In the whirlwind of fame and fortune that Rachel Zegler finds herself immersed in, it’s a breathtaking sight to witness her unwavering grasp on her roots and values. Her journey from the Lower East Side apartment shared with Lenny, her golden-doodle namesake of a legendary composer, to the grand stages of Broadway and Hollywood, is nothing short of inspiring.
“Spoiler alert: I die,” Rachel Zegler says.
Apologetically, I must admit that the 23-year-old actress may have accidentally revealed the climax of her upcoming venture. However, consider this: It’s been four centuries since a specific English playwright penned the script where she’ll be debuting on Broadway.
On October 24th, after a month of previews, Rachel Zegler will perform as Juliet in director Sam Gold’s revival of Shakespeare’s most famous romance, Romeo and Juliet. The intensity between her character and Romeo, portrayed by the popular “Heartstopper” actor Kit Connor, is expected to be high – given that the production’s tagline is “The youth are doomed.
Instead, you won’t find them wearing tunics or Elizabethan costumes. Gold’s vision is deeply rooted in the culture of the Gen Z cast members. In fact, when I first pitched this project to Zegler, I described it as “Romeo and Juliet” if it were set in a music video like Troye Sivan’s ‘Rush’. As a movie enthusiast, I can’t wait to see how they bring this unique twist on the classic tale to life!
Zegler presents her unique perspective, stating, “If Juliet were around today, she’d be having a rebellious, fun-filled summer,” she playfully hints, suggesting that similar to Charli XCX and Lorde, the Montagues and Capulets might find a resolution in their modern adaptation.
Despite that 21st-century edge — and new music from pop super-producer Jack Antonoff — Gold is sticking to the original text. “It’s 100% iambic pentameter,” Zegler says. “This is Shakespeare, and you’re sitting your ass down for the play.”
Ever since Steven Spielberg selected her from her high school days in Hackensack, NJ, to play Maria in his 2021 “West Side Story” remake, Zegler has risen as one of the most radiant new stars of this decade. She’s graced comic book adventures (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods”) and spearheaded a significant franchise (“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”). Now, Zegler is on the verge of becoming a global icon for children everywhere with her role as Snow White in Disney’s live-action production, hitting cinemas in March 2025. Taking on the fairest one of all signifies the culmination of an era for Zegler, while setting foot on Broadway symbolizes the start of a new chapter: “I must start contemplating the transition,” she notes. “I feel ready to be selective for the next opportunity.
Nevertheless, Zegler’s swift ascension has not been without its complications. Since her rise to stardom, she has faced harsh and persistent criticism. Initially, it started with light-hearted jibes about her “theater kid” vibe, but as Zegler’s fame expanded, the criticisms leveled against her grew darker. When she humorously mentioned not receiving an Oscar invitation despite “West Side Story” garnering seven nominations, she was labeled unappreciative and demanding. Her admission that she accepted the role in the “Shazam!” sequel due to financial necessity was deemed crass, and she was advised to undergo media training. Moreover, each time she speaks out against racism and sexism within the entertainment industry, she is branded as merely a “DEI hire,” exploiting her identity rather than her skills.
She’s trying to have a sense of humor about the vitriol.
In a post from August, a user expressed, “You should die.” To which she responded humorously, “Did you know I’ll be ‘dying’ eight times a week on Broadway this fall!!!,” implying that the hater could purchase a ticket to see her perform instead. She then tagged the FBI in her message.
“Being famous isn’t for the faint of heart,” Zegler says with a sigh.
As Zegler descends from her hotel room in West Hollywood for breakfast on a sunny August Saturday, she’s dressed casually chic in a floral maxi dress, with her hair styled simply using an oversized claw clip to accentuate some gold hoop earrings. She goes makeup-free, giving off an easy, timeless cool vibe that fits right in with the locals enjoying brunch at nearby tables. Yet, it’s clear that this is not her usual crowd.
She explains that her affection for this field isn’t due to this specific town. On the contrary, she finds the town itself rather unpleasant. She dislikes how the town revolves around her line of work, finding it restrictive, isolating, and odd. In New York, people seem less concerned about such things.
Zegler’s affection for the five boroughs grew even stronger following a six-month shoot in the U.K. for “Snow White” and filming “The Hunger Games” in Poland. She expresses her gratitude for New York’s diversity by saying, “It isn’t until you travel worldwide to film in various cities that you truly appreciate what you have at home.” Upon returning from a year in Europe, going to her local bodega where people speak Spanish to her, she dramatically exclaims, mimicking the heatstroke and melodrama, “Oh, my goodness, I’ve missed you, Enrique!
She’s giggling now. “Folks truly wear whatever they fancy. If I step out and wonder, ‘Is this too dressy?’, someone is undoubtedly wearing something more eccentric than me, in a delightful way,” she explains. Today, she sports an unusual accessory – a Sesame Street fanny pack hanging from one shoulder. It’s a hint at her dream career: to be the sole human actor in a Muppets performance. “Michael Caine did it for ‘Christmas Carol’,” she mentions. “Tim Curry did it for ‘Muppet Treasure Island’. I want to be the one!
Despite needing to postpone that for now, Zegler’s current phase is all about her princess role. It’s been a diverse mix of reactions. Her casting as the stepdaughter who eats apples from the wicked queen sparked immediate controversy online, with some vowing to avoid the movie due to the perceived “woke” choice. Critics argue that Zegler’s Colombian descent disqualifies her from portraying the princess from Disney’s 1937 musical fairytale, who is described as having hair as dark as ebony and skin as white as snow. However, this character, Blancanieves, enjoys similar popularity in Spanish-speaking countries as she does in the U.S.
Zegler notes, ‘She was my mother’s preferred princess.’ Growing up, there weren’t many princess characters with dark hair, and that one resonated with her as it resembled her own appearance.
It’s not surprising that director Marc Webb instantly desired Zegler for the role as soon as he heard her audition. He shares that his script supervisor even shed tears upon hearing her singing voice. “She also possesses a natural elegance, composure, and kindness that resonates strongly with the essence of Snow White,” he explains.
Instead of pondering why some dedicated Disney fans find it challenging to accept a Latina in their cherished princess roles, Zegler chooses not to delve into that question. After all, she is creating a kids’ movie, and her mind often drifts back to her youthful enthusiasm for ABC’s 1997 TV movie featuring Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother and Brandy as Cinderella.
She grew up in a home where Cinderella was a familiar character. Of course, they watched the cartoon version. A child’s mind is incredible, it just accepts that as ‘Cinderella’. Even the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Cinderella from the 1950s cartoon and Hilary Duff’s portrayal of Cinderella in ‘A Cinderella Story’ are all recognized as Cinderella. She smiles subtly, implying that she understood these distinctions at a young age.
26 years after her memorable performance in “Cinderella,” Brandy expresses her conviction about Rachel being perfectly suited for an upcoming role, saying, “She’s going to be simply amazing!” She also offers some words of encouragement to Zegler as she navigates the wave of criticism concerning her casting. “You aren’t assuming this role to conform to the critics’ expectations,” Brandy writes. “Instead, you’re stepping into it for every young Colombian girl who hasn’t seen themselves represented in a Disney princess role. You’re doing this for the little girl that you once were, who didn’t have a character embodying her Colombian heritage. By showing them that dreams can come true for those who look like them, you are fulfilling one of the most significant roles there is.
Zegler discloses that the fresh movie has a unique backstory for her character’s name, “Snow White.” Instead of being named after the traditional tale, the new origin story suggests that she was given this name to symbolize her survival of a snowstorm as an infant. The king and queen chose the name to remind her of her resilience. A key aspect in our film is inspiring young women and individuals alike to remember their own strength.
The social media outrage about Zegler being cast as Snow White only got louder as time went on. She began saying in red-carpet interviews in the summer of 2022 that her version of the iconic princess wouldn’t spend her days pining over a man. She called aspects of the original story “weird” and said that the 1937 film’s prince “literally stalks” Snow White. Overnight, online trolls took shots at Zegler’s “disdain” for the animated classic, deeming her unworthy of portraying the OG Disney heroine.
She looks thoughtful as she reminisces about the hostility that surfaced during that period. “To put it simply, it saddened me that things turned out that way because I’m a firm believer in women’s capabilities,” Zegler expresses. “I believe they can achieve anything and everything.” What she truly wanted to convey was that Snow White yearns for romance but also has ambitions beyond that.
Zegler emphasizes that he wouldn’t force anyone into a corner with statements like, ‘You can’t have love if you work,’ or ‘You can’t work if you want a family.’ Such statements are not accurate and never have been. It’s disheartening when things get misconstrued or humor falls flat. The romantic aspect of the story is crucial. There was a misunderstanding that we weren’t including this plotline anymore; however, it has always been part of our plan – just not the focus of discussion on that particular day.
Zegler doesn’t find it surprising when she perceives intentional misinterpretations of her statements. This kind of treatment is typical for an outspoken young woman in the public spotlight. “I’ve seen women being criticized throughout my entire life and career,” she states. “We will witness this during the upcoming election, and I fear we will continue to see it for a long time. At times, it can seem like we are moving backward; it certainly felt that way when that was happening.
Despite appearing invulnerable due to my cheerful personality, I’m not impervious to harsh criticism. I’ve considered stepping away from social media, but I won’t do so because I don’t want to grant them the satisfaction of knowing they’ve affected me in the heat of the moment. You empower them significantly by taking a break from social media.
Logging off would also make it harder to speak up for the causes she cares about.
In the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Zegler passionately advocated safeguards against the risks posed by artificial intelligence, a concern that hit home: She had already experienced having “approximately 465 photos taken from every angle of my body” for CG stunts. “It was downright eerie,” she recounts. “I was genuinely worried about being supplanted by an AI version of myself they scanned when I was 18, never to work on a set again. What prevented them from using that for the duration of my career?
For the past year, Zegler has additionally been vocal in support of Palestinians, and predictably, her remarks have come under intense scrutiny. Not long after making an appearance at D23 in August and sharing the initial footage from “Snow White” with a captivated audience, she expressed thanks on platform X. However, it was the closing line of her post that sparked the most discussion: “And never forget, liberate Palestine.
Rachel Zegler’s Path Crosses with Gal Gadot Sparks Debate,” reads one headline from Fox News. According to Newsweek, tension seems to be brewing between Zegler and her fellow actress Gal Gadot, who has a notable military background having served for two years in the Israeli Defense Forces before her acting career took off.
Zegler expresses her deep concern, stating, ‘I find it incomprehensible to witness children dying.’ She believes this sentiment should not be controversial. While she acknowledges the complexity of the situation, she tries to disregard the overwhelming noise that often accompanies her public statements. ‘I’m accountable for my feelings,’ she says, ‘and also for how I choose to respond to them.’ It’s been nearly a year since the tragic attacks in Israel on October 7, but Zegler has been closely monitoring this conflict for many years. Like many others, she is deeply saddened by the mounting loss of life reported from both regions.
Regardless of any criticism, Zegler remains determined to utilize her influence to support the Palestinian community. As she puts it, “I don’t claim to have all the solutions, and I don’t believe any celebrity voicing political opinions has all the answers. However, we do have a platform that allows us to share fundraising links, ensuring these people receive the financial assistance, care, and aid they desperately need but aren’t receiving from those in power. If this means taking on a role of influence that benefits them, then I am more than willing to do so.
Initially, Zegler had reservations about taking up the Broadway role, fearing it would be too similar to playing Maria. She didn’t want to be limited to that part forever. “I didn’t want to be typecast,” she explains. The Spielberg movie, she notes, has significantly impacted her life over the past five years. “Fortunately so,” she says. “It was a fantastic project, and it was an incredible experience. However, at some point, you’re ready for new challenges.
There have been instances where Zegler has stepped away from stereotypical feminine roles. For instance, in the A24 disaster comedy “Y2K,” she showcases her comedic skills and uses profanity on screen while portraying Laura, a teenage computer genius who is also a popular girl pursued by a male character. Similarly, in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” Lucy Gray Baird, Zegler’s character, is a romantic lead with a beautiful voice but exhibits an iron-fisted and somewhat intimidating attitude as she fights for her survival.
Although she’s just starting out in her professional life, Zegler has made efforts to avoid being stereotyped. “It seems like nobody wanted me to try anything new,” she remarks. “Even the Broadway roles I was offered were along the lines of ‘Would you like to play Guenevere in ‘Camelot’?’ There’s a lot of appeal there, but it would just be another soprano role, something people have already seen me do. It would have been an honor, but I need to consider the long-term prospects of my career.
Zegler reveals that she truly connected with the character of Juliet after Gold advised her to consider that thirteen-year-olds today are much more mature than they used to be. She recalls, “That insight had a profound impact on me. I remember well what it was like being 13 and feeling wiser than my parents, my thoughts racing faster than my words could keep up.
Beyond simply refreshing her skills on Shakespeare when she accepted the part, Zegler also had a hidden purpose. “It gives me a reason to stay in New York,” she confessed. “I just love having a reason to be at home.
Currently, her home is a Lower East Side apartment that she shares with a miniature golden doodle named Lenny, a tribute to the renowned “West Side Story” composer Leonard Bernstein. Her second passion is her boyfriend (and co-star in both “West Side Story” and “Hunger Games”), Josh Andrés Rivera. Following brunch, she’ll return to New York to be with them both, serving as her crucial support system before she starts rehearsals for “Romeo + Juliet” in two days. She admits to having the same panic attack the night before embarking on anything new. “I just want to be good,” she says. “I just want to be sufficient, and I want to be suitable for it.
Regarding her personal aspirations, she follows a conventional notion of a contented ending – a statement that might be unexpected for those who assumed her remarks about Snow White not needing a prince to mean misandry. In essence, Zegler expresses her desire to marry, start a family, and eventually retreat. Moreover, she hopes to periodically emerge to create something extraordinary, cherished, and then return to privacy.
Zegler harmoniously balances her feminist identity with marriage and motherhood; her personal fairy tale is the anchor that grounds her. “Over the past couple of years, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the love in my life outweighs any recognition. It’s what has stopped me from making reckless decisions.” Zegler momentarily chokes up, tears welling up. “Excuse me,” she murmurs. She composes herself, then continues, “It’s what has kept me from acting foolishly.
Like giving up on all of this — this abundant, creative life she always dreamed of — for good.
At times, she admits feeling exhausted and thinking, ‘I no longer wish to continue.’ She explains that her life serves as a lesson for those who lack empathy, which can sometimes feel overwhelming and lead one to desire anonymity.
Zegler gently prods a small bowl of fruit sitting before her, yet her thoughts wander towards the East Coast. She mentally envisions the house she’ll acquire someday – either in Jersey or upstate New York – complete with a spacious yard for Lenny to play in. Afterward, she brings her gaze back up.
She notes that her family instilled in her a sense of gratitude for silence. She eagerly anticipates these peaceful moments, as they’re when she feels most authentic and true to herself.
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2024-10-02 18:18