Rachel Zegler says “white executives” repeatedly asked her to “prove” her Latin identity for ‘West Side Story’ role
Rachel Zegler has revealed that she was asked to “prove” her Latin identity to a “bunch of white executives” for her role in Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story.
Back in 2021, Zegler starred as María in Spielberg’s 2021 take on the iconic musical, making her film debut in the process. Later this week, she’ll return to the big screen for another iconic role as she portrays Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake of the same name.
Speaking to Allure for March’s cover story, Zegler spoke about her experience on West Side Story, including how studio executives “kept calling to ask if I was legit”. Zelger, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, explained: “There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name.”
She continued: “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 [grandmother] in? I will. I’ll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her.”
She went on to describe the feeling of “having a bunch of white executives have you prove your identity to them” as “an interesting experience being part of that diaspora in the current climate we live in. But I love being Colombian.”
Despite Zegler’s performance in the film marking her feature debut, she won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy in 2022. However, she was snubbed at the Oscars that year, to which she wasn’t even invited.
Zegler has since courted controversy for Snow White, with the actor facing racist comments online after being cast in the lead princess role, and an overwhelmingly negative reaction to its trailer.
Then in 2023, she was also criticised for various remarks she made about the original film. Some of them saw the actress say that the 1937 film was weird and that she thought Prince Charming was a stalker.
Disney’s Snow White is set for release in cinemas on March 21, 2025.
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Surej Singh
NME
