Rachel Zegler said an interview with Allure magazine that white studio executives repeatedly questioned her during the casting process for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” which served as her acting breakthrough in Hollywood. Spielberg cast Zegler as the musical’s female lead, María, and it was of upmost importance to him that the film’s Latina protagonist be played by a Latina actor.
“There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name,” Zegler told the magazine. “When I was in the running for María in ‘West Side Story,’ they kept calling to ask if I was legit. I remember thinking, ‘Do you want me to bring my abuelita in?’ I will. I’ll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her.”
Zegler added, “Having a bunch of white executives have you prove your identity to them…It’s an interesting experience being part of that diaspora in the current climate we live in. But I love being Colombian.”
Spielberg’s “West Side Story” earned critical acclaim and scored Zegler a win at the Golden Globes for best actress in a musical or comedy film. Her career had effectively taken off, but “West Side Story” was far from release when the call came in for her to audition for the lead role in Disney’s live-action “Snow White” remake. Zegler had filmed “West Side Story” but it was months from opening and no footage of her as María was public yet. Spielberg personally advocated for her casting to “Snow White” director Marc Webb. Cut to years later and Zegler is now headlining the Disney remake, opening in theaters March 21.
“The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,” Zegler told Allure magazine about why she was cast as Snow White even if the Disney princess is not Latina in the original animated film. “My only prayer for the future of diversity and inclusion is that we invest in and nurture talent no matter what they look like.”
“That’s why it’s so important for the next generation to see movies like ‘Snow White,’” Zegler added about the film. “To realize there’s nothing wrong with choosing to do what’s right and that it doesn’t have to be with anger or a clenched fist. Anger can be a powerful emotion, but it doesn’t bring the brightest future. Snow White chooses kindness and still makes change. Power takes many forms. I hope we’ll see a new dawn of kindness and acceptance in the next couple of years. And people don’t see the need to use hate to cause further division.”
Head over to Allure magazine’s website to read Zegler’s cover story in its entirety.
