Ariana DeBose Calls “Hamilton” 'a Miracle' as She Reflects on How Role in Broadway Hit Changed Her Life 10 Years Later

Ariana DeBose knows more than anyone what a difference a decade makes.

The Oscar winner, 34, stopped by the Today show on Wednesday, Feb. 5 to discuss her new movie, Love Hurts. And while talking with Craig Melvin, she was asked to reflect on her role in the original cast of Broadway's Hamilton, which this August will celebrate its 10th anniversary.

"It’s wild to think about how that show shaped the world around us, but all of our lives," said DeBose of the Tony Award-winning show. "I can’t believe I now how several statues to my name and opportunities that I never dreamed. It’s a miracle in a way."

She went on say that she "knew it was special" early on.

"I remember sitting down with a very dear mentor of mine and I told him about the show very early on, and he was like, ‘That’s a terrible idea,' " DeBose joked. "And look at it now!"

"It’s a phenomenon, in the best way," she added.

DeBose, 34, was a featured member of Hamilton's ensemble, playing a pivotal part in the musical's climax. She was in the production's cast since its Off-Broadway run at the Public Theater in New York City, which opening on Feb. 17, 2015.

Prior to that, DeBose had roles in Pippin (2014), Motown: The Musical (2013) as well as 2012's Bring It On: The Musical, her first show on Broadway. She followed up Hamilton with a supporting role in A Bronx Tale: The Musical (2016) and a leading role as Donna Summer in 2018's Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, for which she was nominated for a Tony.

Following that, DeBose launched a wildly successful film career. In 2020, DeBose played one of the leads in Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the Broadway musical The Prom, and in 2021, starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon!.

Later that year, she won an Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story.

Related: Ariana DeBose Says She's Learned to 'Be Present' Through Love and Loss: 'I Keep My Feet on the Ground' (Exclusive)

Related: The Cast of Hamilton: Where Are They Now?

Other roles have included Disney's Wish, the spy comedy Argylle, the comic book adaptation Kraven the Hunter and the action comedy Love Hurts — alongside Ke Huy Quan, to whom DeBose famously presented his Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2023. The film is in theaters Friday, Feb. 7.

While making the film, DeBose did all her own stunts.

She also had a hype song — "Ain't a Maybe," a tune she recorded that she's dropping as her first original release on Friday.

"I wasn’t going to release it, but it turned into my hype song throughout the process of making the film," she told Melvin on Today. "And I’ve never done that, listened to a song that had m own voice on it. But it was empowerment and it’s just like a banger and a bop. So I’m going to give it to the world."

Related: Hamilton's Phillipa Soo Says Her Favorite Memories Happened Backstage as Show Celebrates 10th Anniversary (Exclusive)

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Asked if it was the beginning of an album, DeBose said, "It might be."

"I’m a perfectionist, I got to tinker," she explained. "But things are coming, things are coming."

Today airs weekdays (beginning at 7 a.m. ET) on NBC. Hamilton is available to stream on Disney+. Tickets for the musical are on sale now.

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