Ariana DeBose Says Steven Spielberg Believed in Her Before She Did: ‘I Didn’t Think I Had a Shot’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Ariana DeBose’s move into audio storytelling with “Exoplanet” has required her to rely on the same instinct that has guided her across theatre, film and musicals: staying present. In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, the Oscar-winning actor recalled the advice she received from Steven Spielberg while working on “West Side Story”, revealing how one simple note from the filmmaker continues to influence the way she approaches every new medium.

DeBose, who won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for playing Anita in Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story”, said the director believed in her before she had fully convinced herself that she belonged in the film.

“Steven Spielberg... he thought I could be in his film before I really believed I could do it,” DeBose said. “I always knew I had the talent; I just didn't think I had a shot. So I think it takes forward-thinking people to see something more than just the facade.”

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But it was a brief piece of advice from Spielberg that has stayed with her long after the cameras stopped rolling.

“Some of the greatest advice Steven ever gave me was in the form of a note. He said, ‘Don't overthink it.’ Honestly, it's the simplest sentence, ‘Don't overthink it,’ but it's very profound because actors, no matter what the medium, come to work, and some of us take the tactic of planning every single moment,” she said.

For DeBose, the lesson has taken on a different dimension while working in audio, where a performance has to create an entire world without the benefit of an image.

“But the best acting is truly just feeling and being in the moment you're in. That definitely applies to an audio series because you take the text and, while saying it, allow yourself to feel and imagine. You can't really pre-plan that.”

The comments offer a glimpse into how DeBose approaches “Exoplanet” without treating the project as a departure from her work on screen. Instead, the actor sees a common thread between the mediums: the need to respond truthfully in the moment, whether an audience can see the performance or is left to construct the world through sound alone.

For an actor whose career has moved from Broadway to Hollywood musicals, action films and now science fiction audio, Spielberg’s note appears to have remained a useful constant: sometimes, the most effective preparation is knowing when to stop planning and simply let the moment happen.