Rachel Zegler Calls “Snow White” and “West Side Story” Casting Controversies 'a Really Confusing Time' in Her Life

Desiree AnelloWed, March 11, 2026 at 3:45 PM UTC

0

Rachel Zegler in 'Snow White'; Rachel Zegler in 'West Side Story'Credit: Courtesy of Disney; Niko Tavernise -

Rachel Zegler opened up about why the backlash following her roles in Snow White and West Side Story made for “a really confusing time” in her life

“I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort,” said the actress, who is of Colombian and Polish descent

Zegler also said that navigating the difficult situations was “a complete study in intent versus impact”

Rachel Zegler is reflecting on the struggles that came from her previous casting controversies.

One year after the adaptation of the 1937 hit Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came under fire for taking a “woke” approach to the classic character, the 24-year-old actress, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, admitted that dealing with the racist backlash was “a really confusing time” in her life.

“I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White,” Zegler told Harper’s Bazaar in an interview published March 10. “It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that.”

Indeed, Zegler revealed to Allure last year that studio executives “kept calling to ask if I was legit” Latina during the casting process for her breakout role as West Side Story’s Maria.

Rachel Zegler as Snow WhiteCredit: Courtesy of Disney

“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,” she continued in her latest interview. “But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”

While she acknowledged that her mother grew up in a time when assimilation was a “tactic for survival,” Zegler made it clear that speaking her mind will always be a testament to her “core beliefs as a human.”

And although she wouldn’t change anything she’s said about her involvement in either film, she did admit that each experience was “a complete study in intent versus impact.”

Advertisement

“You live and you learn, and there’s a caution that comes with that,” Zegler said. “There’s an understanding that the temptation to speak doesn’t always mean that it must be done, and that there are a lot of opportunities to make more meaningful change than a tweet.”

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Rachel Zegler in 'West Side Story'Credit: Niko Tavernise

“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,” she added. “I think any sane person would have.”

As for how the Hunger Games actress overcame and moved past the backlash? She told i-D Magazine in June that her therapist played a major role in helping her through the toughest times.

“My f---ing psychiatrist has seen me through all of it,” Zegler said at the time, adding that they reminded her, “ ‘What you’re going through isn’t normal.' ”

“I think a victim mindset is a choice, and I don’t choose it,” she continued. “I also don’t choose nastiness in the face of it. I don’t choose negativity in the face of it. I choose positivity and light and happiness. And I do believe at times, happiness is absolutely a choice, and every day I wake up and I think I’m very lucky to live the life I live.”

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”