Rachel Zegler blasts ‘White’ movie execs for asking her to prove her Latina heritage
Snow White star Rachel Zegler revealed that when she was auditioning for West Side Story, movie bosses questioned her Colombian heritage.
Rachel Zegler called out “White” executives for asking her to prove her Latina heritage in a Tuesday interview. The Snow White star claimed that she was repeatedly asked to prove her cultural identity to land the role of Maria in West Side Story.
Rachel Zegler slams ‘White’ executives for asking her to prove her Latina heritage
“There's confusion because I don't have a single ounce of Latin in my name,” the 23-year-old told Allure. She revealed that when she was auditioning for the part in Steven Speilberg's 2021 film, movie bosses questioned her Colombian heritage.
“When I was in the running for Maria in West Side Story, they kept calling to ask if I was legit,” Zegler recalled, adding, “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.’”
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The Y2K star went on to say that she was shocked to see “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,” she added.
Zegler further confessed that it was her ability to sing that helped her land the role in Snow White, her latest project, in which she stars alongside Gal Gadot. “The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,” she claimed.
“My only prayer for the future of diversity and inclusion is that we invest in and nurture talent no matter what they look like,” the Spellbound star continued before noting that “it’s so important for the next generation” to see the Disney film and other movies like it show a victory of good over evil.