Rachel Zegler is a singer, songwriter and actress who is best-known for starring as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” Zegler had performed the role in a performing arts theater, and then landed the role with her audition.
She had previously gained attention with her cover on YouTube of Lady GaGa’s song “Shallow” from “A Star is Born.” The clip has over 3 million views and is quite impressive.
Movies
“West Side Story” (2021)
Rachel big break came with landing the role of Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of this classic musical. The film was solid as a faithful remake, which makes one wonder why Spielberg took this on. Still, it gave Rachel the opportunity to show off her talents, even if she was saddled with an unimpressive costar with Ansel Elgort as Tony. Our reviewer Rob Dean heaped praise on Zegler’s performance:
But Elgort is a fairly blank-faced individual here who never seems to be doing much more than attempting an impression of 1950s Marlon Brando while singing with medium talent and dancing with even less. The constant mouth-breathing and off-putting dead eyes suck the passion out of every one of his scenes. This is made even more apparent in stark contrast with Zegler, who puts her entire heart into her voice and exudes that boundless hope of the young. Maria doesn’t get a lot of impressive choreography — it’s mostly just standing and staring into the middle distance while pining for a different life. And yet, even with that poor static decision, Zegler manages to impart so much energy into just her eyes and voice, with millions of emotions washing over her face, that it becomes interesting and exciting all on its own… until the camera cuts back to Elgort and his black hole of charisma.
“Snow White” (Expected in 2024)
Rachel landed the role of Snow White in Disney’s live action remake of their animated classic, starring opposite Gal Gadot.
Disney has had mixed success with its live adaptations, and the “Snow White” project has generated it’s share of controversy. Rachel contributed to that with comments that have generated a backlash.
Resources
Rachel Zegler on YouTube
Check out Rachel’s amazing voice and songwriting ability on her YouTube channel.
Rachel on Instagram
She shares some great photos on this platform.
Interviews
Elle Magazine
This in-depth profile features some interesting perspectives from Rachel along with some stunning photos of her in a wide variety of fashions.
Rachel responds to the “Snow White” backlash
You have to feel for her given how hard it is to be in the spotlight. She made some comments that sparked a backlash and now she’s trying to deal with it. Take a look at the video she posted that is featured in this article and you can see how the strain of celebrity is taking its toll.
Vogue Profile
This profile of Rachel before the release of “West Side Story” also features some cool fashion photos.