Rachel Zegler Goes Viral, Proves She’s “Beyond Talented” Despite Trolls and Controversy

Rachel Zegler is in a really weird place in her career right now. The rising star made her acting debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story in 2021 and is now the star of the latest Hunger Games release, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. She’s also starring in an upcoming Disney live-action remake of Snow White, a role which she has received nothing but backlash and vitriol for. She’s one of the hottest actresses right now but also one of the most disliked on various social media platforms, despite being relatively new to Hollywood. However, a viral video is proving that she has the talent for the starring roles she’s been getting lately.

Zegler was cast in the titular role of Snow White back in 2021 and faced criticism over the decision to cast a Latina actress for a character who’s supposed to have “skin as white as snow.” She isn’t the only live-action Disney princess to face backlash for the color of her skin, as The Little Mermaid actress Halle Bailey is still facing racist attitudes for her portrayal of Ariel earlier this year. The Walt Disney Company has also faced harsh comments from audiences claiming the company has “gone woke” with its color-blind casting.

However, Zegler seems to have added fuel to the fire over the last year as she’s been vocal about her ideals on the upcoming Snow White release, heavily implying that the film will feature more feminist themes and messaging. She’s gone on record stating that “it isn’t 1937 anymore” and that her version of Snow White stands on her own. She’s also previously hinted that the main male love interest (played by Andrew Burnap) could be written out completely, claiming that Snow White “doesn’t need to be saved by the prince.”

These comments and overall attitude have earned Rachel Zegler a lot of hate from several audiences, including hard-core Disney fans. However, her fanbase is strong and overwhelmingly supportive of the singer-actress, and she’s gaining even more love after her successful Hunger Games performance. In the prequel film, Zegler plays Lucy Gray Baird, the District 12 tribute who falls in love with Coriolanus Snow, who eventually becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem. Lucy is a performer, and the version of Zegler singing “Nothing You Can Take From Me” has been viral on TikTok for weeks now.

Recently, another video of Zegler singing is also going viral, showing the star covering Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” while apparently in high school followed by a clip of her covering “Think of Me” from the Broadway play Phantom of the Opera. The comments under the video are full of support, with several clapping back at her criticisms, stating that Zegler was discovered by her singing talent and that her first-ever acting role was starring in the film adaptation of West Side Story–at the age of 16 no less.”People have NO IDEA how talented she is,” one comment claimed while another said she is “literally the most talented.”

@fictionalmila Replying to @ara ♬ original sound – Mila🐇

At the end of the day, Rachel Zegler has no control over the color of her skin or her ethnicity. However, she seems to be proving herself a major breakout star in her two leading roles in the last two years, and continues to prove she’s been talented for years. Disney’s live-action Snow White has been delayed to a 2025 release, so both her fans and her haters will just have to wait to see what she brings to the table as Disney’s reimagined first princess. If that video and her performance in Hunger Games are anything to go by though, we think she’s going to knock it out of the Disney park.

What do you think of Rachel Zegler? Is she talented or does she need to lose her “attitude?” Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.