Zegler was just a 17-year-old high school student when she beat out reportedly 30,000 other actresses for the role of Maria in Steven Spielberg‘s remake of West Side Story.
In true millennial fashion, the teen saw the casting call for Latinx actors on Twitter, and submitted her audition back in Jan. 2018. She reportedly sent in a video of her singing “Tonight” and “Me Siento Hermosa,” the Spanish version of the musical’s classic “I Feel Pretty.”
“I am so thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Maria alongside this amazing cast,” the actress told Deadline at the time. “West Side Story was the first musical I encountered with a Latina lead character.”
But West Side Story isn’t the 20-year-old’s only upcoming remake as Zegler is also set to play Snow White in Disney’s live-action remake.
“Rachel’s extraordinary vocal abilities are just the beginning of her gifts,” director Marc Webb has said. “Her strength, intelligence and optimism will become an integral part of rediscovering the joy in this classic Disney fairytale.”
