Spielberg Director Selection! 'West Side Story' interviews with the new cast

1. Ansel Elgort (as Tony)
   1. “It was so much fun singing with Rachel”
2. Ariana・Debose (as Anita)
   1. “When I perform for the camera, the camera is my audience”
3. David Alvarez (as Bernardo) )
   1. “No one was trying to recreate anything”

Ansel Elgort as Tony

“It was so much fun singing with Rachel”

Ansel Elgort Profile

Born March 14, 1994 in New York, USA. Her debut work is the classic horror remake "Carrie" (2013). Edgar Wright directed Baby Driver (2017). The HBO drama "TOKYO VICE" depicting the underworld of Japan is waiting.

── How was working with Spielberg?

Literally a dream come true. When I was 12 years old, I was on stage in "West Side Story." So I never imagined playing Tony in Steven's movie. He was such a great leader and the whole crew was like an 'all star'. Being in that crew as a young actor made me want to do my best work. And I learned from him to keep it very simple. You don't have to overplay your role. Sometimes Steven says, ``Put your hands in your pockets, walk down the street, look over there and sing 'Maria. It's really very simple.

── Do you have a favorite song in this work?

I loved singing “Tonight” with Rachel [Zegler] in the balcony scene. She loves the other songs, but she really likes the duet aspect. I really enjoyed singing with Rachel. Because there was an exchange between us. And she's also a really great singer. When you're working with some really great people, it's even better.

▶︎▶︎An interview with Rachel Zegler, who plays Maria, will be published soon in the series "Face of the Month"!

Ariana DeBose (Anita)

“When I perform for the camera, the camera is my audience”

Ariana DeBose Profile

Born January 25, 1991. Originally from North Carolina, USA. Widely active in stage, drama, and movies. Representative works include the stage "Hamilton" (2015-16) and the movie "The Prom" (2020). Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn, is waiting. I actually have Puerto Rican blood.

── You've been Tony Award nominated and have a lot of experience on Broadway. Is film work something very different for you?

Creating characters was the same for me. It doesn't matter what media. My challenge was learning to understand what audience I was performing for. When I perform for a camera, that camera is my audience. On Broadway, on the other hand, 600 people (in front of me) are my audience. So you have to deliver [acting] in a different way, but you can be more nuanced in acting for the camera.

── In this film, one of the best choreographers, Justin Peck, is doing the dance choreography. How was working with Justin?

Justin is so talented. Watching him work, he loved working with him. He had a big job to do. It's about creating something that has his own goodness in it. So everything you see in this movie is so unique and Justin Peck. But I think you'll find inspiration from the movement of the original work.

David Alvarez as Bernardo

“No one was trying to recreate anything”

David Alvarez profile

Born May 11, 1994. Born in Quebec, Canada. The main representative work is the role of Billy Elliot in the 2008 Broadway production "Billy Elliot the Musical". He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical at the age of 15. Recent appearances include the drama “American Rust” (2021).

── Please tell us about the story during filming.

One of my favorite moments was filming the mambo dance scene in the gym. There was one take that Stephen loved. He said to the entire ensemble cast, "Come here." And then we all sat around him watching the playback. It was really great. The whole gym starts going crazy and everyone applauds. Some people jumped on Steven and hugged him (laughs). What a wonderful reminder of how united everyone was and how passionate they were.

── Did you see George Chakiris' performance as Bernardo in West Side Story for reference?

I think it's all about offering something new that you've never seen before. So there are a lot of those (new) things in this movie. Everything from the characters to the writing to the cinematography to the directing is so unique that it really doesn't compare. No one was trying to reproduce anything. From Maria to Bernardo to Riff, everyone was trying to interpret it in a new way, and everyone brought something completely new. I think that's what makes this movie so great.

© 2022 20th Century Studios.

"West Side Story" released on February 11, 2022 (Friday / holiday)

New York in the 1950s. On the West Side of Manhattan, where many immigrants live, young people who are dissatisfied with poverty and discrimination unite with their compatriots, and the conflict between each team intensifies. One day, Maria, whose brother is the leader of the Puerto Rican immigrant group , fatefully meets young Tony and is instantly attracted to him. However, he was the former leader of the European immigrants , whose older brothers were at odds. Their love will change the fate of many people...

USA / 2021 / Walt Disney Japan Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, Mike Feist, David Alvarez, Rita Moreno © 2022 20th Century Studios.All Rights Reserved.

▶︎▶︎Click here for more articles about "West Side Story"

February 11, 2022 release of "West Side Story" is amazing! Special Feature - SCREEN ONLINE

The musical "West Side Story" is the latest and first challenge of director Steven Spielberg. It will finally be released on February 11th (Friday)! This time, we will deliver a special feature of "WSS", such as the reason why it continues to fascinate people even after more than half a century since its premiere, the characters, points to keep in mind, etc. (Text by Kanae Uda/Digital Editing/Screen Editing Department)