Actress Ariana DeBose will be the first host of Saturday Night Live in 2022. The Tony Award nominee will debut on the long-running sketch comedy show for the first time on January 15. This is the 10th episode of SNL’s 47th season.
“I’m hosting [Saturday Night Live],” DeBose tweeted. “Hold please while I go collect my extremities, as I have exploded from excitement and sensible fear.”
DeBose broke out last year for her role in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of the musical West Side Story. In the film, she plays Anita, the girlfriend of a 1950s Puerto Rican gang leader whose rivalry with a white gang gets out of hand when his sister falls in love with one of its members. The screen role was originally played in the 1961 film by Rita Moreno, who became the first Latina to win an Academy Award for her supporting performance.
“As a Latina, I felt tremendous responsibility towards this character,” DeBose told Remezcla. “I’m very aware that many Latinos have many different opinions on West Side Story as a piece of work and how it has been representative of our people.”
Fans and friends quickly jumped on social media when the news hit to share in their excitement.
Remezcla’s Trending Editor Lyra Hale predicted Ariana DeBose would be a name to watch in 2022 — and it seems the actress is already proving predictions correctly. “An immeasurable talent born out of honing her craft and a dedication to representing our communities in an honest, open, and vulnerable way,” said Hale.
Joining DeBose on the episode will be Roddy Ricch, who will also be making his SNL debut as a musical guest. His second album, Live Life Fast, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
DeBose can be seen on Saturday Night Live on January 15 at 11:30 p.m. ET.