Snow White star Rachel Zegler lashes out at ‘white’ movie bosses for asking her to prove her Latina heritage

Snow White star Rachel Zegler has spoken out about a “shocking” request she received during auditions for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

The 23-year-old actor has been making headlines with her latest controversy-marred film Snow White, which has received mostly negative reviews from the critics.

But It’s not the first time one of Zegler’s movies has sparked controversy tied to her Colombian background.

Zegler recently recalled in a new interview with Allure that she was repeatedly asked to confirm her Colombian heritage while vying to play Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 musical remake.

Despite growing up with Latina roots, Zegler said studio executives questioned her authenticity because of her name.

She explained, “There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name. When I was in the running for Maria… 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.’”

Zegler said the situation never escalated to that point, but expressed frustration at “having a bunch of white executives have you prove your identity to them.”

The casting of Maria has previously been a point of contention, with earlier versions of the 1949 musical criticised for choosing non-Hispanic actors, including Natalie Wood in the 1961 adaptation.

Zegler’s performance as Maria marked her breakout role, which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Following the success of West Side Story, she was cast as the lead in Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White.

However, her casting has faced backlash from some conservative voices, who took issue with a Latina actor playing a character originally described as having “skin as white as snow.”

Zegler addressed the backlash in previous interviews, saying the character’s story needed updating. “It’s no longer 1937,” she told Entertainment Weekly, adding that Snow White “is not going to be saved by the prince” but instead dreams of becoming a leader.

The remake has also faced scrutiny over its depiction of the seven dwarfs.

 In 2022, actor Peter Dinklage criticised Disney for celebrating Zegler’s casting while continuing to tell “that f***ing backward story” involving dwarfs “living in a cave together.”

In response, Disney said it was working with the dwarfism community to avoid reinforcing outdated stereotypes.

A Disney spokesperson said, “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.”

Disney has also redesigned the dwarfs as “magical creatures” with a mix of sizes and genders.