After years of online backlash over “Snow White,” Rachel Zegler says the criticism forced her to confront identity, fame and speaking out.
For Rachel Zegler, the journey from breakout star to global headline-maker has been marked not only by career milestones but also by intense public scrutiny.
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the actress revisited the wave of criticism that followed her casting in Disney’s live-action “Snow White.” The backlash, she said, arrived at a particularly vulnerable time in her life — her early twenties — when she was still figuring out who she was both on and off screen.
“I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White,” Zegler said. “It was a really confusing time.”
The comments highlight a familiar tension in Hollywood: how actors’ identities are often debated as intensely as their performances.
Zegler, who is of Colombian descent, said those conversations sometimes made her feel as though her background was being picked apart.
She recalled growing up deeply connected to her heritage — from family traditions and food to cultural customs — and said those experiences shaped her sense of pride.
Yet the public response to her casting suggested to some critics that she didn’t fit neatly into expectations tied to certain roles.
Zegler pushed back against that idea.
“I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort,” she said.
Discussion around her casting has followed two different films. When she played Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, critics questioned why she wasn’t Puerto Rican like the character.
Later, when she was announced as the lead in Disney’s “Snow White,” others argued she didn’t resemble the animated princess from the 1937 classic.
The debate expanded beyond casting. Zegler’s comments about the original film’s themes — which she described as outdated — and her vocal support for Palestinians also sparked heated online reactions.
Looking back, Zegler said the experience taught her how quickly public discourse can escalate.
“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 said. “I think any sane person would have.”
Still, the actress says she hasn’t abandoned speaking up entirely. Instead, she has become more thoughtful about when and how she uses her voice.
“You live and you learn,” Zegler said. “There are a lot of opportunities to make more meaningful change than a tweet.”
