Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler was born on May 3, 2001, in Hackensack, New Jersey. She spent her childhood in Clifton, New Jersey, and developed an early interest in theater after seeing a Broadway show at age four. Her acting career began at 12 with a role in “Fiddler on the Roof,” leading her to pursue voice and acting lessons. Zegler attended Immaculate Conception High School, where she participated in numerous musicals, earning Metropolitan High School Theater Award nominations for her performances in roles such as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” (2016), Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” (2017), Dorothy Brock in “42nd Street” (2018), and Princess Fiona in “Shrek the Musical” (2019). She graduated as salutatorian in June 2019.

Her breakthrough came in 2018 when, at age 16, she responded to an open casting call for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” Out of 30,000 applicants, she was selected to play Maria, a role she had previously performed at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. The film, released in December 2021, garnered critical acclaim and earned Zegler a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, making her the first actress of Colombian descent and the youngest to win in that category. This role established her as a notable talent in Hollywood, leading to further opportunities in both film and theater.

Since her debut, Zegler has expanded her career into various projects. She joined the DC Extended Universe as Anthea in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (2023) and portrayed Lucy Gray Baird in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (2023), receiving praise for her performance. She made her Broadway debut as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” (2024-2025) and her West End debut as Eva Perón in a revival of “Evita” (2025) at the London Palladium, which received positive reviews. Additionally, she voiced Princess Ellian in the animated musical film “Spellbound” (2024) and played the titular character in Disney’s live-action “Snow White” (2025).