Actress Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) is getting a lot of love from across the pond. On Tuesday (February 1), the actress was nominated for the EE British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Rising Star Award. She was also recognized by British Vogue as one of the 25 World’s Most Talked-About Stars.
The BAFTA Rising Star Award is the only BAFTA award voted on by the British public. Also on the ballot are Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place 2), and Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man). DeBose’s nomination, of course, is for her breakout role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of West Side Story.
In British Vogue, DeBose joins fellow West Side Story actors Rachel Zegler and Rita Moreno,, and Tessa Thompson (Passing) on the list of the most popular stars of last year. “Thank you, @britishvogue for including me in 25 of the World’s Most Talked-About Stars,” DeBose wrote on social media.
British Vogue called DeBose “furious and funny, invincible yet vulnerable,” and said her “positively electric performance … quite possibly equalled Rita Moreno’s unforgettable Oscar-winning turn as Anita 60 years ago.”
The accolades continue to add up for DeBose. Last month, she won a Golden Globe for her role in the Spielberg musical. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, which announces winners on February 27. Let’s hope all this leads to an Academy Award nomination next week. Oscar nominations are announced on February 8.
If you are a resident of the U.K., vote for Ariana DeBose as the EE BAFTA Rising Star here.