Rachel Zegler Breaks Silence, Clarifies ‘Snow White’ Comments
in Entertainment
Posted on by Andrew Boardwine
Credit: Edited by Inside the Magic
Both Disney and actress Rachel Zegler have seen their fair share of backlash for reported changes made in the live-action version of Snow White, but Zegler revealed in new comments that she has continued to “whistle while she works.”
It didn’t take long for a large number of fans to begin turning on Disney’s Snow White once they began to hear about changes made to the iconic classic. As actress Rachel Zegler (Snow White) stood beside Gal Gadot (Evil Queen) in interviews last year, she went viral for saying that it was “no longer 1937 anymore” and that there would be “no love story” in this version of the fairytale.
Those comments, of course, went viral and set off a firestorm of fan complaints who were concerned about the direction the company was heading. Following the backlash, Disney made the decision to delay the film until the spring of 2025 instead of having it released in 2024 as originally planned.
Now, Rachel Zegler has broken silence on the production of the film and gave some clarity to fans who are scared about the upcoming changes. Speaking with Variety, Zegler acknowledged the passionate fanbase and the love for the Disney animated film.
“The cartoon is so beloved. It was the first feature-length cartoon movie. It won honorary Oscars. And all these amazing things that happened for that film are the reason that you and I get to sit here today, because it made Disney what it is. Obviously, that’s come with a lot of pressure that I’ve put on myself,” Zegler said. “Much like Hunger Games, there’s a very dedicated group of people who love Disney cartoons. I’m one of them. I love everything that the Disney Co. has put out in the past 100 years. So how do you put little baby Rachel at ease with what you’re doing in your career? How is it that you come to this role and make little Rachel proud? That was really what I used to fuel my emotion on that set. Because all the pictures are out there of little me in my Snow White gown.”
Zegler went on to share that the film is nothing short of iconic.
“This is an iconic thing that people really care about,” she said. “I don’t want to mess this up for anybody, including myself. The writers and Marc Webb and our entire producing team…it’s a bit different story wise. We were able to do ‘Whistle While You Work,’ which made me really happy and excited. I was really nervous more about the technical element. That first-look image went out… and there’s a lot of CGI in the film.”
As she spoke about CGI, which can be seen in the first-look image that was shared by Disney earlier this year, Zegler said that most of the day filming “Whistle While You Work” was spent with just her on camera.
“Most of that day was spent singing to nothing,” Zegler said. “I’m sure you also know how that can be. There was a lot of puppetry and CGI in post. It was really intense. There’s a lot of bloopers of me tossing a broom and letting it fall to the ground because that’s apparently how you toss things off to CGI characters. But it’s so much fun!”
Rachel Zegler gained widespread recognition for her breakthrough role as Maria Vasquez in West Side Story (2021), directed by Steven Spielberg. The role led to her being hired by Disney to play Snow White and for her to star as Lucy Gray Baird in Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), which has seen a worldwide total of $253.1 million at the box office thus far.
As fans know, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) holds a timeless and iconic status in the realm of animated filmmaking, as it stands as the first-ever full-length cel-animated feature in cinematic history.
This pioneering creation by Walt Disney not only marked a significant technological advancement but also laid the foundation for the entire genre of animated feature films. The film’s enchanting narrative, based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, captivates audiences with the story of Snow White, her wicked stepmother, and the lovable seven dwarfs. The film’s groundbreaking use of color, music, and character development set a standard for animated storytelling.
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