Rachel Zegler says Snow White backlash made her want to ‘throw phone into the ocean’

American actress Rachel Zegler has revealed that had she foreseen the intense backlash surrounding her casting as Snow White, she would have "thrown her phone into the ocean". The star, who rose to prominence as Maria in the 2021 remake of West Side Story faced significant criticism after being chosen for the titular role in Disney's live-action adaptation of its classic 1930s animated film.

The controversy erupted when Zegler, 24, who is of Colombian heritage, was cast as a character traditionally described as having a complexion "as white as snow". Social media quickly became a battleground, with many questioning the casting choice.

At the time, Zegler acknowledged the support she received, stating she was "extremely appreciative of the love I feel from those defending me online," but also requested that supporters refrain from tagging her in contentious comments.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar UK about her Latina background, Zegler reflected on the conflicting pressures she felt. "I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White," she explained. "It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that."

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She continued, "I grew up proud of being Colombian – eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult – but I do think there’s an argument to be made that, in the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing. But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort."

The personal toll of the scrutiny was profound. "If I’d been able to predict everything that would come my way, the threats to my safety, I would have just thrown my phone into the ocean," she admitted. "I think any sane person would have."

Zegler also expressed a wish for more maturity before her ascent to fame, telling the magazine: "I wish I’d had maybe five more years on me before all that happened – a little more of a frontal lobe."

Beyond the Snow White controversy, Zegler also starred in The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, the prequel to The Hunger Games franchise. With the next film in the series, Sunrise On The Reaping, set for release later this year and featuring new additions like Ugandan-Canadian actress Whitney Peak, Zegler has pledged her support for future diverse castings.

"I reached out to say, ‘I’m here, even though I hope to God you don’t need me,’" she said. "And the next time a woman of colour is cast as a Disney princess, I’ll be there with bells on to support them, to lift them up, to advise and to tell them what not to do."

She also revealed receiving invaluable support from industry veterans, including British actress Dame Helen Mirren and Kill Bill star Lucy Liu, both of whom she worked with on the superhero film Shazam! Fury Of The Gods. "We’d have long conversations about what it means to be a woman in this industry, and the disappointments they both faced at times," Zegler shared.

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Last year, the award-winning actress made her acclaimed West End debut as Eva Peron in Sir Tim Rice and Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical Evita. This year, she is set to return to the stage to star as Cathy in Jason Robert Brown’s production of The Last Five Years, a role she described as her "dream" since she was 16.

The full interview with Rachel Zegler can be found in the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, available from March 10.