Rachel Zegler breaks silence on racist trolls and Hollywood pressure
Being cast as a Disney princess may seem like a dream, but for Rachel Zegler, it came with unexpected scrutiny.
The actress has opened up about the wave of criticism that followed her early rise to fame, including backlash related to her performances in West Side Story and her upcoming role as Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation.
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Zegler reflected on the confusing criticism she faced early in her career.
“I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White. It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that,” Zegler said.
Much of the criticism centered on her heritage, which Zegler has always embraced.
“I grew up proud of being Colombian – eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult – but I do think there’s an argument to be made that, in the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing. But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort,” she explained.
The actress also faced backlash online over comments about the original Snow White film and her political views, at times receiving threats that she described as frightening.
“If I’d been able to predict everything that would come my way, the threats to my safety, I would have just thrown my phone into the ocean. I think any sane person would have,” Zegler said.
Looking back, she admits fame arrived earlier than she expected.
“I wish I’d had maybe five more years on me before all that happened – a little more of a frontal lobe… I was a star, but with the caveat that I still had to prove myself,”
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