Ariana DeBose is an ensemble member of the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton and had been with the cast since the Off-Broadway Production. She plays the Bullet, which represents death. She stayed with the cast until July 9th, 2016, departing at the same time as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Phillipa Soo.
Bio[]
Prior to her Broadway performance, DeBose debuted as Mary Wilson in "Motown the Musical" in 2013. She made her New York debut in a production of "COMPANY" where she starred alongside Neil Patrick Harris, Martha Plimpton, Christina Hendricks, Stephen Colbert, and Patti LuPone.
As for her dancing career, Ariana trained at CC & Co. Dance Complex in Raleigh, NC where she worked with choreographers across the country. Some of the most famous choreographers she worked with are Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo, Tyce Diorio & Martha Nichols of So You Think You Can Dance, Wes Veldink, Josh Bergasse, Joe Lanteri, and Elizabeth Parkinson. Since her training, DeBose has become an award-winning choreographer working for color-guards, dance companies, dance teams, and studios.
Currently, DeBose lives in New York City, and will return to Broadway as "Jane" in Jerry Zacks and Robert DeNiro's: Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale. She also is appearing in "The Prom" on Netflix in 2020. She is the first LGBTQ+ Latinx actor to win an Oscar.
Role in Hamilton[]
DeBose plays the foreshadowing role of a literal "Bullet" (in "Stay Alive" and "The World Was Wide Enough", and all her other singled-out roles have to do with death.
These include moving past Alexander Hamilton as he is shot by Aaron Burr, her telling Philip Hamilton exactly where to find George Eacker, the man who will eventually kill him in a duel.
During the song “Blow us all away,” the bullet gives Philip Hamilton the direction on where to find George Eacker who Philip duels with, resulting in his death
At the beginning of "Your Obedient Servant", the Bullet pulls Burr's desk on stage and hands him a quill to write the infamous letter that started the deadly duel.
She is also the spy killed between "You'll Be Back" and "Right Hand Man", and the last person seen with John Laurens before his death.
She is also heard saying "I can't believe we're here with him", which ultimately raises Burr's hopes of victory, which makes his defeat more stinging.
During "The World Was Wide Enough", while Hamilton talks, she walks forward, inching the bullet closer to him before other ensemble members come onto stage as well to stop it.
She was the symbol of evilness or betrayal. Every time death had concluded she was the cause of it.
Another role of hers was asSally, who brings Thomas a letter in "What'd I Miss?". This may refer to how his sexual relationship with her killed any and all respect people had for him.
