Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler (born May 3, 2001) is a Colombian-American singer and actress from Clifton, New Jersey. She is known for her role as Lucy-Gray Baird in the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as part of The Hunger Games series, adapted from the book series by Suzanne Collins, as well as Maria in the 2021 remake of West Side Story, which was directed by Steven Spielberg.[1][2] She won a Golden Globe Award for this role in 2022.
Rachel Zegler | |
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 Zegler in 2019 | |
| Born | Rachel Anne[source?] Zegler May 3, 2001 Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
Zegler has joined the cast of the 2023 movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods.[3] She will play Snow White in a live-action version of the Disney animated movie.[4][5]
Zegler has performed in leading roles in school musicals and local theater productions, as well as taking on occasional work as a wedding singer. At 18, Zegler signed with ICM Partners.
Controversy
Snow White Casting
After being cast as the eponymous character in Disney’s live action remake of Snow White, Zegler faced significant racist media backlash due to her Colombian origin. Fans on social media also reacted negatively after Zegler made comments on the original story itself, stating that she viewed the Prince as a stalker figure.
Rock the City actors' strike
During the "Rock the City" actors' strike, comments which occurred shortly after her Snow White controversy made her the target of the general public again. In a picket-line interview, she stated that "if I’m gonna stand there 18 hours a day in the dress of an iconic Disney princess, I deserve to be paid for every hour that it’s streamed online."[6] She received significant criticism for these comments, with people deeming her entitled or selfish.
Personal life
In February 2021, Zegler and actor Josh Andrés Rivera confirmed that they were dating. The two had met on the set of West Side Story.[7]
References
- ↑ Connellan, Shannon (January 14, 2019). "'West Side Story': Spielberg casts high-school 'theatre kid' as Maria". Mashable. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (January 14, 2019). "'West Side Story' Remake Casts Newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ↑ Jackson, Angelique (February 25, 2021). "Rachel Zegler Joins Cast of 'Shazam: Fury of the Gods'". Variety. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 22, 2021). "'Snow White': 'West Side Story's Rachel Zegler To Play Title Role In Disney's Live-Action Adaptation Of Animated Classic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ↑ Justin, Kroll (3 November 2021). "Gal Gadot To Play Evil Queen In Disney's Live-Action 'Snow White'". Deadline. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ↑ Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (2023-08-07). "'I don't know why everybody hates me for saying it': Why Rachel Zegler is so controversial amid the Hollywood strikes". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ↑ Siwak, Miranda (2023-10-31). "Rachel Zegler, Josh Andres Rivera's Relationship Timeline: Photos". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
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