Rachel Zegler has quickly become one of Hollywood’s rising stars. At just 20 years old, she made a major debut in Steven Spielberg‘s 2021 remake of West Side Story, earning critical acclaim for her portrayal of Maria and winning a Golden Globe for her breakthrough role. Now, at 23, Zegler is back in the spotlight with her portrayal of the titular character in the live-action Snow White, which was released in March 2025. However, her casting—announced well before the movie hit the big screen—and her continued outspoken support for a Free Palestine after the film’s release have sparked significant controversy.
With all the attention surrounding her, learn more about Zegler and her journey from playing Maria in West Side Story to stepping into the iconic role of Snow White.
Rachel Zegler as Maria in ‘West Side Story.’ (Niko Tavernise/20th Century FOX)
Rachel Zegler Played Maria in ‘West Side Story’
The New Jersey native was just 17 years old when she landed the role of Maria, beating out tens of thousands of other applicants. West Side Story marked Zegler’s feature film debut.
Spielberg began casting for the role of Maria in January 2018. Wanting to keep the movie as “ethnically authentic” as possible, the open casting call requested Latinx actors. Zegler responded to the call with a video of herself singing “Tonight” and “Me Siento Hermosa” (“I Feel Pretty”). Her performances stood out from the 30,000 others, earning her the star-making role.
“I am so thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Maria alongside this amazing cast. West Side Story was the first musical I encountered with a Latina lead character,” Zegler said upon her casting, according to Variety. “As a Colombian-American, I am humbled by the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community.”
Zegler stars alongside Ansel Elgort, who plays Tony. The cast also includes Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Mike Faist as Riff, and Rita Moreno as Valentina.
Rachel Zegler Plays Snow White
The actress plays the title role of Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. “Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts. Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale,” director Marc Webb told Deadline.
The director and Disney had been searching for their Snow White for months. Rachel’s auditions reportedly “impressed everyone,” but early footage of West Side Story “blew everyone away and helped push the decision across the finish line.” Zegler reposted the exciting news on Instagram and wrote, “Well… hello to a dream come true.”
She Has a YouTube Channel
Zegler was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and raised in Clifton. She developed her acting chops by partaking in theatrical productions at Immaculate Conception, an all-girls Catholic high school. In June 2019, Zegler graduated from high school. Zegler started her own YouTube channel, which has over 300,000 subscribers and counting.
Rachel Zegler at the ‘West Side Story’ premiere. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)
Zegler entertains her growing fanbase with covers of pop songs, Vlogs, and other videos. Zegler’s cover of “Shallow” from A Star Is Born went insanely viral with almost 4 million views. Then, when haters said it was autotuned, Zegler took to Twitter to post a soundcheck where she belted out some more “Shallow” lyrics.
She Received Praise from Stephen Sondheim
The famed Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics for the original West Side Story musical. Zegler was able to meet the composer, who passed away in November 2021, after being cast as Maria in Spielberg’s remake. “I lost my mind,” she told ELLE. “I just sank to my knees next to him instinctually. He said, ‘I’ve heard you sing on YouTube. You’re like a nightingale.’ And I was like, ‘Shut up. Fully, no, absolutely not.’”
Rachel Zegler Stars in ‘Shazam 2’
In addition to West Side Story and Snow White, Zegler was also a part of Shazam: Fury of the Gods, the sequel to the surprise hit superhero movie starring Zachary Levi. She also appeared in the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the Netflix animated fantasy musical Spellbound.
