Ariana DeBose has been named one of the top 100 Most Influential People of 2022 by Time Magazine.
In honor of the actress’ spot on the coveted list, Tony and Emmy Award–winning actor Kristin Chenoweth wrote a tribute to DeBose, calling her a “quadruple threat.”
“Ariana DeBose is what I call a quadruple threat: she’s not only a dancer, an actress, and a singer, but also kind,” Chenoweth began. “I first became aware of her when I saw her as the Bullet in Hamilton. The role requires her to move in slow motion—and so creative was she! It took such physical strength. I leapt. I could barely leave the theater: I wanted to see her slow-motion movement again.”
She continued, “More recently, we were both cast in the TV show Schmigadoon! I got to know the woman: silly, funny, not afraid of what anyone thinks. No fear. She inspired me to be the best I could be at my role. As the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for acting, for West Side Story, she’s a trailblazer. I think she’ll one day win an EGOT.”
“Ariana’s as authentic as they come, and whatever she does next, I will be cheering from fifth-row center,” Kristin concluded. “They’ll have to throw me out for screaming for her and clapping so loud. So go for it, baby girl!”
In response to the news, Ariana took to Instagram to post a screenshot of her placement on the Time100 list.
“What an honor to be included in this year’s @time 100 Most Influential People!” she wrote in her caption. “Thank you, my darling @kchenoweth for the lovely words #Time100.”
Back in March, DeBose became the first Afro-Latina and second Latina to win an Academy Award. She took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. She also won in the best supporting actress category at the Critics Choice Awards, SAG Awards, and the BAFTA Awards for the same performance.
You can see the complete 2022 Time100 list over at Time.com.
