Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old actress best known for her roles in 'West Side Story' and 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes', is set to make her Broadway debut as Juliet in a modern revival of Shakespeare's classic romance. Directed by Sam Gold, the production leans heavily into Gen Z culture, with Zegler joking that Juliet would be 'having a brat girl summer'. Despite its contemporary edge, the play sticks to the original iambic pentameter text.
Zegler will also star as the title character in Disney's live-action 'Snow White', due in March 2025. She describes the role as marking the end of an era, while Broadway signals a new beginning. 'I need to start thinking about the pivot,' she says, adding that she feels 'capable of being picky for the next thing'.
However, Zegler's rise to fame has been accompanied by intense online criticism. She has faced backlash for comments about the Oscars, her role in 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods', and speaking out about racism and sexism in the industry. In August, a user wrote 'Someone should kill you' on X, to which Zegler replied with a quip about dying eight times a week on Broadway and tagged the FBI.
Reflecting on the negativity, Zegler says: 'Being famous isn't for the faint of heart.' She expresses a preference for New York over Los Angeles, calling LA 'stifling and isolating and weird'. She values the diversity of New York, recalling her gratitude for being able to speak Spanish at her local bodega after a year of filming in Europe.
