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Credit: LionsgateThe highly divisive star of Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White (2024) remake, Rachel Zegler, is currently making headlines for all the wrong reasons. But long before she became a controversial figure in the Disney community, it was recently revealed that the award-winning actress almost rejected a career-defining movie role.
Related: ‘Snow White’ Actor Rachel Zegler Replaced by Coworker, Disney Leak Shows
Rachel Zegler Controversy, Explained
It’s been a big year for the buzzy new face of Disney’s Snow White, Rachel Zegler. Fresh off of her breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated West Side Story (2021), the 22-year-old actress quickly rose through the ranks in Hollywood, scoring parts in big-budget blockbusters like DC’s ill-fated Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and Disney’s live-action retelling of the classic children’s fable, Snow White.
Almost immediately, Zegler’s casting in Snow White was met with skepticism, with criticisms stemming from the fact that the actress is of Columbian descent and will portray a character historically depicted as white.
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She also had some strong things to say about the inherent misogyny of Disney princesses during a 2022 interview with Variety, despite the House of Mouse advertising the Snow White remake as a feminist update.
Some loyal Disney fanatics slammed Zegler for being “disrespectful” of the source material after she panned the story as outdated, saying Snow White will no longer be “dreaming about true love” but instead will be set on “becoming the leader she knows she can be:”
I just mean that it’s no longer 1937. We absolutely wrote a ‘Snow White’ that … she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.
Zegler also ruffled some feathers with her interpretation of Prince Charming, who she called “a guy who literally stalks her” in an interview with Extra TV:
The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn’t do that this time.
Due to her remarks, director Marc Webb is reportedly “furious” with his leading actress for the controversy surrounding the upcoming Snow White adaptation, leading many to speculate that behind the scenes, Disney has secretly cast aside Zegler and will recast the title role. While that seems highly unlikely, it certainly hasn’t stopped rumors from making their way across the internet.
But that’s not all — controversy surrounding Zegler continued to snowball once her union, SAG-AFTRA, announced that they would be going on strike back in July, joining then-protesting WGA members on the picket line in the fight for fair wages and protections against A.I. technology.
Zegler quickly became a divisive SAG-AFTRA spokesperson after a picket line interview surfaced online earlier this summer, in which she said of her Snow White role, “If I’m gonna stand there 18 hours a day in the dress of an iconic Disney princess, I deserve to be paid for every hour that it’s streamed online.”
While her intentions may have been in the right place, detractors argued that Zegler was acting “greedy” and “entitled” with her demands because she’s wealthy and successful. Her comment about spending “18 hours in a dress” also rubbed people the wrong way, with many commentators saying that her typical workday sounded lightweight compared to more serious tales of financial hardship.
In response, Zegler tweeted, “fellas is it woke to wanna be fairly compensated,” though her lighthearted quip didn’t go over well with critics, either.
Rachel Zegler’s Upcoming ‘Hunger Games’ Role
But despite the onslaught of controversy surrounding the Hollywood starlet, Zegler might be able to redeem herself in the eyes of the public with her next major role: playing Lucy Gray Baird in the upcoming Hunger Games spinoff, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Alongside an all-star cast consisting of Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, Asteroid City‘s (2023) Jason Schwartzman, and The Suicide Squad’s Viola Davis, Zegler will take over leading duties from Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen for a new story based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before the original quadrilogy and follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he mentors and develops feelings for Zegler’s character, a District 12 tribute, during the 10th annual Hunger Games.
And with anticipation at an all-time high for the upcoming dystopian thriller, some might be shocked to learn that Zegler initially rejected her role offer and almost wasn’t going to be a part of the Hunger Games prequel.
Rachel Zegler Initially Rejected ‘Hunger Games’ Casting Offer
While speaking in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director Francis Lawrence reflected on the process of casting Rachel Zegler in the film, making it clear that the award-winning actress was the team’s top choice from the get-go:
We just couldn’t find anybody as good as Rachel for this role, in terms of the voice, the look, the performance ability, acting, the kind of person we needed.
But much to his concern, Zegler shut down Lawrence’s offer to star in the movie, as her schedule was so jam-packed, with shooting for the Snow White remake beginning right around the time of their first meeting. However, in the final weeks of filming for Snow White, Zegler called Lawrence back asking if the job was still open, with Lawrence recalling how everything “came together at the last minute:”
She was then just weeks away from finishing ‘Snow White.’ So she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. She was like, ‘Is the job still open?’ ‘Yes! It is!’ It all came together at the last minute.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes director also took some time to gush over Zegler’s performance, noting that both she and Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss have “great survival instincts,” even though Lucy’s “toolkit is different:”
Katniss and Lucy Gray both have great survival instincts. But Lucy Gray’s toolkit is different. She can manipulate, she can use her charm. She’s headstrong, she wants to do things her own way.
Joining the Hunger Games franchise — even at the last minute — was undoubtedly a good move for Zegler, who already has some seriously impressive credits as she continues to grow her resume. Regardless of whether or not the prequel movie can recreate some of the magic of the originals, adding this role to her portfolio will only help Zegler show off her versatility as one of the most prolific rising talents in the industry.
Only time will tell just how long Zegler will be involved in the Hunger Games franchise, but either way, it’s setting up a new era for the beloved YA series as Lionsgate continues to express interest in expanding Suzanne Collins’ TV universe. Hopefully, Zegler’s performance will be enough to fill seats when The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes arrives in theaters next month.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes premieres on November 17, 2023.
What do you think of Rachel Zegler initially turning down her Hunger Games gig? Are you excited to see the movie? Share your thoughts in the comments below.