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Rachel Zegler says she was asked by white execs if she was a 'legit' Latina in West Side Story casting
Zegler recalled the unsettling experience of being forced to prove your heritage to a room full of white executives.
By Ryan Coleman Published on March 18, 2025 11:04PM EDT
https://ew.com/rachel-zegler-asked-by-white-execs-if-legit-latina-for-west-side-story-11699539
Rachel Zegler is still shocked by some of her experiences throughout the West Side Story casting process.
"There's confusion because I don't have a single ounce of Latin in my name," she told Los Angeles Times in a Tuesday interview. "When I was in the running for María in West Side Story, they kept calling to ask if I was legit. I remember thinking, 'Do you want me to bring my abuelita in?' I will. I'll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her."
The 23-year-old, New Jersey-born actress was among thousands of talents, well known and otherwise, who vied for the plum role in the adaptation of the 1957 stage musical. Zegler was very much in the "otherwise" camp, having never appeared in a screen role before director Steven Spielberg put out a 2018 casting call for Spanish-speaking actors for the film. The resulting film, which earned Zegler's costar Ariana DeBose an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, also draws heavily on the first film adaptation of the musical, which massively expanded the star profile of its María, Natalie Wood.
Zegler recalled the unsettling experience of being forced to prove your heritage to a room full of white executives.
By Ryan Coleman Published on March 18, 2025 11:04PM EDT
https://ew.com/rachel-zegler-asked-by-white-execs-if-legit-latina-for-west-side-story-11699539
Rachel Zegler is still shocked by some of her experiences throughout the West Side Story casting process.
"There's confusion because I don't have a single ounce of Latin in my name," she told Los Angeles Times in a Tuesday interview. "When I was in the running for María in West Side Story, they kept calling to ask if I was legit. I remember thinking, 'Do you want me to bring my abuelita in?' I will. I'll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her."
The 23-year-old, New Jersey-born actress was among thousands of talents, well known and otherwise, who vied for the plum role in the adaptation of the 1957 stage musical. Zegler was very much in the "otherwise" camp, having never appeared in a screen role before director Steven Spielberg put out a 2018 casting call for Spanish-speaking actors for the film. The resulting film, which earned Zegler's costar Ariana DeBose an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, also draws heavily on the first film adaptation of the musical, which massively expanded the star profile of its María, Natalie Wood.
