Joy 101: Ariana DeBose

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Joy 101: Ariana DeBose" with Hoda Kotb

Podcast: Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode: Joy 101: Ariana DeBose
Release Date: August 10, 2026
Main Guest: Ariana DeBose (Oscar-winning actress and performer)

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Overview

This episode of "Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb" explores the essence of joy, resilience, and authenticity with guest Ariana DeBose. From her early experiences as a passionate young dancer, through her journey on "So You Think You Can Dance," to Broadway stardom and an Oscar win, Ariana shares candid stories about setbacks, self-discovery, and the little things that bring her happiness. The conversation is personal, warm, and reflective, touching on spirituality, family, career challenges, and the grounding rituals that shape a purposeful, joyful life.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Courage of Solo Travel (04:24–07:25)

• Ariana’s First Solo Vacation: Ariana describes the transformative experience of traveling to Greece alone at age 34. She realized she’d always taken "me time" strictly for work recovery, not for simply living and enjoyment.
  • "I need to go fill the tank to live. So I was like, I'm gonna go to Greece." (Ariana, 05:30)
• Immersing in the Moment: She challenged herself to be fully present, eating alone, resisting the instinct to use headphones, and overcoming anxiety about being in a new place.
  • "I forced myself to listen to the space I was in… not be afraid of people making eye contact or not being afraid of having a conversation" (Ariana, 06:41)

2. Rediscovering Independence Amidst Success (08:38–09:40)

• Independence vs. Support Structures: As Ariana’s career advanced and her support team grew, she noticed it was easy to let others take over decisions. Solo travel reminded her she is fully capable on her own and rekindled her sense of agency.
  • "I was like, ooh. And to this day, even post that trip, I like, really check myself on when I'm starting to lay back… let other people make decisions for you." (Ariana, 09:23)

3. Childhood, Family, and Early Generosity (10:14–13:48)

• Single-Parent Upbringing: Growing up with a single mom on a teacher’s salary posed challenges, but also deepened their bond, resilience, and resourcefulness.
  • "We really had to rely on each other in different ways… Even when things were tough... we found a way through together." (Ariana, 10:30)
• Scholarship and Mentorship: Ariana shares a formative memory of receiving a dance scholarship at age five after impressing a studio owner, an early lesson in generosity:
  • "She turned to my mom, she was like, I would like to help you, I would like to teach her." (Ariana, 12:44)

4. Embracing Joy, Music, and Roots (13:19–14:54)

• Family & Music: Music was a constant in her early life, spanning Elvis, Motown, and 60s rock. Early exposure to performance—watching Lawrence Welk reruns and admiring the dancers—instilled a lasting love for stage and movement.
  • "I realized… that's where I began to love just watching people dance and the joy it brought them." (Ariana, 14:34)

5. Handling Setbacks & Knowing Your Worth (15:04–16:37)

• "So You Think You Can Dance" Elimination: Ariana was eliminated first, but this didn’t shake her self-belief.
  • "I knew I was good. This just wasn't my room." (Ariana, 15:32)
• She highlights the importance of trusting one’s own instincts and understanding that some spaces just aren’t the right fit.

6. Choosing the Right Opportunities (16:41–18:41)

• Ariana describes a key moment: turning down a “Chorus Line” role to originate a part in "Bring It On: The Musical," showing the courage to choose growth over familiarity.
  • "It was the first time…where I had to use my critical thinking skills. I really weighed what each job could bring me." (Ariana, 17:32)

7. Spiritual Navigation & Listening to Signs (19:15–20:49)

• Ariana credits her spirituality—meditation, rituals, and being attuned to signs from the universe—with guiding her career and life choices.
  • "When my solar plexus start going off and my instincts kick in… and I also see the universe show me something… that's the sign." (Ariana, 20:31)

8. Building a Career, Decision-Making, and Taking Initiative (21:44–23:23)

• Ariana shares how she proactively created her own opportunities by simply asking for what she wanted, like cold-emailing Joe’s Pub to book a show.
  • "I just, off the whim, emailed… 'Can you please let me know what you have available?'" (Ariana, 22:06)

9. Staying True to Artistic Integrity Post-Oscar Win (32:41–37:19)

• Oscar win brought opportunities, but also public scrutiny, and roles that felt limiting.
  • "I did have opportunity, however… I got offered a lot of what I felt like were limiting parts… I had to teach them about my artistry." (Ariana, 35:55)
• She emphasizes honoring commitments to others and to oneself—a recurring theme in handling post-accolade confusion and recalibrating her personal compass.
  • "You have to honor your commitment to yourself." (Ariana, 35:19)

10. Performance Rituals, Daily Wellness, and Finding Joy (41:05–43:17)

• Ariana’s bookends: grounding morning routine (five deep breaths, grounding, daily stone, and tea) and sunsets, nature, and nighttime wind-downs.
  • "I take five deep breaths… I grab a daily stone… and just like feel its energy." (Ariana, 41:05)
  • "I go for a walk… as the sun is setting… it's telling me to chill out too." (Ariana, 42:11)
• She finds joy in the “little things”—ordinary moments, walking, noticing flowers.

11. Joyful Relationships and Support Systems (46:44–49:32)

• Describes her evolving, intergenerational friendships, including her bond with Jamie Lee Curtis (originating when Ariana handed Curtis her Oscar).
  • "It's exceptionally wise as she is joyful. The amount of joy that woman puts out in the world is really something..." (Ariana, 47:05)
• Ariana attributes personal happiness to "picking good people": friends from high school, Broadway, and new projects.

12. Closing Reflections on Joy and Authenticity (52:37–53:32)

• Source of Joy:
  • "The little things are bringing me joy these days. Honestly, like, every day that I get to wake up and open my eyes and take five breaths, that brings me such joy." (Ariana, 52:37)
• Spontaneous Song:
  • "You are so beautiful to me. I love you, Oda." (Ariana, 53:20)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Courage & Resilience:
  "Courage is not the absence of fear, but there's something bigger than it, you know, like, that is really courage." — Ariana DeBose (29:51)
• On Spiritual Signs:
  "There are signs everywhere… But when my solar plexus start going off and my instincts kick in… that's the sign." — Ariana DeBose (20:31)
• On Joy’s Source:
  "Some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days." — Hoda Kotb (24:00, recurring theme)
• On Friendship and Support:
  "My picker's not broken." — Ariana DeBose (48:36)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro to Ariana’s journey — 00:11–01:59
• Solo travel & self-discovery — 04:24–07:25
• Learning independence & fighting 'laziness' — 08:46–09:40
• Childhood, moms, and dance — 10:14–13:48
• So You Think You Can Dance setback — 15:04–16:37
• Critical career decisions (Chorus Line/Bring It On) — 16:41–18:41
• Spiritual practices and intuition — 19:15–20:49
• Initiative: Joe's Pub story — 21:44–23:23
• Post-Oscar career and self-honor — 32:41–37:19
• Morning & evening routines — 41:05–43:17
• Friendship and support systems — 46:44–49:32
• Joy in the little things; closing reflection — 52:37–53:32
• Breathwork guided practice with Milana Snow — 53:48–56:52

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Tone, Style, and Takeaways

The episode is candid, upbeat, and gently introspective. Hoda’s warm, genuine curiosity fosters an inviting space for Ariana to open up about vulnerability, discomfort, and triumph. Ariana’s authenticity and humor shine through, especially when discussing her unconventional spiritual practices, career pivots, and deep gratitude for friends and family. The conversation is peppered with laughter, honest admissions, and soulful encouragement, making it a meaningful listen for anyone seeking inspiration on joy, resilience, and staying true to oneself.

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Concluding Message

Ariana DeBose’s story exemplifies how joy is not found in the grand moments alone, but in embracing ordinary days, nurturing self-belief, and tuning in to intuition and ritual. Her journey reminds listeners that setbacks are setups for future victories; that courage is feeling fear and acting anyway; and that choosing joy—especially in small things—can transform a life.

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For further inspiration and guided relaxation, the episode closes with Milana Snow leading a simple, evidence-based breathwork practice to regulate the nervous system (53:48–56:52).

Transcript

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, guys.

[Host/Interviewer]

Welcome to the Joy 101 podcast. Okay, imagine this for a second. You're a kid and you love dancing so much that you go into a competition called so youo Think youk Can Dance and you're nervous and your palms are sweaty and you get out on stage and you wind up feeling finishing 20th. Okay, what would you say to yourself, huh? I wonder if this is for me. I wonder if I should keep doing this. Well, my next guest didn't just keep doing that. My next guest wound up on Broadway and was Tony nominated. My next guest wound up in a musical, a Steven Spielberg musical nominated for an Academy Award and won the Oscar. How about that? Ariana DeBose is the person who I am talking about.

[Hoda Kotb]

She is an actress who grew up

[Host/Interviewer]

with a single mom loving dance. She danced since she was three and

[Hoda Kotb]

she was one of those people who

[Host/Interviewer]

knew what her calling was. Imagine knowing so much that no matter how many times people hit you down, no matter how many times someone said, no, not you, there are 19 other people better than you at this dance competition. Imagine that you come back and imagine that you get Tony nominated and you are Oscar nominated and you win the Oscar. I mean, there are so many people who are in that category. They don't win earlier in life, but as life rolls on, their winnings come. So this is a fascinating conversation about resilience, about bouncing back, about what is possible, about the heights you can reach. All of these things Ariana DeBose possesses. So I hope you enjoyed this conversation.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Guaranteed Human Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CBS. I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious well Market trail mix or wander over to the Joyward collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy sponsored by cvs. You know when you walk in a

[Host/Interviewer]

room and you take a big whiff and it sort of smells like home.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Promotions Announcer]

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[Host/Interviewer]

First of all, I'm so happy to have you here.

[Ariana DeBose]

Thank you.

[Host/Interviewer]

I met you many, many years ago on the Today show when you were just kind of breaking out.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

You've since become Tony nominated Oscar winner and all the things, but I want to just hit on something. You just said you went on a solo vacation and that to me stands out because it takes courage, it takes moxie. I think did it for you. Like, tell me why you wanted to take a solo vacation and what that did for you.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah. I mean, I'd never been on one.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I was, I'm 35 now, so I would have been 34. Yeah. Like, and I was like, this feels crazy.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I had this realization right before I decided to go. There was like, all I've done is work. I don't know that ever, ever really taken a proper vacation. Like, I'm someone who believes in me time and I believe in finding those tools to help yourself unwind. And I, I have them, but not outside of the context of what it is I need to do for myself in order to be able to keep working.

[Host/Interviewer]

So this is fill the tank to work. Fill the tank.

[Ariana DeBose]

Fill the tank to work.

[Host/Interviewer]

Got it. Okay.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I was like, I need to go fill the tank to Live. So I was like, I'm gonna go to Greece.

[Host/Interviewer]

So you got a ticket?

[Ariana DeBose]

I got a ticket.

[Host/Interviewer]

You got a hotel?

[Ariana DeBose]

I got a hotel. And, like, walked around Athens.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, so wait.

[Host/Interviewer]

First you check into your hotel. There you are in your room. You're hungry.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yes.

[Host/Interviewer]

So do you go downstairs? Do you go to a restaurant?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, I go for a walk. Well, I opened the bottle of rose champagne that I ordered to be in my room and had a little mini, mini moment for myself. And then I went for my nice little stroll.

[Host/Interviewer]

And what was that, like, fabulous?

[Ariana DeBose]

Well, it's. The area was great, but it's just taking in the architecture and the people energy, and I was like, I will have this panicopita. Gorgeous, like. And then you. I bopped into just a lovely restaurant that I don't know the name of, but it looked so beautiful and idyllic, and the people couldn't have been more lovely.

[Host/Interviewer]

So you sat. Enjoyed a meal.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I literally just said, I'll have the special. And it was this family cabbage recipe with this beautiful lemon sauce on it.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, God, that sounds so good. It was comforting.

[Hoda Kotb]

Do you sit with a.

[Host/Interviewer]

With headphones with anything, or is it just you?

[Ariana DeBose]

That particular evening, it was just me. And I forced myself to, like, listen to the space I was in and not be afraid of people making eye contact or not being afraid of having a conversation or not being afraid of the fact that I don't speak Greek, you know?

[Hoda Kotb]

That's so cool. Were you anxious or did you just

[Host/Interviewer]

kind of fall into it?

[Ariana DeBose]

I fell into it. Like, I think it's natural to have a little bit of anxiety, but I am a naturally curious person, and I'm very curious as an artist. So I just needed to sort of re. Acclimate. I'm like, I'm in a new space. It's okay for you to feel the nerves of newness, like, there. That made sense to me.

[Host/Interviewer]

I love that. You never know what can happen. You just sparked a memory for me, which is so interesting. So when I was working at a small station in Florida, I had just broken up with my boyfriend. I was like. So I decided I was just gonna drive from Fort Myers, Naples, which was my place. And I just drove. I was gonna drive to the Key. So I came to the first Key, Key Largo, and I found a hotel, and I checked in. And for some reason, I won't forget it. I was like. I took a shower in the beautiful everything, the beautiful towels and all this stuff, and I went. And by then it was late it was almost like 11 at night. I said, I'm gonna go for a walk. I went for a walk. There was a fishing boat and they said, we're going. It was a full moon and they said, we're going on a midnight fishing thing. Will you come? We need one more to round out this group. So I went. And I remember I was like, it was midnight.

[Hoda Kotb]

The moon was so bright.

[Host/Interviewer]

It was like it was light on the water.

[Hoda Kotb]

We were fishing.

[Host/Interviewer]

The first person who fished got a Bud Light or whatever.

[Promotions Announcer]

Fierce.

[Hoda Kotb]

When we came back to shore, they

[Host/Interviewer]

set up a barbecue and they grilled the fish that we caught. And I remembered thinking, what an awesome option.

[Milana Snow]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

Sometimes trying something new is the best.

[Host/Interviewer]

What did you learn about yourself? Or was there something that came out from this adventure for you?

[Ariana DeBose]

It was a really good reminder that I'm capable of doing things on my own and being fully independent.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Ariana DeBose]

You know, I think it's. The higher I've traveled up the echelons of entertainment, it's like you're. It's kind of how it feels though. Your teams get bigger, you have more people working on your behalf and. And it is in theory, really great to have other people doing so many things for you so that you can just focus on the craft. But I can be fully honest in acknowledging, like, it kind of made me a little lazy.

[Host/Interviewer]

That's a very good observation.

[Ariana DeBose]

I was like, ooh. And I even. And to this day, even post that trip, I like, really check myself on when I'm starting to lay back.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right. Let other people make decisions for you.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah. Because it's really.

[Host/Interviewer]

It's more than just doing. It's like making decisions about your life for you.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yes. Being an active participant in the, the life that you are creating in the, in the career that you want to have. Like, it's. It's such a nice notion to think that, you know, there's overnight success and then, you know, it just sort of magically continues to happen. It doesn't. It takes a lot of work. And I do my best work when I'm aligned, like spiritually and living, truly living and going out and experiencing the spontaneity of life helps me stay aligned.

[Host/Interviewer]

I love all of this. I love your story from its inception, from the beginning. And I try to imagine you as a three year old who loves to dance. Just you and your mom, the two of you kind of against the world. What was it like being part of that duo of you and your mom?

[Ariana DeBose]

I was the greatest. It was just the greatest. I Mean, we really had to rely on each other in different ways. And in my childhood, I don't know that I was fully cognizant of what that was. I just knew that this was my mom and we had a special relationship and she was supposed to take care of me. But I did learn how to take care of her too. Whether that be energetically or just her teaching me how to do my chores and me participating was part of me helping to take care of her. And I loved that. I loved that part of it. And even when things were tough, because there were plenty of moments in our life together that were exceptionally challenging, we always found a way through and we found the way through together.

[Host/Interviewer]

What made it challenging? What were the challenging bits?

[Ariana DeBose]

You know, my mom was a public school teacher, so finances weren't always abundant, even though they should be. Please pay our educators and please let them actually teach something besides those really inauthentic textbooks. But I digress. And dance, or at least the kind of dance I was doing, you know, studio dancing at a studio was expensive. Yeah. And so I was really blessed. We were really blessed that there were people that came into the path who would help us, whether that be, you know, I remember the day I walked into a dance theater of New Bern and I met the owner and there was a television that was playing the tape. Oh my God, the VHS tape, you guys. VHS tape of their recital from the last year. And I was staring at it and they were doing a number to that song, Devil in a Blue Dress, which I don't know if young people should really be dancing on that song because they're very, very young. But I started figuring out the steps. Oh, watching this, watching it. And in about 10 minutes I had figured out how to do a time step. And I was five. Oh my gosh, that's. I learned was not normal for a five year old. And she talked to me and she was like, had you ever learned to do that before? I was like, no, I just did it right then. And she turned to my mom, she was like, I would like to help you. I would like to teach her. And so, you know, they essentially kind of scholarshiped me. And that was the beginning of me learning what, not what generosity looked like, you know, because she just wanted to help, help me learn. Her name was Dori Lytum Benners. Yeah, she was my first sort of introduction to a generosity. I believe she's still living in New Bern, North Carolina.

[Host/Interviewer]

Cool. Very cool.

[Hoda Kotb]

Did you have music in your house?

[Host/Interviewer]

Like how.

[Hoda Kotb]

What do you mean?

[Host/Interviewer]

That came to you. I'm still trying to comprehend. Is that just something inside you that just comes out?

[Ariana DeBose]

I've always loved music. We played music in our home all the time when we were living with my grandmother. And that would have been like, pre five. There was a lot of. A lot of Ronnie McDowell. I don't know if you've ever heard of Ronnie McDowell, but he was heavily influenced by Elvis, so we had a lot of Ronnie McDowell, a lot of Elvis, a lot of. Anything from. From the Motown record label.

[Show Promo Announcer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

A lot of 60s music, a lot of beach music. So I love, like, big sounds, and I love strings, and I love harmonies, and. And I like. You know, this sounds so crazy, but when we would go visit my great grandmother, who was alive until I was about. I think I must have been in seventh grade. So I was very grateful to have that relationship with her. Her name was Lorena Wheeler Henry. She was a fabulous lady. But we would go visit her at her house in Atkinson, N.C. and nine times out of 10 on Sundays, there were reruns of Lawrence Welk playing. And I really, like, should have known I was queer. I really loved watching all the beautiful ladies dance. And it wasn't. Of course, it wasn't American Bandstand, but I also loved that.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Ariana DeBose]

Like, I realized. Or in my adulthood, I realized that's where I began to love just watching people dance and the joy it brought them and how comfortable they felt. Yeah. When they moved. And I loved watching how their dresses moved. Or I'd ask questions like, why is she wearing that? She can't move her legs. It's a little too tight.

[Promotions Announcer]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, exactly. So for you to go on the show so you think you can dance and to come in, you made it through the first round, but you were. I think you were eliminated.

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, I was eliminated. First week, first. It was awesome.

[Host/Interviewer]

So here's my question, because a lot of people who might have faced that elimination, no matter what the competition or whatever it was, would have thought, you know what? Maybe this was something in my head

[Hoda Kotb]

that I was good at.

[Host/Interviewer]

But in reality, there are already 19 other kids who are better than me on this one, one single show. How am I gonna make it? Yet you go on to be Tony nominated and win an Oscar. So at that moment, why did you continue?

[Ariana DeBose]

That is such a good question. It's never been posed to me like that. Because I knew I was good. Like, that is actually the long and the short of it. I knew I was good. This just wasn't my room. And If I'm really honest, kind of from the jump, like, it was something I really wanted to try and to pursue. And, you know, my mom would always say, against my better judgment, I let her go, but she knew I needed to try. But I think as grateful as I am for that experience, I'm grateful for it in so many other ways because my instincts were kind of blaring from the moment I got to Los Angeles, and I really liked the contestants and everything, but there was just something about that space for me that I was never able to relax, and I was always sitting forward. And now that I've continued my spiritual journey, I realized that's my instincts, like, kicking in, trying to tell me this may not be for me.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right. This isn't your room.

[Ariana DeBose]

It's okay. This isn't your room, and that's all right. It will be a room for someone else.

[Host/Interviewer]

What was the first room that fit right for you that you were like, this is right. This is exactly right.

[Ariana DeBose]

I was in. I was in New York. I was 19. And I walked in, Mind you, I didn't accept this job, but I walked in to audition for a non equity production of A Chorus Line, and Bayork Lee was conducting the auditions. And I couldn't have been more alive. I was sweating. Yeah, I was in feeling it. I was just feeling it. Like, I danced so bad big. And I've never felt more like. It's funny because I wanted to say unstoppable, but it's not the same as invincible. But in that moment, I felt larger than life.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Why'd you turn it down?

[Ariana DeBose]

Well, I got offered Bring it on, the musical.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, well, okay.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I realized I was like, I had. It was the first time as a new adult because I considered myself a new adult where I had to use my critical thinking skills. And I really weighed what each job could bring me. And the reality of the situation was Bring it on presented an opportunity for even more growth because Bring it on had never had a Broadway production. And not only would I get to learn from an incredible director, choreographer who felt like a new age Fosse, you know, Andy Blankenmueller, but I would get to work to help create a musical that might have a life after this. So I'd get to learn how to make a musical, participate and collaborate, and potentially had even more job opportunity than this one show that I love so much. And I still have yet to actually do a professional production of it could offer me at that time. And it was really hard. It was really hard. To say, no, I'm not going to go do a chorus sign with Bayorkley.

[Milana Snow]

Right.

[Ariana DeBose]

Part of me is like, what were you thinking?

[Promotions Announcer]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

But look how your path was just right.

[Host/Interviewer]

I mean, you talk about your spiritual journey a couple of times, which is clearly your North Star. It guides you. There are things pulling you. I'm sure it's like, money, convenience. This seems like a good thing by all those check boxes. And then there's our gut, which I think sometimes can mislead you because it's filled with all of your past mistakes, too. You're like, oh, don't want that again.

[Hoda Kotb]

But you have some other.

[Host/Interviewer]

Your spirit's guiding you.

[Hoda Kotb]

So how do you decide?

[Host/Interviewer]

How does your spirit help you kind of navigate the road?

[Ariana DeBose]

You know, it's funny. Have you ever seen that movie Fools Rush In?

[Host/Interviewer]

I haven't.

[Ariana DeBose]

With Salma Hayek?

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes, I have.

[Ariana DeBose]

I was like, it's a deep cut. I know you've seen this movie, but Selma's character talks a lot about signs. Like, she's very, very Catholic. But she's like, no, the signs are everywhere. It's a sign. And I used to think that I was just being, like, really superstitious. But my. My spirituality, of course, comes. Comes from a practice, whether it be meditation or writing. And like, I do. Yes, I'm queen of a crystal. I have them all over my home. And I give myself the time to truly heal. And, like, when I dance, I see and I see in colors and I feel in colors. And that's all part of my spirit thing that I got going on. I don't know. But there are signs everywhere, too. And I don't think that. I don't think that it's convoluted to believe in that. But when my. My solar plexus start going off and my instincts kick in and I also see the universe, show me something or play a song for me or show me a photo of this thing that I'm thinking about bringing back to life. And I'm walking down the street and I have a meeting tomorrow. I'm like, that's the sign.

[Host/Interviewer]

That's what I was looking for. Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

I was like, I just needed that quick, quick affirmation that I'm. This is the right choice for me in this moment.

[Host/Interviewer]

I'm on the right path.

[Ariana DeBose]

I'm on the right path.

[Host/Interviewer]

Did that work for the Donna Summer musical?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. She was just showing up everywhere. Couldn't escape her. Didn't want to either. But, yeah, her. Her. Her songs, her Call it her canon. The dinner summer canon. Kept just playing. And I. I mean, sure, there's the algorithm these days, and, like, your phone is listening to you probably, and it's very scary, but even just when I was out and about, I'd walk into a restaurant, and that's what was playing.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah. So have jobs always come knocking? I feel like you're turning down things, you're following your wisdom. A lot of people have a handout saying, you know, I need this now, or I'm in a dry spell. Did you ever have periods where you weren't working and it's. No. There's no shame in. No, I didn't have that.

[Ariana DeBose]

I can only think of one period of time, but I actively chose to take a break for a second, and it was between my second Broadway show and my third.

[Host/Interviewer]

What were those two?

[Ariana DeBose]

Motown and Pippin.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yep.

[Ariana DeBose]

And it was around the time. This is twofold. Go with me here.

[Host/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ariana DeBose]

So when I was doing Motown, I also realized there was something else in me that I wanted to explore. I was like, oh, this is a wonderful job. I'm learning so much. But I also was like, I think there's more in the tank. I think I have more to offer. So I had chosen to start doing shows. Like, I just, off the whim, emailed, I believe it was Joe's Pub. I don't know. In my brain, I thought it was a really great idea. And I was like, hi, my name is Ariana DeBose, and I would really like to play a show in your venue. Can you please let me know what you have available? Just pull out. Ask for what I wanted.

[Host/Interviewer]

What happened?

[Ariana DeBose]

They responded like, here's all of our availability.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, my God.

[Hoda Kotb]

So, yeah, so you went to Joe's Pub.

[Ariana DeBose]

So I played Joe's Pub, and I would have. And the experience of it was so thrilling, but also terrifying because I was like, what was I thinking? I actually have to put butts in seats. How am I gonna do that? I don't have a following. Like, and it was different because, like, Instagram and the followers of it all hadn't really taken off yet.

[Host/Interviewer]

So you were playing Joe's Pub.

[Ariana DeBose]

But I was playing Joe's Pub, and I was figuring out, like, oh, I have to go and talk to people. I have to promote myself. And I realized then I was like, oh, I'm highly uncomfortable with that. I don't.

[Hoda Kotb]

How did that go as an experience? And what was the.

[Host/Interviewer]

Like, what was the show like at Joe's?

[Ariana DeBose]

It was fun. It was really fun. It was kind of all over the place. And that's looking back on it, I was like, well, that is kind of in line with me and my taste. Like I have very eclectic taste in music. We did a version of oh my God, what was it? That also feels like so many years ago, but we did a Nina Simone tune and it was me and three of my friends and I deliberately wanted us all to be so different. But then I also turned around and did a version of Annie Lennox's why

[Host/Interviewer]

you had It All.

[Ariana DeBose]

I just put it all in the show.

[Hoda Kotb]

I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments. The birthdays, the vacations, the milestones. But the truth is, some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So maybe I'll grab a delicious well market snack. Or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward collection. It's really full of fun, cool seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an extra care member, you're gonna save on things you're already buying. And those extra bucks really do add up. Just watching that total go down at the checkout never, ever gets old.

[Host/Interviewer]

I know life's busy.

[Hoda Kotb]

We're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes your day a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy sponsored by cvs. There's a difference between a home that's simply clean and a home that feels alive. Scents got a way of changing the mood of an entire space and even the people in it. After cooking, the kids running around, pets, laundry, busy schedules, people want their homes to feel refreshed. Fabuloso transforms cleaning from just another chore into something sensory and uplifting. With its big, bold, unmistakable and long lasting fragrance. Walking into a freshly cleaned room with that signature scent can instantly make things feel calmer, brighter and more welcoming. Make youe World More Fabuloso is about creating a home environment that feels vibrant, joyful, and full of life. It's those little everyday moments. Wiping down the kitchen, freshening up before guests arrive resetting the house after a long day that can completely shift the mood of a home, make your world more fabuloso.

[Sports Announcer]

Ice Cube's Big three season is heating up and it all comes down to this. The Big three Playoffs are coming to Dallas, Texas. The four best teams in the big Big Three battle it out for a spot in the championship. The action starts with the legendary Big three Celebrity Game. Three games of the most physical, competitive and non stop three on three action. The game played the way you love. Watch Live Saturday on CBS at 12pm Eastern, 9am Pacific and catch replays Monday on BET. Presented by iHeart A Yay.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yay.

[Promotions Announcer]

Ready for a night that's nothing short of iconic? Salt n Pepa and TLC are heading your way for the It's Iconic tour, their landmark co headlining tour with special in Vogue. Believe it or not, this is the first time all three of these legendary groups have toured together. And I mean legendary. It's gonna be packed with decades of R and B and hip hop hits. So don't miss your chance to experience these icons. Grab your tickets today.

[Hoda Kotb]

When you Lin Manuel was a huge

[Host/Interviewer]

influence on you and I think you said somewhere like it was so fun to see someone who was wildly successful and also kind of, I mean you knew that those two things could coexist.

[Ariana DeBose]

They can exist. They really can.

[Host/Interviewer]

Is he someone who showed you that?

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah, well, he's a ball of sunshine and he's just like this big adult nerd and I think that helps him both hold on to his joy and his curiosity. That doesn't mean things don't get challenging for him. I know they have in the past. But there's. It's just, I think watching him navigate his own stardom and maintain his own sense of self and creativity and find new ways to kind of double down on his relationships like his friendships. Like that has been very inspirational to me because it's challenging as you're walking your own journey because it can feel very isolating when you're having a moment of success and people do what people do and sometimes your success makes them uncomfortable and or sometimes people shift how they behave around you or perhaps something shifting in you. It could be any or all of those things. But he's kind of a. I think he'd be uncomfortable being called a North Star, but he's definitely like an inspiration point that you can do these things

[Host/Interviewer]

and it be okay when Steven Spielberg calls.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

And says, hey Ariana DeBose, we'd like you to be in west side Story. We Want you to play Anita, the role major famous by Rita Moreno.

[Hoda Kotb]

That's a big. That was a big ask.

[Show Promo Announcer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

Did you see I just did the. I still gulp really big and my eyes get very strange. I told you crazy.

[Host/Interviewer]

That phone call, I mean, that was a life changer.

[Ariana DeBose]

It was.

[Host/Interviewer]

And did. You were like you said with Chorus Line. That's been made.

[Hoda Kotb]

There's a big shoes.

[Host/Interviewer]

It's a lot people have preconceived notions.

[Hoda Kotb]

Was there any part of you that

[Host/Interviewer]

was thinking, I don't know, oh, I

[Ariana DeBose]

was terrified of this, Absolutely terrified for so many different reasons. But there also was something intuitively there as well. Like my instincts were alarm bells in the right way. Like, girl, don't miss the exit.

[Promotions Announcer]

Take the exit. You need to take this exit.

[Ariana DeBose]

You need to take that phone call. You need to say yes. Because I had fought it. I've talked about that a lot. Like, I didn't want to audition. I didn't want to. But then once I got there, I was like, man, this feels really right.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

Okay. So all of these things that I'm afraid of, clearly I need to experience experience.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ariana DeBose]

And it's funny, I realize now it takes a lot of courage, and courage is not the absence of fear, but there's something bigger than it, you know, like, that is really courage. And I'm very proud that I was courageous enough to do it, to walk the path. But, you know, it's also. It's very hard to say no to Steven Stuart. He's very persuasive.

[Host/Interviewer]

So was he persuasive with you?

[Ariana DeBose]

Honestly, at that point, like, I had had a. A long. Well, what I. What felt like a long audition process. And we had. We just had a very long final callback day. And so I'd spent all day with him and I felt like we kind of had found. We found a way with each other. How do you find a way with Steven Spielberg? But I felt good about my experience of him. And when I got that phone call, I was at a nail salon. So I wasn't really in a space to be like, absolutely not. I actually really wasn't in a space to have conversation. But I just remember him talking and I remember him saying, I would like to. I would like to ask you to be my Anita. And I never forgot that he asked me to do it. Yeah. As opposed to telling me I was going to be it for him.

[Host/Interviewer]

That's so interesting.

[Ariana DeBose]

That felt very different to me. And of course I said yes. And I'm very glad I Said yes. But that was, that was crazy.

[Host/Interviewer]

Wow. A phone call. At the nail salon.

[Ariana DeBose]

At the nail salon.

[Host/Interviewer]

Okay, I can see.

[Ariana DeBose]

And I really just gone because I'd been so busy trying to prep for. For my big final callback that I was doing the Donna Summer musical at the time and my nails were like ratty and I felt like there had been a lady in the front row who kept staring at my ratty nails. And I was like, cool, I can't do that. So I was in between shows at the nail salon just trying not to be judged.

[Host/Interviewer]

So you were auditioning while you were doing a musical?

[Show Promo Announcer]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

By the way, for anybody who knows doing a musical or anything on Broadway is grueling. I mean, it's eight shows a week. It's two on Wednesday and two on Saturday. Is that right?

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah. Normally there are some crazy shows that are like, you're gonna do a five show weekend, you're gonna do a two show Saturday, a two show Sunday, and then we gonna cap it off with a Monday show too.

[Host/Interviewer]

Wow. But just imagine the time, energy and effort and heart for someone who loves their craft so much, it goes into it. So in between that you were auditioning, you get that gig. So fast forward to you're a. Wow. Everyone's talking about you, how crazy you're on the Today show. We'. Hey, we were so excited to see you as an Oscar nominee, then an Oscar winner.

[Hoda Kotb]

So bananas, you have an Academy Award.

[Ariana DeBose]

I do.

[Hoda Kotb]

Wait, what?

[Ariana DeBose]

I know, I know.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hi, bananas.

[Host/Interviewer]

What happened to your life as a result of that Academy Award?

[Hoda Kotb]

Did it shift?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

How so?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, yeah. It shifted in lots of positive ways. And I think some of the greatest things that happen to us also rip us apart too joyfully. But it'll show you where your foundations are not so solid.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah, tell me about that. That's very interesting.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah, and it's funny. I meditate on it a lot. Not just that moment in time, but just about how these exceptionally joyful things like winning an Oscar can be so euphoric. But it also, at least in regards to my own experience, it invited a lot of opinion. I had to go through the process of kind of understanding that success can make you change if you let it. I worked very hard to try and keep my own, my own compass very strong and very clear. But that doesn't mean that everyone around you has the best intentions. And when you're a loyalist like I am, sometimes it's very hard to cut cords. But I've also learned in my adulthood that you can cut cords lovingly. But that it. It was really challenging. And there was a moment where my own compass felt really cloudy and I was like, why am I doing these things? Why am I saying yes to this job? What was the point of that? Why did I think that and not be? And that sort of. It's interesting because I think you can question why you said yes to something in the immediate, and you can also question it in the aftermath because how. How our business is built. You can make the thing and then it takes time for it to come out. And not everything is going to be received how you receive it in your heart. And that's okay. I actually am someone who has made a lot of peace with that. But what I'm specifically talking about, that sensation is I would make the decision to do something and then suddenly I was like. But I didn't have the courage to say, you know what? Actually, I'm wrong, actually.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ariana DeBose]

Let me repeat that. Let me course. Correct. I didn't do it instead because I had this notion of. And also, it's something that I learned from childhood, like you honor your commitments and you see it through. You said you were gonna do something, you need to do it.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ariana DeBose]

But I do think there are these moments in your life where honoring your commitment, you have to honor your commitment to yourself.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Ariana DeBose]

You know, and that is. That's tricky sometimes.

[Host/Interviewer]

So after an Oscar win, do all the scripts come rolling off the truck? Do people come up and say, how about this, how about this, how about this?

[Milana Snow]

Or.

[Host/Interviewer]

Which is so funny because I interviewed Halle Berry not too long ago and she said when she won her Oscar, she said she sort of thought that was going to happen.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

And she said, and it didn't. And she was surprised. So everybody's got a different experience. What was yours?

[Ariana DeBose]

I did have opportunity, however, I would say I got offered a lot of what I felt like were limiting parts because I was known for the conversation around my award season had a lot to do with my own identity. I was offered a lot of queer parts, a lot of lesbian parts, a lot of which there's nothing wrong with that. That is great. I love us. I was offered, you know, many Spanish speaking roles, even though I spoke very openly about being a no sabo kid.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

I was like, I get it and I love the language. But my journey with the language, I'm learning, maybe I'm not ready to do that for myself. But what that showed me was they were paying attention to the conversation, but I hadn't teach them about my artistry. Even though I think west side Story is one of the best examples of my own artistry and what I'm capable of, I don't know that I received opportunities that were always wholly. How do you say, wholly appropriate for my talent. I'm not someone who only wants to make movie musicals, but I'm not an artist that wants to play characters that have walked paths so closely to my own identity all the time.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right. Why would you? Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

Otherwise, what's the fun of being an actor? Like, I learn from my craft every day and if there's. If I'm playing parts that are just basically me showing up, me and myself. Honestly, I can go teach dance. Something I'm contemplating. Debbie Allen Any openings?

[Hoda Kotb]

I think we spend so much of our lives waiting for the big moments. The birthdays, the vacations, the milestones. But the truth. Truth is, some of the happiest moments show up on the most ordinary days. So, like this, I'll stop into a CVS because I need one thing. Somehow the best part of the trip is never the thing I came for. So maybe I'll grab a delicious well market snack. Or maybe I'll wander over to the Joyward collection. It's really full of fun, cool seasonal decor, thoughtful little gifts, and those little discoveries that make you so glad you stopped in. I have to tell you, if you're an extra care member, you're gonna save on things you're already buying. And those extra bucks really do add up. Just watching that total go down at the checkout never, ever gets old. I know life's busy, we're all juggling a lot. And that's why I think those little unexpected moments of joy matter so much. So the next time you're running errands, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You may go in for something you need, but don't be surprised if you leave with something that simply makes a little brighter. Visit your local CVS pharmacy sponsored by cvs. There's a difference between a home that's simply clean and a home that feels alive. Scent's got a way of changing the mood of an entire space and even the people in it. After cooking, the kids running around, pets, laundry, busy schedules, people want their homes to feel refreshed. Fabuloso transforms cleaning from just another chore to into something sensory and uplifting. With its big, bold, unmistakable and long lasting fragrance. Walking into a freshly cleaned room with that signature scent can instantly make things feel calmer, brighter and more welcoming. Make your world more fabuloso. Is about creating a home environment that feels vibrant, joyful and full of life. It's those little everyday moments wiping down the kitchen, freshening up before guests arrive, resetting the house after a long day that can completely shift the mood of a home, make your world more fabuloso.

[Sports Announcer]

Ice Cube's Big three season is heating up and it all comes down to this. The Big three playoffs are coming to Dallas, Texas. The four best teams in the Big three battle it out for a spot in the championship. The action starts with the legendary Big three Celebrity Game. Three games of the most physical, competitive and non stop three on three action. The game played the way you look. Watch Live Saturday on CBS at 12pm Eastern, 9am Pacific and catch replays Monday on BET. Presented by iheart A Yay.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yay.

[Promotions Announcer]

Ready for a night that's nothing short of iconic? Salt N Pepa and TLC are heading your way for the It's Iconic tour, their landmark co headlining tour with special guests in Vogue. Believe it or not, this is the first time all three of these legendary groups have toured together. And I mean legendary. It's gonna be packed with decades of R and B and hip hop hits. So don't miss your chance to experience these icons. Grab your tickets today.

[Host/Interviewer]

I like your just how you navigate life just from listening. I'm listening to the work part, but the other part's so fascinating to me. So how do you start and end your day? I feel like the bookends of a day are pretty important to how you're gonna how the stuff in between goes.

[Hoda Kotb]

So what do you do?

[Host/Interviewer]

Tell me.

[Ariana DeBose]

Really good question. What, what do I do?

[Hoda Kotb]

You open your eyes.

[Ariana DeBose]

First thing I open my eyes, I take five deep breaths. That is something that's become very important to me to assess the state of my physical body. And I try to very deliberately put my feet on the ground to ground myself. And that is really the morning ritual. I grab a daily stone. I love that. And I walk around the house with it in my morning and just like feel its energy as I'm doing my little chores. That's the morning.

[Host/Interviewer]

Are you a coffee person? Water person?

[Ariana DeBose]

A tea person? I'm a tea person. I do have at least two cups of tea in the morning.

[Promotions Announcer]

Black.

[Ariana DeBose]

I like black tea. Wow. I'm so strange. Everything's fine.

[Host/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ariana DeBose]

I, I try not to immediately grab electronics sometimes. It's inevitable.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

But if I can have, if I can safeguard a little chunk of time that is electronics free, that's great. But my evening, I think is more Interesting to me. I go for a walk and I love sunset and sundown because I feel like as the sun is setting, sort of it tells. It's telling me to chill out too. And it's become very important to me to like, stay in tune with nature. I mean, given everything that's going on in the world, the best thing I can do for myself is to try and stay in tune with her.

[Host/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ariana DeBose]

So that's very sacred to me. And then I do love a tea at night. I love my Moonbrew vitamin sleepy gummies. And I take those at least two hours before I hit the height.

[Host/Interviewer]

And then. Do you sleep okay? You sleep?

[Ariana DeBose]

I sleep great through the night.

[Sports Announcer]

Good.

[Host/Interviewer]

I know, it's so interesting.

[Ariana DeBose]

This is not an ad, but I love them gummies. Jesus. Sorry.

[Host/Interviewer]

Are you an early riser?

[Ariana DeBose]

Depends. Yeah, I'm in a cycle right now where I love sleep.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, good. Okay.

[Ariana DeBose]

Like, I love sleep, but like, post. If I'm coming off of a work trip, nine times out of 10 for the next month, I will probably up. Be up around 5:45.

[Host/Interviewer]

Okay. Let's talk about the Carlisle.

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

Where you're gonna be performing. Joe's Pub. You called up and said, hey, pick me. And they were like, oh, sure I did. The Carlisle is one of those iconic New York spots that people have played there from Sinatra, all just through all of them. Tell me about you and the Carlisle and what you're gonna be doing and what that's about.

[Ariana DeBose]

I'm really jazzed about it.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yep.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, I said it.

[Host/Interviewer]

I'm jazzed.

[Ariana DeBose]

It's the type of venue I've always wanted to play. There's something very romantic about the Carlisle to me. And it's funny, I think about this just came to me, but it's a truth. Like, Anita had her American dream, like, her version of the American dream. And I realized, like, part of my American dream was like playing a place like the Carlisle. Like, that's what I could like, imagine for myself. And I wanted to, like, it'd be a smaller spot. It'd be like, moody and wear my pretty dress. Now, when I was first dreaming that dream, I had no idea I'd have an undercut and braids. That would be my go to. But I couldn't feel more like in my body, like, I'm a very. And even from the awards circuit to now, I feel like I've lived so many lives.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ariana DeBose]

So I'm excited to be playing the Carlotta moment where I can bring the fullness of that life If I so choose to. Which I will, because that's part of what makes me a good artist. But I'm excited to experiment. The great Mark G. Meadows is going to be my music director. He's so fabulous. We did a moment at the Freely Fest, which is a very cool music festival that celebrates the First Amendment and the freedoms that it protects, especially for artists. But we sang Strange Fruit. He helped me put together a beautiful arrangement of Strange Fruit to talk about the importance of not only the song, but that moment in time and how it's. That song is one of the greatest, I think, examples of how government interference can display into artistry. However, I digress. I absolutely fell in love with him. And so we're putting together a lovely jazz trio, and I'm still deciding my set list. So if you have. If you have requests, I'm all ears. But I'm sort of excited to kind of take it down and storytell a little bit. But also I'm in a space where I just want to put my feelings in the songs.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, I love it. September 29th, by the way.

[Ariana DeBose]

September 29th, we open. We play through October 3rd.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, you do? Through October 30th.

[Ariana DeBose]

That's a good five nights at the car lot, by the way.

[Host/Interviewer]

That's a big deal. That's a big deal.

[Hoda Kotb]

You're also.

[Host/Interviewer]

Scarpetta is another thing you got cooking. You and Jamie Lee Curtis have a vibe.

[Ariana DeBose]

We do. She's the bestie.

[Hoda Kotb]

Tell me about that relationship.

[Host/Interviewer]

Because Scarpetta involves Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee

[Hoda Kotb]

Curtis, who's been pushing for this project forever.

[Host/Interviewer]

And you pop up in this, and

[Hoda Kotb]

Jamie Lee was tapping you.

[Host/Interviewer]

Tell me about your relationship with her.

[Ariana DeBose]

Well, our relationship sort of started when I handed her her Oscar, which sounds so crazy insane because the only reason. Yeah, the only reason I was there was because I won the year prior. Things you don't. Things you only dream of saying. But, yeah, our relationship stems from that moment.

[Hoda Kotb]

And you guys met.

[Host/Interviewer]

You gave her the last.

[Ariana DeBose]

We met that night. And, like, you go through the backstage and, like, it's cool. I got to witness someone else go through what I went through in the immediacy after winning an Oscar. And I just. It was so special to watch her walk that path. And I think she walked it really beautifully and bravely, and I just enjoyed her spirit, you know? And as we've gotten to know each other, it's like she's lived quite the life. She's exceptionally wise as she is joyful. The amount of joy that woman puts out in the world is really something, even when she may be feeling not so great. And I was like, we recognize that in each other at times is that you can still be a beacon of light. Because sometimes putting more light into the world can help you refill your cup as it's happening. But that's where that originates. We, Nicole, Jamie, and I, make up this really cute little family trio of women. Italian women, I don't know. But watch the show. It's pretty fun. And Jamie Lee Curtis plays my mother. Nicole Kidman plays my aunt. The show is called Scarpetta. Nicole Kidman plays Scarpetta, everybody. Let's keep it real. Nicole is the center of the show. But it's so fun to hang out with these women and learn from them. And I look at it as another learning opportunity.

[Host/Interviewer]

I feel like a good trait you have is you are a good picker. Like, you pick good people in your circle.

[Ariana DeBose]

My picker's not broken.

[Host/Interviewer]

Your picker's not broken.

[Hoda Kotb]

But I think having being able to

[Host/Interviewer]

select good people in your circle is one of the most important things you'll do. It is. I mean, I feel like I pick good friends, and I know my life is gonna be good because of that. I make sure that the people who are in my orbit, and they say you're the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with. So choose your friends wisely. Who is your 2am phone call?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, three people just came to mind. Okay.

[Sports Announcer]

Oh, wow.

[Ariana DeBose]

Which is great.

[Host/Interviewer]

Lucky you.

[Ariana DeBose]

I consider them all best friends. One would be my best friend from high school who was my prom date. His name's Jonathan. I have a friend Lauren, who is a budding Broadway producer, and she's brilliant. And we've known each other for maybe four years, but we have the same birthday.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, yeah. And a connection.

[Ariana DeBose]

And a connection. We really get each other. And then my friend Morgan, who I met on Scarpetta, actually.

[Host/Interviewer]

Isn't that so.

[Hoda Kotb]

By the way, I love these kind of friendships.

[Ariana DeBose]

Yeah.

[Host/Interviewer]

Because you can make dear friends all through life.

[Ariana DeBose]

You can.

[Host/Interviewer]

It doesn't have to be your childhood friend or your friends from school or whatever, or even your first job.

[Ariana DeBose]

It's funny. I have dear friends from every chapter of my life. I was just watching the new Jennifer Garner TV show, and it feels like she chose friends from different chapters of her life while she's going through this big life moment. And I'll tell you what, there's nothing like a big life moment. When my mom passed, the people that were around me and There were really five dominant people. Those are my people.

[Host/Interviewer]

When was your mom the proudest of you?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, man. Um, she was proud of me my whole life. I think she was proud every day that I survived, you know, in a world that can be so built up against people who feel different or who are described as different. She was proud of the life I was living. That doesn't mean we didn't have our moments, of course, because that's mothers and daughters. But she was proud of what? How I was walking through the world. I think she was shocked when I won that Oscar. If you rewind. If you rewind and, like, freeze frame on her face, you can see a. Whoa. Whoa. I remember hugging her, and she was like, you gotta get up there.

[Host/Interviewer]

Were you able? You said that there were struggles.

[Hoda Kotb]

What was the.

[Host/Interviewer]

What was the funnest thing you got to do for your mom in terms of physically giving her something?

[Ariana DeBose]

Oh, well. And she was someone who, like, didn't really want gifts. Like, she wasn't really like that.

[Host/Interviewer]

That's not her language.

[Ariana DeBose]

It wasn't her language. Oh, my gosh. It was more trips for us like, that. We got to a space where it's like, I couldn't give her a gift that would really, like, encompass the moment, but I could give her an experience. And she was my date. Well, she was my date to the Oscars, but she had the most fun at Hamiltony night when Hamilton won a lot of Tonys and we went to the after party, and Lord, Gina DeVos was living her whole life. She was dancing with Common. Pretty sure she was flirting with Common. Sorry if he was with somebody. But she was having a great time. She was like, that's Mariska Hargitayne. Sorry. Spitting. But at some point, we were all dancing, and Mariska, like, said hi to my mom, and she was like, this is great. I like this. Like, she had a good time wherever she went, and that was the greatest.

[Host/Interviewer]

Well, I see all that in you. So she did good. She did very. Thank you. So last question before we go. I always ask my guests, what's bringing you joy these days?

[Ariana DeBose]

The little things. The little things are bringing me joy these days. Honestly, like, every day that I get to wake up and open my eyes and take five breaths, that brings me such joy. The walks, noticing the flowers. Like it really is the ordinary things.

[Host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Does singing bring you joy?

[Ariana DeBose]

Of course it does. And I catch myself doing it without realizing I'm doing it.

[Host/Interviewer]

Like you did in here when we

[Ariana DeBose]

were trying to press the mic, like, to me Singing now is is talking like I will. I do this with my friends. Sometimes I don't realize I'm singing a song, but I'm singing them a song that describes how I feel about them.

[Host/Interviewer]

Oh, sing me a song.

[Ariana DeBose]

You are so beautiful to me. I love you, Oda.

[Host/Interviewer]

I love you too. Thank you for that. All right, Arianna, since you and I are on the same kind of Zen, we're both in this kind of Zen sphere. I have an app called Joy101 and a company called Joy101. We have a lot of great practitioners. So Bilana Snow is gonna just bring us home. We've just got three minutes, so we're all gonna chill out together. Should we try it?

[Ariana DeBose]

We should.

[Host/Interviewer]

Okay, let's try.

[Milana Snow]

Hi, my name is Milana Snow. And today I'm gonna show you an evidence based breathwork practice that is proven to help you regulate your nervous system when you are in a high pressure moment. And it's called a psychological sigh. It's very simple and very powerful. You breathe into the nose two times and you'll exhale it out once through the mouth. Are you ready to try it with me? Breathe into your nose. And then again. And then sigh out. Let's try that again. Breathing into the nose. Keep going so you can go slower. You don't have to go fast. In fact, I find that going slower helps our body catch up to the information our body's nervous system communicates through breath. So when we do a sigh, as an exhale, as a release, it tells our brain and body that we are okay, that we're safe, and that we can let go. And that's why so often when we feel relief, we have a sigh of relief. So let's try it again. Together, breathing into the nose. And again. I find that breathing out with a sound of relief has an extra working power. There's something about sound that also communicates to our brain and body that we have even more relief than we thought. Try it again. Breathing into the nose. In again.

[Ariana DeBose]

Wow.

[Milana Snow]

Let's do it one more time. This time, as you exhale, not only do you do a sigh of relief, but you'll also release it with your mouth with a sound. And then you will let your body feel the relief. Just like that. Want to try it together? Breathing into the nose. And again.

[Host/Interviewer]

Ah.

[Milana Snow]

Ah. It feels so much better. This is a practice you can do in the moment. This is a practice you can go to the bathroom, you can go to the corner and do it. Nobody notices or recognizes that it's a practice to relax your nervous system and those that do, they'll say, oh, good idea. I should do it too. It's a beautiful, easy release for tension and stress and it is proven to soften your body, release your tension, and help get you back into a rest and digest state. I hope this was helpful for you today and I hope that you'll come back to this often whenever you need it. All right, I'll see you next time.

[Host/Interviewer]

Milana Snow.

[Ariana DeBose]

So good.

[Podcast Announcer]

Love you girl.

[Ariana DeBose]

Love you.

[Host/Interviewer]

Thanks for doing that with me.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thank you.

[Milana Snow]

Namaste.

[Ariana DeBose]

Namaste.

[Hoda Kotb]

I've realized that joy doesn't always come from those big moments. Sometimes you find it on the most ordinary day. I'll pop into a CVS for toothpaste or paper towels and it never seems to be just a quick errand. Maybe I'll grab a delicious well Market trail mix or wander over to the Joyward Collection. That's part of the fun. So the next time you're checking something off your to do list, stop by your local CVS pharmacy. You might go in for one thing and leave with a little more joy. Visit your local CVS pharmacy sponsored by cvs.

[Show Promo Announcer]

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[Hoda Kotb]

Wait, I came in for two things. How is this $47?

[Ariana DeBose]

Alright, we're gonna need a plan here.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, that's actually really simple.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Ariana DeBose]

Guaranteed Human.