The Latina actor, Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish descent and appeared in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” adaptation, was reacting to racist remarks regarding her hiring.
Rachel Ziegler is responding to the latest criticism surrounding the cast of the new live-action film “Snow White.”
On July 14th, the Daily Mail newspaper released photos from the set of the remake, unveiling the first look at the diverse actors portraying the seven dwarfs from Disney’s classic.
A spokesperson for Disney issued a statement to The Daily Beast, stating that “the pictures are fake and not from our production.” The Daily Beast later reported that a representative from Disney’s “PR shop” confirmed that the images were indeed real but not official “stills” from the set.
While some social media users criticized the casting of the seven dwarfs, there has also been a resurgence of racially discriminatory comments regarding the selection of Latinx actress Ziegler as the beloved Disney princess.
Many fans have referred to her as the “perfect Snow White” and expressed their support for the “West Side Story” actor online.
Ziegler expressed gratitude to her fans but also stated that she no longer wants to be involved in the “meaningless discourse” surrounding the role of Snow White.
Rachel Zegler latest tweet
On July 15th, the 22-year-old tweeted, “I am incredibly grateful for the love I feel from those who defend me online, but please don’t tag me in the meaningless discussions about my casting.”
She further added, “Really, really don’t want to see it.”
Instead, Ziegler decided to embrace positivity and spread a more inclusive message.
“So, I’m gonna leave this here!” she wrote, sharing four childhood photos of herself dressed as various Disney princesses, including Snow White.
The actor concluded, “I hope all kids know that they can be princesses no matter what.”
TODAY.com reached out to Disney for a response to Ziegler’s tweets but did not receive a reply before the article was published.
Multiple Twitter users, including Harry Bailey, who dealt with racial backlash for playing Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” praised Ziegler.
Bailey shared Ziegler’s tweet and wrote, “We love you so much.”
The 23-year-old actor and musician added a red heart emoji and described Ziegler as “truly a perfect princess.”
Since Variety reported in June 2021 that Ziegler would star as Snow White, the Golden Globe-winning actress had to address hateful comments about her portraying this fictional character.
In January 2022, she opened up to Andrew Garfield about facing backlash in an “Actors on Actors” interview for Variety.
Speaking about the opportunity to play a Disney princess, she said, “You don’t usually see a Latinx Snow White.”
She pointed out that Snow White, or Blanca Nieves, is also revered in Spanish-speaking countries.
“But people who look like me or who are playing these roles aren’t usually seen,” she continued. “When it was announced, it was a big deal trending on Twitter for days. Everyone was angry.”
Garfield responded that those people need education, and Ziegler agreed.
“We have to love them in the right direction,” she said. “Ultimately, I have a job I really want to do. I can be a Latinx princess.”
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