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\"Because we are inherently different Anitas -- they are different women -- but there are certain characteristics that are very much the same, and I'm just very curious,\" she continued. \"I'm like, 'What do y'all think it is?' So tag me, DM me, let me know what y'all think it is.\"

DeBose says Moreno, who in the new film plays Valentina, the widow of the owner of the candy store where the gangs visit, is \"fabulous\" in the role.

\"She is so good,\" the actress raved. \"I think it's some of her best work. I'm an ardent admirer. She's incredible.\"

During her \"GMA\" appearance, DeBose also discussed auditioning for Spielberg, and why she chose not to read for the director during her audition. She said at the time she was called to audition for the role, she was starring in \"Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.\"

\"I got a phone call from our casting director Cindy Tolan at like 10 p.m. and I was very tired,\" she began. \"And she was like, 'Please come in.'\"

\"And I was like, 'Great, what's the material?'\" she continued. \"And I took one look at those sides from Tony Kushner, who has adapted this screenplay beautifully. But I said, this is a lot of material, and I'm going to embarrass myself if I do this. And I asked her, I was like, 'Would you please support me in this decision, I would like to not read -- but I'll sing and dance and do anything else you want.'\"

She said Spielberg was impressed with her singing and dancing at the audition, but she decided to commit to her decision not to read for him when asked.

Despite making that daring decision, which ultimately paid off for her, she said she was \"calm\" when she said \"no\" when Spielberg asked her to read.

\"I knew it was the right thing to do,\" she said. \"Because it's really important, you know, women of color in the industry, we need to go in and we need to show up and show out, and I was not going to deliver any less.\"

\"West Side Story\" arrives in theaters on Dec. 10.

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