Rachel Zegler hits out at “white executives” for checking her Latina heritage in ‘West Side Story’ casting
Snow White star Rachel Zegler has revealed that her Latina heritage was doubted by “white executives” when she was auditioning for Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story.
Zegler rose to prominence upon securing the lead role in West Side Story, which was released in 2021 but was filmed in 2019 following a lengthy casting experience. Over 30,000 people applied for the role of María which was eventually whittled down to just one as Zegler secured her huge breakthrough.
Notably, the character is Latina, and Zegler has Colombian roots, which makes her a perfect fit for the role of María. However, as she doesn’t look like the stereotypical definition of a Latina woman nor has a name that is connected to the region, Zegler had to fight hard to convince executives of her heritage.
In a new interview with Allure, she explained: “There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name. 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”.
Zegler added, “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.”
Conversely, when Zegler was announced as the star of Snow White she faced criticism due to her Latin heritage. The actor, who is also of Polish descent, responded to the backlash in 2023, stating, “Extremely appreciative of the love I feel from those defending me online, but please don’t tag me in the nonsensical discourse about my casting.”
Snow White is set for release on March 21st following a scaled-back promotional campaign which saw Disney ban interviews on the red carpet and opted for more intimate premieres than usual for movies of this magnitude.
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