Rachel Zegler recently spoke out about the backlash she’s received since being cast in the Snow White role.
Fans of the classic story criticized the choice of Zegler to play Snow White as a Latina actress. This was because the character in the 1937 animated movie is known for having ‘skin as white as snow.’
In a recent interview with Variety, Zegler explained that the new version of ‘Snow White’ changes the meaning of her name. “It fell back to another version of ‘Snow White’ that was told in history, where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby,” she explained. “And so the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience.”
She said the movie focuses on the idea of young people remembering how strong they are.
Zegler also spoke about how people reacted to a 2022 interview where she called some parts of the original Snow White ‘weird’ and compared the prince to a stalker. “In all honesty, it made me sad that it was taken in such a way because I believe that women can do anything,” she said. “But I also believe that they can do everything.”
She also added that the love story is still part of the new movie. “The love story is very integral,” she said, despite rumors suggesting otherwise. “A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that storyline] anymore – we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day.”
Director Marc Webb also praised Zegler’s performance. He said Zegler “has an inherent grace, poise, and goodness that reminds me so much of what is essential to Snow White.”
Zegler has been the target of online criticism since her casting — especially from those who oppose what they call ‘woke’ decisions in Hollywood. She used her own experience to point out how women are still criticized in unfair ways. “We’ll watch it in the election that’s upcoming,” she said. “We’re gonna witness that for a long time, I fear. Sometimes it can feel like we’re going back; it certainly felt that way when that was happening.”
The new live-action ‘Snow White’ is scheduled to hit theaters on March 21 next year.
