Rachel Zegler shares the interesting story of how she was cast for Snow White, Disney's upcoming live-action remake of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Zegler is a 20-year-old up-and-coming star who recently made her big-screen debut in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Story, where she played Maria.
Snow White is the latest classic Disney movie that will be getting a modern spin. The highly anticipated movie will be helmed by Marc Webb and will feature new songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul . Zegler will star alongside Gal Gadot, who has been tapped to play the Evil Queen. While the film has yet to get a release date, production is expected to start this year.
I was really excited to work with Marc Webb. I love his movies a lot. I love how he directs. And so, I didn’t know really what I was auditioning for. I just knew it was “Untitled Disney Project.” And I met with him for the first time. I had these disguised sides that didn’t have character names on them and didn’t really give much away about what the plot was.
Zegler was handpicked by Disney execs after a rigorous search for the right girl who will become the new Snow White. Despite her lack of experience in the industry, Zegler's singing talent and stage presence impressed everyone, securing her the highly coveted role. Interestingly, her casting raised some questions as Zegler comes from a Colombian-Polish background unlike the perceived image of the original cartoon being Caucasian.
Ignoring haters will be something Zegler needs to master while she prepares to play her biggest role to date. As she sets out to prove that she's indeed the"fairest of them all," she also has the unique opportunity to reinvent Snow White and reintroduce the character to this generation's audiences. While there have been many films done based on the well-loved fairytale, none of them had the official Disney magic.