When Disney in 2021 announced Rachel Zegler as the lead in its “Snow White” revival , some consumers pledged to boycott the film for its “woke” casting. To them, a Colombian actor wasn’t qualified to play a princess with a canonical history of having “skin as white as snow.” So the production turned to some other history.
“It fell back to another version of ‘Snow White,’” Zegler told Variety in an interview published Wednesday, “where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby.” “So the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience,” she said. And resilient the 23-year-old actor has been amid the backlash she’s received since stepping into the role.
Hours after Disney’s casting announcement, Zegler seemingly addressed those who opposed the idea of a Latina Snow White, writing in a since-deleted X post, “yes i am snow white no i am not bleaching my skin for the role.” Debate about Zegler’s casting has bubbled up several times since, including after a slew of 2022 red-carpet interviews wherein the “West Side Story” actor said her rendition of the iconic princess wouldn’t spend her days pining over a man. She also pointed to several outdated elements from the 1937 film, including that the prince “literally stalks” Snow White.
Die-hard fans interpreted Zegler’s analysis as “disdain” for the animated classic — more proof that she wasn’t fit for the role. “In all honesty, i.