Ariana DeBose has been candid when talking about her role in the musical "West Side Story," noting the challenges that came with it.

DeBose said that they were dancing outdoors, on the streets of New York, and that she burned holes in her shoes, adding that she considers herself more of a poetic athlete, according to Variety report.

The actress said that the type of dance they had was so physical, as well as the maintenance that goes with it.

The Afro-Latina actress also talks about how the film did not shy away from her skin color. DeBose said that she was proud that the microaggressions that her role experienced were included in the film.

DeBose noted that it is not every day that an Afro-Latina gets to be "part of the main event," according to an NPR report. She added that her character's Afro-Latina identity informs the story, adding that it is not an afterthought.

West Side Story has been an iconic film with the role of Anita giving the sole recognition of a Latina acting winner at the Oscars, with Rita Moreno bagging the statuette 60 years ago.

DeBose opened up her meeting with Moreno. The Afro-Latina actress said that the veteran actress had a piece of advice to her, which is to lean into "everything that makes you unique." She added that representation matters.

Colombian-American actress Rachel Zegler also talked about representation in the film. Zegler said Afro-Latinos are not represented and not validated in their identity, adding that people see it every day.

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Ariana DeBose Hosting Saturday Night Live

Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live has announced its return for the first show of the new year of January 15. The NBC late-night comedy show will feature Ariana DeBose as host, and popstar Roddy Ricch as the musical guest, according to a Hola report.

DeBose will be hosting the first episode of 2022 after shutting down productions amid the COVID infections surge.

Producers were reportedly planning to bring back the entire cast and crew, as well as the studio audience. However, anything can change last minute with the spread of the COVID variant.

Saturday Night Live taped its last show of the year without a live audience in December 2021 after a surge of infections across the country.

Paul Rudd was the host at the time, wherein the actor said that he is "extremely disappointed" during the opening monologue.

The last episode was mostly on pre-recorded bits and reruns of old sketches while featuring two members.

Guest stars at the time were Tina Fey and Tom Hanks.

The show's new developments were posted on its official Twitter page, with an announcement about the host and musical guest.

Ariana DeBose

Ariana DeBose had a breakout role in last year's Apple TV+ musical series "Schmigadoon!." The show was executively produced by Saturday Night Live head Lorne Michaels.

She is best known as a stage actress, appearing in plays such as Bring It On: The Musical, the original run of Hamilton, and Donna Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

Her role in the Donna Summer gave her a Tony nomination.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Extended Interview: Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose On 'West Side Story' Remake - from NBC News