Yes, Rachel Zegler is fluent in Spanish.
Rachel Zegler entered the world on May 3, 2001, in Hackensack, New Jersey, arriving at the Hackensack University Medical Center to proud parents Gina and Craig Zegler. She was named after Rachel Green in homage to the beloved fictional character from the TV series Friends. Growing up, she shared her life with an older sister.
What is Rachel Zegler’s ethnicity?
Rachel Zegler’s roots trace back to her mother's Colombian heritage, with her maternal grandmother immigrating from Colombia to the United States during the 1960s. On the paternal side, her father is of Polish descent. Her younger years were spent in Clifton, New Jersey, where she started her academic journey at St. Philip the Apostle Preparatory School. Subsequently, she pursued her education at the Catholic all-girls college-preparatory institution, Immaculate Conception High School, graduating on June 2, 2019.
How did Rachel Zegler become famous?
Zegler's entertainment industry journey began while attending Immaculate Conception High School, where she showcased her talent in various musicals. Her roles included 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). Her performances earned her nominations for the Actress in a Leading Role category at the Metro Awards. Beyond these, she portrayed Serena in Legally Blonde, Cosette in Les Misérables, and Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Starting her YouTube channel in July 2015, Zegler gained recognition. By 2020, her rendition of "Shallow" from A Star Is Born amassed over 11 million views on Twitter.
In January 2018, director Steven Spielberg sought talent via Twitter for a new adaptation of West Side Story. Responding to the call with videos showcasing her singing "Tonight" and "I Feel Pretty," Zegler, then 16, secured the role of Maria among 30,000 applicants. Her film debut in West Side Story (released December 2021) was praised by critics and audiences alike. She received nominations for the Critics' Choice Movie Award. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, making history as the first Colombian descent actress to win in that category and the youngest winner at 20 years old.
Following her success, Zegler joined casts in notable films such as DC's Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Disney's Snow White, and Spellbound. In May 2022, Variety revealed Zegler's casting as Lucy Gray Baird in the new Hunger Games film after she hinted at it on Twitter. Not only that, she starred in the 2025 live-action remake of Snow White.
FAQs
A. Rachel Zegler has been singing since childhood, and she performed in her first musical when she was 12 years old.
A. Rachel Zegler, who is a Latina, has been cast as Snow White in the upcoming Snow White film.
A. Maria of West Side Story is a Puerto Rican immigrant who was raised Roman Catholic.
