‘WWHL’: Why Did Steven Spielberg Tell Ariana DeBose To Close Her Mouth While Filming ‘West Side Story’?

Ariana DeBose is remembering one daunting note she received from Steven Spielberg while filming the 2021 remake of West Side Story.

The actress stopped by the Bravo Clubhouse for Monday night’s (Oct. 7) episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she looked back on her time shooting the musical.

When host Andy Cohen asked her to name the most intimidating note Spielberg ever gave her, she replied, “Close your mouth, I can see your tonsils,” before adding, “I was really going for a long note, you know what I mean?”

The film went on to score seven nominations at the 2022 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, DeBose — who played Anita in West Side Story — was the only one who walked away with an Oscar for Best Supporting Role.

DeBose, who previously appeared on Watch What Happens Live as a bartender, revealed where she keeps her Oscar now.

“I have one bookcase in my home and that’s where I keep all of the work stuff so it doesn’t splay out into the rest of my life,” she explained. “But it’s on top of a series of books that have meant a lot to me, like Donna Summers’ biography or the West Side Story book, the Hamilton book. So they’re all holding up my Oscar.”

The singer previously opened up about what it was like working with Spielberg following the film’s release.

“Some days I had to pinch myself, but it’s the hardest I’ve ever worked on a project,” she said in a 2022 interview, per Deadline. “Steven Spielberg sets are huge. We all were so excited to come to work and make this work with Steven. He treated us like collaborators.”

DeBose even remained pals with Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 version of West Side Story before returning for a role in the 2021 remake.

“I didn’t actually learn it from her during the making of West Side, but since we’ve made the movie, we’ve stayed friends,” DeBose said on the WWHL: After Show when asked to name the best piece of advice she’s gotten from Moreno. “But she was like, ‘Don’t ever stop being bold and loud because you’re all of those things. Be exactly who you are.’”

Watch What Happens Live airs Sunday through Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.

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