West Side Story star Rachel Zegler might still get her Oscar moment after all. The 20-year-old actor was invited to host the ceremony, according to a report in .
The gesture came two days after Zegler, who plays Maria, posted on social media that she hadn’t been invited to the awards and was firing from her couch for West Side Story. Steven Spielberg’s film is nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose, who is expected to win.
The post drew a lot of attention online, as many couldn’t understand why the leading actor of a best picture nominee wasn’t invited to the ceremony, or at least asked to present an award.
“I’m hoping for a last minute miracle and a personal celebration of our film, but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes I guess,” Zegler wrote on Instagram on Sunday. “Thanks for all the shock and outrage – I’m disappointed too. But that’s okay. So proud of our film.”
Best Picture nominees are allocated a certain number of tickets by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which the film’s studio then allocates at its sole discretion. Moderators and individual nominees will receive a pair of tickets. And further places in the room go to the broadcaster, sponsors and academy members who can take part in a raffle.
Zegler is not nominated but her next big role is Snow White, which she is currently filming in London. Some wondered why The Walt Disney Co., which owns Oscars network ABC, wouldn’t want their new Snow White there in some capacity, such as a presentation or performance. Others saw it as a missed opportunity to have represented a rising young Latina star on the show.
Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in 1961’s “West Side Story” and is a voting member of the academy, tweeted that it was the academy’s duty to “get Rachel a spot at the Oscars… If they say it’s on representation.” arrives, that means that. Please do her right.”
Alec Baldwin tweeted that he would buy Zegler two tickets to the show.
And One Day at a Time showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett tweeted on ABC and the Academy: “How about that rare time that Latin American people have a film that’s nominated for an OSCAR and you invite the lead. Latinos make up 18.5% of this country. ENOUGH!”
Oscars tickets are always a hot commodity and even more limited than usual this year as attempts are made to create more space between guests to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Most Academy members have never participated.
And the outrage has only increased as more and more presenters are announced with limited ties to the nominated films, or to the film business at all. On Monday, producers announced that DJ Khaled, Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater and Shaun White would all present the awards at the show, which will be telecast live on ABC Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
News of Zegler’s invitation to present came Tuesday afternoon. Zegler has yet to comment and it’s unclear if she’ll be able to attend on such short notice and with her Snow White production schedule.
Representatives from the Academy, Disney, and Zegler did not immediately respond to requests for comment.