Exclusive Interview: Ariana DeBose Discusses Sci-Fi Thriller “I.S.S.,” Stepping Outside Her Comfort Zone, and More

Ariana DeBose is one of the industry’s most versatile and sought-after leading women. The future EGOT and trailblazer is known for her commanding presence on the stage and screen, as well as her undeniable ability to disappear into any character and create an instant connection with audiences. She is best known for her show-stopping performances in projects, including West Side Story, Hamilton, and Wish, to name a few.

In her most recent film, I.S.S., an edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller, tensions escalate in the near future aboard the International Space Station (I.S.S.) due to a conflict erupting on Earth. In response, U.S. and Russian astronauts, reeling from the situation, receive orders from the ground to take control of the station by any means necessary.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Ariana about I.S.S., how she stepped outside of her comfort zone for the role, collaborated with director Gabriela Cowperthwaite to bring authenticity, and more.

PC: You’ve been such a pioneer and trailblazer in this industry. You’ve always brought such an empathetic quality to your characters and your work that’s so compelling to watch on screen. This project is no different. Kira, your character in the film, finds herself in this life-or-death situation, but she chooses to find the strength within herself and the humanity in others, which is such a beautiful takeaway from this project. You brought so much nuance to that. As an actress, how did you create the space to tackle that vulnerable place that we find your character while also highlighting the human spirit and that resilience?
Ariana: Thank you, first of all, for your very kind words. When this project came to me, I knew I was already going to be outside of my comfort zone. That was kind of the point. At the time, I had never done anything like this before. Dr. Kira Foster is so very much unlike me, so I knew that it was going to require different things of myself. That meant I was going to have to humble myself and be free to fail and be okay with that.

I was able to do that because I had a great partner in my director, Gabriela Cowperthwaite. She created a very safe space for me to do the research, to ask questions, to try things, and let them be very, very wrong. [laughs] She has a background in documentaries, and because of that, she knows when something doesn’t look honest. I felt like there was an alarm bell that went off when things weren’t honest, and she’d be like, “We’re going to do it again,” which is really cool. It helped keep us honest to the story of these characters and the humanity in them because they’re a group of scientists who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances where you have to consider your loyalty to your country, your loyalty to your science, and the loyalty to the people that you’re sharing space, literal space with, and where the boundary lines in all of that and in these extraordinary circumstances.

PC: It’s so raw and grounded. This is such a physical role where you’re embodying a character that’s often tethered and in this zero gravity environment. How did that physicality allow you to connect with her further and bring that authenticity to the screen? How helpful was it having your background in dance and movement?
Ariana: It was very helpful having a dance background. When you’re working in a structure like our version of the I.S.S., which actually is rooted in reality, thanks to our production designer, being physically aware and spatially aware was very helpful. The reality of it is that the I.S.S. is very messy. It’s a little bit dirty and has a lot of dust. [laughs] Being able to react to wherever I found myself in space was very, very helpful.

You mention Dr. Foster’s inner strength and that she finds it and ends up having to rely on it. For me, Ariana, when I was in that harness using every muscle in my body to ultimately achieve the illusion of weightlessness, there was a part of me that did have to surrender part of my brain power. It allowed Dr. Foster to speak, which sounds very heady, but it made me be very honest in that way. That may be my strength where I have the ability to do more than one thing at a time. That also invokes freedom so that you can intuitively react to what’s in front of you and what’s being said to you. You can feel whether it’s honest or trustworthy. Can I rely on this? Do I need to make a different choice? That’s ultimately something that I took away from Dr. Forster and into my real life. I live and die by my gut. I trust my instincts in every situation.

To keep up with Ariana, follow her on Instagram. I.S.S. hits theaters on January 19th.

Photo Credit: Bleecker Street