Rachel Zegler shares early fame comes with 'confusing' criticism

Being cast as a Disney princess sounds like a dream – until the internet shows up.

Rachel Zegler is opening up about the storm of criticism that followed her early rise to fame, including backlash tied to her roles in West Side Story and Disney’s upcoming Snow White.

In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, the Golden Globe-winning actress reflected on the confusing messages she received from critics during her early twenties.

“I was told I wasn’t enough of one thing for West Side Story and too much of another for Snow White. It was a really confusing time to be in my early twenties and hearing that,” Rachel said.

The criticism often centered on her heritage – something Zegler says she has always embraced.

“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 online backlash didn’t stop there. Zegler also faced criticism over comments about the original Snow White film and her views on political issues – attention that sometimes turned frightening.

“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. I think any sane person would have,” Rachel said.

Looking back, she admits fame arrived a little earlier than expected.

“I wish I’d had maybe five more years on me before all that happened – a little more of a frontal lobe… I was a star, but with the caveat that I still had to prove myself.”