Rachel Zegler acknowledged the backlash against her years-old comments about Disney’s Snow White live-action remake, attributing the kerfuffle to fan passion for the princess.
Zegler will star as the titular Snow White in the upcoming film. Her casting, first announced in 2021, was met with outrage due to her Colombian descent. The racism was then fomented when Zegler called the original 1937 version of the film “dated” and said the prince “literally stalks” the princess. When the actress spoke out against Donald Trump’s election last year, the MAGA coalition vowed to boycott the film’s release.
“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as a passion for it,” Zegler said this week in an interview with Vogue Mexico (translated to English by The Hollywood Reporter). “What an honor to be part of something that people feel so passionate about,” she continued. “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 added that it was a “beautiful experience” watching young Black girls see Halle Bailey helm the live action Little Mermaid in 2023. In the interview, Zegler spoke candidly about her Colombian heritage.
“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,” she said. “I know where I have been, I represent it in my narrative and I carry it in my heart every day.”
The West Side Story actress went on to speak about differences to expect between the 19th and 20th century versions of the Snow White film. “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,” she said.
This balance, Zegler said, comes from the princess’ character. “Her superpower is her heart,” she said. “There is no supernatural power that Snow White possesses beyond her love for humanity, for all living creatures and her fundamental belief that there is goodness in everything. That’s something I really believe the world could take advantage of more.”
Snow White releases in theaters March 21.
