Rachel Zegler has once again defended her casting as Snow White in the woke live-action remake of the Disney classic.
The film has been plagued by controversy in the run-up to its release this Friday, partly because of Zegler’s politically charged comments.
When she was announced as part of the cast in 2021, her casting sparked a heated debate because she diverged from the traditional image of the character, who is typically described as ‘white as snow.’
In response to the negative reception, Rachel wrote in a since-deleted post: ‘yes i am snow white no i am not bleaching my skin for the role.’
Now the actress has explained how and why she was selected for the part of the original Disney princess, in a cover interview for Allure.
‘The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,’ said Zegler, who was a YouTuber before she became a movie star.
Rachel Zegler has once again defended her casting as Snow White in the woke live-action remake of the Disney classic
In a brief mention of the controversy surrounding her casting, she remarked: ‘My hope for the future of diversity and inclusion is that we support and encourage talent regardless of their appearance.’
She burst onto the Hollywood scene with her performance as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 movie of the Broadway show West Side Story.
However, at the time when she was called to read for the Snow White remake, West Side Story had not yet been released in theaters.
Spielberg penned a letter of recommendation for her, and she left a strong impression during her audition by performing scenes from the film and singing one of its songs.
Zegler was also staunchly supported by the movie’s director Marc Webb, who insisted: ‘There are few people who are more dedicated Disney fans than Rachel.’
He added: ‘She’s been to the parks dozens, maybe scores, of times. She knows the Disney Princesses backward and forward. She even knew the Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus Disney videos I directed back in the day!’
Webb continued: ‘All that is to say, she understood the Disney tone I was after—a delicate blend of “fairy tale” with a few modern twists.
‘She delivers the music and dancing with an unironic grace that harkens back to the original, while still feeling emotionally alive and real. It’s no easy feat.’
Now the actress has explained how and why she was selected for the role of the original Disney princess, in a cover interview for Allure
‘The reality is, I was given a chance because I could sing,’ said Zegler, who was a YouTuber before she became a movie star
Last week, the movie had a ‘scaled back,’ sparsely attended Hollywood premiere instead of a bigger red carpet event, amid the mounting backlash.
A large scale premiere would have also taken place at Leicester Square in London, but an insider informed DailyMail.com earlier this month that a decision was made to not hold one for the upcoming movie.
‘Disney are already anticipating an anti-woke backlash against Snow White and have reduced the media schedule to just a handful of tightly controlled press events,’ the source stated.
‘That is why they have taken the highly unusual step not to host a London premiere for the film and are minimizing the amount of press questions that Rachel Zegler gets.’
Rachel has been embroiled in drama following her controversial comments on the Disney animation.
She sparked backlash after she called the storyline of the film ‘weird’ and also labeled the prince as a ‘stalker.’
In one past interview, Zegler had revealed that the new film would be going in a different direction and said of the character of Snow White: ‘She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.’
The star also faced backlash when she was first cast as Snow White as a Latina actress.
In a glancing reference to the furor around her casting, she said: ‘My only prayer for the future of diversity and inclusion is that we invest in and nurture talent no matter what they look like’
In response to the negative reception, Rachel penned in a since-deleted post: ‘yes i am snow white no i am not bleaching my skin for the role (sic).’
Peter Dinklage previously hit back at Disney for remaking Snow White which he labeled as a ‘f***ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together.’
Klebba told THR, ‘I don’t usually get into the political stuff, but I [felt], “Dwarfs aren’t going to go away just because you can’t imagine that they’re there.”
‘We’re still going to be walking around. So I didn’t get the whole stuff about not doing the dwarfs. The story’s been around forever, and it’s a classic.’
Back in 2023, the adaptation of the classic 1937 animation was delayed for a major overhaul after negative reception to the film having seven ‘magical (non-dwarf) creatures.’
Instead, the seven dwarves were replaced through the use of CGI which he said was the best way to go.
It has also been rumored that there is a ‘feud’ behind-the-scenes with Rachel and Gal over their contrasting views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A source recently told People that the two stars ‘have nothing in common’ and added, ‘On top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension.’
She burst onto the Hollywood scene with her performance as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 movie of the Broadway show West Side Story
It was also revealed that Disney has ‘zero faith’ in the upcoming film and that the movie bosses simply want to get the movie’s limited promo ‘over with,’ per The Hollywood Reporter.
A source said, ‘An advance sales cycle of less than two weeks just screams, “We have zero faith in this thing.” And it couldn’t come at a worse point, when the industry is just trying to limp along to May.’
However, insiders for Disney expressed that they, ‘always intended to hold back the film’s big promotional push until the final few weeks, beginning when Zegler and Gadot presented together at the Oscars on March 2.’
On Wednesday, Rachel made an appearance at a secret premiere for Snow White which was held at a remote castle in Segovia – a city located north west of Madrid.
The lowkey European event had 100 VIP guests in attendance which included families and content creators.
Zegler had the chance to sing Waiting On A Wish for the crowd – but was not joined by any of her other Snow White castmates, such as Gal Gadot.
Sources recently informed Page Six that Disney ‘doesn’t know what to do’ with ‘out of control’ Zegler.
‘Disney’s lead actress is out of control. They don’t know what to do,’ an insider told the outlet.
Late last year in November, separate sources claimed that Disney bosses viewed Rachel, pictured in the movie, as a ‘loose cannon’
‘She’s an outspoken 20-something and Disney chiefs have called her directly and asked her to tone down her posts. They’ve called her management, but she won’t listen.
The insider added, ‘It’s been this way the entire way through filming. But it’s the tying of her politics to Snow White that is upsetting.’
Late last year in November, separate sources claimed that Disney bosses viewed Rachel as a ‘loose cannon.’
At the time, Zegler had slammed Donald Trump voters – but later issued an apology for hoping that ‘Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.’
An insider told DailyMail.com, ‘They would love to be able to tell her to stop talking, but it is simply too late. They had talked about removing Rachel from the role several times when it was shooting in 2022.
‘She is a loose cannon and caused issues during the production because she didn’t agree with how the film plot strayed from the classic movie’s plot.’
They added that before filming, Zegler ‘read the script. If she didn’t like it then she should have not taken it. It wasn’t until after the film was wrapped that she really started creating drama.
‘She has been a nightmare but there is nothing they can do to control what she says. Everyone is well-aware of how difficult she is.’
The screening is still slated to be held at the El Capitan Theatre with both Zegler and her co-star Gal Gadot attending. However, it is reported that ‘coverage will be limited to photographers and a house crew’
The source continued, ‘Right now, it is way too late to shelve the film. As much as people think that her recent comments and controversies will hurt the film, it is not likely the case.
‘If anything, it generates more publicity and attention to the film, which leads to increased ticket sales. The film is Snow White, and it could really sell with anyone in the lead.’
While talking to Vogue Mexico, Rachel opened up about the backlash that Snow White has received.
‘I interpret peoples’ feelings about this film as a passion for it. What an honor to be part of something that people feel so passionate about,’ she said, per a translation from Spanish.
The actress added, ‘We’re not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us, and all we can do is give the best of ourselves.’
Zegler also told the outlet, ‘I understand that the community doesn’t want to be seen as a monolith, but the reality of being Latino and working in this industry is that we try to represent the entire diaspora.
‘I know where I have been, I represent it in my narrative and I carry it in my heart every day.’
In regards to the 1937 classic and the live-action remake, Rachel explained, ‘It’s very important for the public to know that Disney has found this beautiful and delicate balance between the animated classic that everyone knows and loves from 1937, and at the same time, introduces it to this new generation.’
