Rachel Zegler is ready to make her mark on Hollywood! After landing the lead of Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, the 20-year-old was recently cast as Snow White in Disney's live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Rachel, who is Colombian-American, is the latest Disney princess of colour, joining the ranks of Elena from the animated series Elena of Avalor and Halle Bailey who is starring as Ariel in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. Seeing as Rachel is fairly new to the spotlight, why not take a moment to learn more about her? Keep reading for a few fun facts about Disney's newest princess!
Get to Know Disney's Snow White Star Rachel Zegler
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After more than 30,000 people auditioned for the role of Maria in Steven Spielberg's film, Rachel — who was a 17-year-old attending New Jersey High School at the time — landed the lead role. "I am so thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Maria alongside this amazing cast," Rachel previously said in a statement. "West Side Story was the first musical I encountered with a Latina lead character. As a Colombian-American, I am humbled by the opportunity to play a role that means so much to the Hispanic community." In addition to West Side Story, which hits theatres on Dec. 10, Rachel will also be appearing in Shazam: Fury of the Gods.
Yes, Rachel can sing, too. In fact, back in 2018, she covered "Shallow" from A Star Is Born, and her tweet went viral. It currently has over 11 million views!
Prior to landing the role of Maria in West Side Story, Rachel was supposed to attend Montclair State University. "I remember sending an email to the head of admissions at Montclair State University saying, 'I know this sounds like a lie, but this is what happened, and this is why I can't attend,'" Rachel recalled to Vogue. Rachel has since put college on hold.
Seeing as she's a musician, it should come as no surprise that Rachel knows how to play the piano. Seriously, is there anything she can't do?