Rachel Zegler was born on May 3, 2001 in Hackensack, New Jersey (USA). This young woman has Colombian roots on her mother’s sideand also Polish, on my father’s side.
Even as a child, Rachel showed her artistic calling. In high school, at Immaculate Conception School, he participated in the musical theater group. During this time, she starred as Disney princesses in the musicals Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. He also appeared in other works including Shrek, Legally Blonde, Les Miserables, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Rent.
(Also read: This is what the human version of Snow White looks like for the new film)
In 2015, Rachel began uploading videos to her YouTube account in which she performed covers of greatest hits as songs composed by herself. But his life changed when Steven Spielberg called out on Twitter in 2018 a casting to find the protagonists of his film adaptation of the musical West Side Story, for which he needed actors of Latin American descent and/or knowledge of Spanish.
Rachel responded by showing videos of her performances of the songs Tonight and I Feel Pretty, and She was selected from more than 30,000 applicants. This is how her debut as an actress brought María to life.
The film’s young cast is led by Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler.
“I am thrilled to be playing this iconic character alongside this incredible cast,” she said in statements published by Variety. “It was the first musical I found with a Latina protagonist and as a Colombian American, it is an honor to have the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community.”
Thanks to her work in West Side Story, the actress found more than just fame: love. Because since they met on set in 2019, Rachel and her co-star Josh Andrés Rivera have started a romance that is still going strong.
Recently, In March 2023, Rachel returned with the film Shazam! back to the screen. Rage of the gods. With her usual, sometimes controversial candor, the actress admitted that she took the role because, as she told the Hollywood Reporter, “I needed a job.” “The truth is that we were in the middle of a pandemic, I didn’t have a job and couldn’t get one because West Side Story (which premiered in 2021) hadn’t come out yet.”
(You may be interested: They predict that Snow White will be a success with Rachel Zegler, daughter of a Colombian)
It was the first musical I saw with a Latina protagonist, and as a Colombian American, it’s an honor to have the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community.
The actress also took advantage of the opportunity via Twitter defended the film after its release on the grounds that the audience rating was very good despite the bad reviews: “There are people who are unfair and unnecessarily cruel,” he said.
“And yes, I know, ‘if you can’t take criticism…’ and it’s all true. But our film is really good. Nowadays it is fashionable to hate for fun. In order. “Let’s be good,” he demanded.
After the release of “West Side Story”, Rachel Zegler found it no longer so difficult to find a job because she was also chosen for the main role in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, which was released on Hits theaters November 16th.
But what kept the actress in the media spotlight in recent months was the fact that she was chosen for the role of Snow White. in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation: “Never in a million years did I think this would be possible for me,” the actress told Variety in 2022, explaining that “you don’t normally see Snow White of Latin descent.”
Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow.
The controversy
And the fact that the character was traditionally very light-skinned (hence her name) and Rachel is Latin and dark-skinned sparked all sorts of reactions online. Similar to Hailey Bailey and The Little Mermaid, there was a split between the networks between those who supported Zegler and accused his critics of racism and those who expressed anger over the election.
The actress, to whom Bailey herself showed her support, responded to the controversy on Twitter a few months ago: “I really appreciate the love of those who defend me, but please don’t label me in all this meaningless speech.” She wrote: and showed photos of her dressed up as Snow White and other princesses as a child, adding that she wished that “that, “No matter what happens, all girls know they can be princesses.”
Far from being settled, the controversy was only fueled, with some salvaging a tweet that the actress posted in 2021 after learning of her choice, but which she later deleted: “Yes, I will be Snow White.” No, I won’t bleach my skin for the role.”.
(Also read: Rachel Zegler: The new Snow White with Colombian roots responds to racist attacks)
The original film focuses on a love story with a man (the prince) who literally pursues Snow White.
In addition, the actress’s statements have fueled the comments in recent months. Rachel called the original 1937 film creepy and strange and confessed that “I had only seen it once before I was cast” and claimed as much The film “is really dated in terms of the role of women.”
According to Zegler, “The original film focuses on a love story with a man (the prince) who literally pursues Snow White.” And he joked about the male role in this new version The actor said, “Andrew Burnap is a great guy,” but “all of his scenes could be deleted.”
For the actress This upcoming adaptation “isn’t about the love story at all; “It’s really wonderful,” but it’s about how Snow White “becomes the leader her late father promised her she would be if she were brave, fair and honest.”
Additionally, Rachel has supported the recent strike of actors and screenwriters in Hollywood by participating in the picket line, saying in a video posted on Toonando, “If I spend 18 hours a day in a Disney princess dress, I “it deserves to be paid” for every hour of online broadcasting.”
All of these statements have resulted in social media users becoming more divided between critics and defenders of the actress. However, she didn’t want to respond directly to the controversy and is apparently still willing to bite the bullet while wanting to do so via Twitter “The world will be a better place.”
NORA CIFUENTES
Efe reports