
-You're like -- ♪ oh, no ♪ -♪ Oh, no ♪
And she was like, "No, just come."
And I was like, "Great. So can I just dance and sing?"
And she was like, "Sure, sure, sure. I got you."
So I get there the next day, and I walk into the room,
and there's Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner.
And I was like, "Hmm." [ Imitates explosion ]
-Wow.
-And I said, "Am I gonna do this right now?
I'm gonna do this right now. Okay."
So I danced for him, and he really liked my dancing,
and then he said, "Will you sing?"
And I was like, "Sure."
And I then I sing for him, and he really likes my singing.
He was like, "Great."
And I said -- He said, "Will you read?"
And I said, "No."
-[ Laughter ] -What?
-And he said, "No?"
And I was like, "No, sir."
-You don't say "no" to Steven Spielberg.
-I -- I realize that, but... [ Laughter ]
No, I had said the night before. I was like -- Look.
These scenes -- Like, these are Tony Kushner expanded scenes.
They can be wordy. -You gotta nail it.
-And they're important. You gotta nail it.
And quite frankly I'm not in the business of going in a room
as a Black woman and not getting it right.
You got to come in prepared.
And I was just like, "I'm going to tell him no,
but I'd love to come back."
And so he -- the -- Literally, that was his next question
after I couldn't get the rest of my declarative statement out.
-Wow. -And, uh --
-Good for you. -He said, "Will you come back?"
And I said, "I'd be honored."
And then, you know, a couple weeks later,
he called me in a nail salon, with the foils on my nails.
[ Laughter ]
And he said, "Hi. It's Steven. I'm on an airplane."
I was like, "That is so great. Um, one second."
-"Guys, Steven Spielberg's on the phone!
Can everyone just quiet down? It's happening."
-"Quit that drying over there." -"This is real over here."
-And he asked me if I would be his Anita.
And I was like -- [ Gasping ] -You're Anita.
And you got the biggest song in the movie.
-Yeah, crazy, crazy. -"America."
-I can't -- -Are you serious?
-I can't believe it.
-It's gorgeous, by the way. -Thank you.
-It is -- What was it like on set?
I mean, is it -- -Oh, it's wild.
I mean, Steven Spielberg sets are huge.
-The wardrobe is great. The choreography.
-Everything! I mean, Paul Tazewell's costumes.
It's like a color explosion. -It's amazing.
-But I kid you not -- it's like going to summer camp,
and Steven and Tony are your camp counselors.
And, you know -- -Wow.
-We finished like six days of "Dance at the Gym,"
and I'm really tired and I'm eating a Pop-Tart,
And Steven's like "Addie. What is that?"
And I said, "It's a Pop-Tart. Are you judging me?"
And he was like, "No. What flavor are you eating?"
And I said, "Cinnamon sugar."
-Ooh. Okay.
-"Brittany, can I get a strawberry Pop-Tart?!"
-No way. -I kid you not.
It's summer camp.
-Wow. You bonded over Pop-Tarts?
-Over Pop-Tarts. It was great. -See, he's a smart dude.
I love Steven Spielberg. I -- Yeah.
He toast his? -He eats Pop-Tarts.
-You ever do them raw?
-I'm a raw Pop-Tart girl. -Me too! I'm a raw!
I'm a sushi Pop-Tart... -Hey! [ Laughs ]
-Me too. Me too. I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Ariana DeBose performing "America" in "West Side Story."
Take a look at this.
♪♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Ariana DeBose!
"West Side Story" is in theaters now.
Catch her this weekend hosting "Saturday Night Live,"
with musical guest Bleachers.