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Snow White's Rachel Zegler Recalls 'White Executives' Not Believing She Is Latina During West Side Story Casting
Rachel Zegler revealed that white studio executives repeatedly questioned her Latina identity during the West Side Story casting process.
Rachel Zegler revealed in a recent interview with Allure that white studio executives repeatedly questioned her Latina heritage during the casting process for West Side Story.
Director Steven Spielberg insisted that María, the film’s Latina protagonist, be played by a Latina actor. However, Zegler, who was born to a Colombian American mother and a Polish American father, said her name caused confusion.
“There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name,” Zegler told Allure 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.”
Rachel Zegler was among thousands who auditioned for the role, but the questioning from executives was an unexpected challenge.
“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.”
Despite the scrutiny, Spielberg was confident in casting Zegler. She landed the role in 2019 based on an audition tape where she sang Tonight and Me Siento Hermosa. The film, which released in 2021, earned critical acclaim, and Zegler won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Her West Side Story co-star, Ariana DeBose, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film also helped launch Zegler’s Hollywood career.
At the time of her casting, she had no prior film experience. Spielberg had put out a casting call in 2018 looking specifically for Spanish-speaking actors, and Zegler’s audition stood out.
Zegler’s performance in West Side Story also led to her casting in Disney’s live-action Snow White. She had filmed West Side Story, but the movie had not yet been released when Disney was considering actors for the role.
Zegler mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel Live that Steven Spielberg gave her a strong recommendation to director Marc Webb. She recalled receiving a text from Spielberg before officially learning she had gotten the role, saying that after she wished him a happy Father’s Day, he responded with a series of apple emojis.
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