This shining songbird may be a fairly new face in Hollywood, but she’s more than made her mark with her big voice and equally commanding screen presence. From her upcoming movies to her current net worth, we take a look at Rachel Zegler’s career thus far.
Zegler first debuted in Hollywood in 2021 when she starred as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story – a role she had previously played in a Performing Arts School presentation held at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. The actress has since gone on to book other musical movie roles – among them, the iconic Snow White for Disney’s 2025 release.
Who is Rachel Zegler and how did she rise to fame?
Singer, songwriter, and social media savant. These three words do well to describe the 22-year-old Zegler, whose meteoric rise to fame was the direct result of an audacious online audition via X (previously Twitter). While most would credit Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story for kick-starting her career, she has long honed her musical talent, working jobs as a wedding singer and lending her voice to Catholic masses as well as funerals in her hometown of New Jersey.
She attended Immaculate Conception High School, a Catholic all-girls college-preparatory, during which she was catapulted to great success. In this time, she performed in starring roles spanning several school musical productions – Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, and Cosette in Les Misérables among them. Incredibly, Zegler would go on to receive Metro Award nominations for Actress in a Leading Role for the former two – as well as for roles in 42nd Street and Shrek The Musical.
Then, in January of 2018, Steven Spielberg posted an open casting call on X (then Twitter) for a film adaptation of West Side Story. The then-16-year-old Zegler auditioned with video footage of herself belting out Tonight and I Feel Pretty, eventually beating out 30,000 other applicants for the role of Maria.
She graduated at 18 in the year 2019, a fully-fledged stage performer with a movie and a successful YouTube channel underbelt. As of today, Zegler’s channel boasts 258k subscribers, with consistent updates comprising original music, covers, and clips of her day-to-day life in true vlogging fashion.
The songbird sings: The Hunger Games
Following the widespread critical acclaim of West Side Story, which boasts a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Zegler went on to star as Anthea in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Most recently, the stellar songbird took on the iconic role of Lucy Gray Baird in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, where she starred alongside Euphoria alumni Hunter Schafer and new TikTok sensation Tom Blyth of Billy The Kid and The Gilded Age acclaim.
It is reported that Zegler performed each song in the movie live on set, as opposed to lip-syncing to pre-recorded studio vocals.
The movie, which premiered on 16 November 2023, has mostly received positive reviews, boasting a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb and grossing USD 200 million to date. On X (previously Twitter), fans have been quick to praise Zegler’s vocal prowess, with numerous comments indicating awe of her talent. This widespread approval has certainly come at the perfect time, considering the social media backlash Zegler has faced in recent months over comments made about her upcoming role in Disney’s Snow White.
Delving into Disney with Snow White
From the get-go, Zegler’s casting as Snow White has been met with mixed responses. Some fans were quick to complain that Zegler’s casting revealed a certain level of tokenism and pandering in Hollywood, arguing that the titular character was canonically known to have skin as white as snow. On the flip side, others have stoutly defended the choice, pointing to Zegler’s vocal range which made her the perfect choice to assume the role of a much-beloved Disney princess.
However, it wasn’t until recently that Zegler found herself in the hot seat, after a red-carpet interview surfaced in which she provided her thoughts on the iconic Disney character she was to portray. In the interview, Zegler, alongside co-star Gal Gadot, shared that the princess was “not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.”
Fans took her comments as derision for traditionally ‘feminine’ women who dreamed of love and marriage. The resultant social media backlash took the world by storm, with many longtime Disney lovers calling for her to be replaced. The movie, which has completed filming, is set for a 2025 release.
Rachel Zegler’s net worth and upcoming movies
While Zegler may have faced her share of criticism in recent months, her popularity has shown little sign of slowing down. The proof is in the pudding — Rachel Zegler’s net worth reportedly stands at a tidy USD 3 million. With the widespread success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Zegler’s return to acclaim within the eyes of the public appears to be assured — that is if she ever left at all.
She will soon return to the big screen with Spellbound, which is set for a 2024 release, Snow White, and Y2K, which is currently in post-production. With her meteoric star on the rise, one can only imagine this songbird has got a long, bright way to go.
(Main and featured images: Rachel Zegler/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is Rachel Zegler known for?
Rachel Zegler rose to prominence in Hollywood for her role as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s The West Side Story, which premiered in 2021. She is also known for her leading role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and has been cast as Snow White in Disney’s upcoming 2025 live action remake.
– How did Rachel Zegler get discovered?
Rachel Zegler responded to Steven Spielberg’s 2018 open casting call on X (then Twitter) for The West Side Story with videos of her singing Tonight and I Feel Pretty. She eventually beat 30,000 others to clinch the role.
– Can Rachel Zegler sing?
Yes, Rachel Zegler is a singer-songwriter and actress who has lent her voice to her movie roles. Most recently, she won critical acclaim for her singing as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
How tall is Rachel Zegler?
– Rachel Zegler is 157 centimetres (about 5’2″) tall.
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