WestSideStory & SnowWhite's Rachel Zegler talks the pressure of her movie roles 👀 'I felt more of my anonymity go out the window after Snow White was announced, because Disney has such a dedicated following. I had to step into these iconic shoes.'
Rachel Zegler, star of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and of the upcoming live-action remake of Disney's Snow White, details the pressure she felt when taking these iconic roles. At the age of 17, the actor was selected to star as Maria in West Side Story, an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name and remake of the 1961 Academy Award-winning film.
In early 2021, she nabbed a role in the DCEU film Shazam! Fury of the Gods as one of the daughters of Atlas, though what specific character Zegler will play in the upcoming film has yet to be revealed. She was also able to pick up the title role in Disney's Snow White, a remake of their 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Directed by The Amazing Spider-Man's Marc Webb, the new film will also star Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen Grimhilde.
I felt more of my anonymity go out the window after Snow White was announced, because Disney has such a dedicated following. I had to step into these iconic shoes. The first thing I thought personally was just how to block out the inevitable comparison that would come between myself and Natalie Wood, and myself and a literal two-dimensional cartoon that everyone and their mother seemed to care about the second they announced that I was in the movie.
Adding to the pressure was the inevitable online social media vitriol that comes when a non-white actor is cast in a role that was previously portrayed as white. Zegler brushed off the Snow White casting backlash as Hollywood rallied behind her, but the actor was also subject to criticism on social media, even before her first film was released. Some wondered how such an unproven actor was able to gain prominent roles so quickly.
Although Zegler is still very young, she has already demonstrated a massive amount of talent. She was chosen as Maria in West Side Story through an open casting call of over 30,000 auditions, and then won the Golden Globe for her inaugural role, proving that she belongs in Hollywood. With West Side Story behind her and Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Snow White on the horizon, Zegler is only at the beginning of a long and bright career.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Denver Weather: Chilly Rain, Strong T-Storms And Even Snow Expected Sunday Night In ColoradoRain and snow will develop in the mountains Sunday afternoon and spread east into Denver overnight.
Read more »
First two Black women in White House press corps honored with lifetime achievement awardsAlice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne were the first African American women to be members of the White House press corps. Now, they are being honored with the first-ever lifetime achievement awards in their names. CBSVillage
Read more »
White Sox, Andrew Vaughn Relieved as X-Rays on Hand NegativeThe White Sox and Andrew Vaughn feel a sense of relief after X-rays on Vaughn’s hand came back negative following a hit by pitch vs. the Angels.
Read more »
Angels lose rain-shortened game to White Sox, ending 6-game winning streakJosé Suarez allows four runs in less than five innings of a 4-0 loss called because of rain in the sixth
Read more »
How to Watch the 2022 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Hosted by Trevor NoahThree years and one administration later, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is back in Washington, D.C., for the first time since 2019. This year’s event, headlined by “The D…
Read more »