Rachel Zegler discusses championing women and Latino filmmakers, complex roles, and staying true to her Colombian roots. The Rachel Zegler Wants To Open Hollywood Doors For Latinos first appeared on The Blast

Rachel Zegler has several upcoming film projects that she intentionally chose with women and Latinos at the forefront.

The 25-year-old actress and singer revealed that one of her major goals this year was to work with people who have been “disenfranchised” in the industry. She hopes those projects will “open doors” for Latinos in the arts.

Zegler previously shared her determination to stay true to herself after enduring intense criticism over a couple of roles, declaring, “I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.

Rachel Zegler Wants Her Upcoming Films To ‘Open Doors’ For Latinos

Rachel Zegler sat down for an interview with TIME, where she opened up about her desire to help create more opportunities for women and Latinos in Hollywood.

Following a successful few years punctuated by controversy surrounding her heritage, the “West Side Story” actress chose to focus on more projects led by women and Latinos.

Those projects include the indie dramedy “She Gets It From Me,” the psychological thriller “NDA,” “Octet,” and another film called “The Last Dance.” As she pointed out, the first two were directed by women, while the latter two were directed by Latinos, aligning with her goal.

She said she’s excited about the doors those films will open “not just for me, but for the amazing people I got to make them with, who in the past have been disenfranchised in this industry.”

Zegler Refuses To Let Hollywood Put Her In A Box

For Zegler, conforming to the norm or staying within the boundaries others set for her isn’t the goal.

She told the outlet that she follows a mantra she picked up at home: “The worst they can say is no.”

For her, the possibility of rejection shouldn’t stop her from pursuing a role or showing filmmakers something they hadn’t considered. She doesn’t want to be “placed in a box” when it comes to the kind of actor she is.

“I love playing fully formed humans with complexities,” she said. “Human beings deserve to be represented for their flaws as well as the things that make them wonderful—I kind of think they’re one and the same.”

• Zegler’s talent left “Black Adam” star Noah Centineo gushing.
• She flaunted her “great buns” in a cheeky bikini during a vacation.
• The actress was mocked online for her “cringe” jaw move at the Met Gala.
• John Lennon’s son labeled Zegler “spoiled” and “ungrateful” after “Snow White” struggled at the box office.
• A Disney producer’s son alleged that her “narcissism” cost the film.
• Zegler left costar Gal Gadot out of her “Snow White” tribute amid rumors of a fallout.

Rachel Zegler Calls Evita Her ‘Proudest Achievement’ After A Tumultuous Stretch

Despite the success and accolades her performances have earned in recent years, Zegler has also faced criticism targeting her heritage.

She won Best Actress in a Musical at the 2026 Laurence Olivier Awards for her portrayal of Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s 2025 West End revival of “Evita.”

Speaking about bringing Argentina’s former first lady to life, she called the production her “proudest achievement.” She is set to reprise the role on Broadway next year.

“That production and having done it with the people I did is my proudest achievement,” she said. “It was the most incredible summer anyone could ever dream of.”

However, her role in Disney’s 2025 live-action “Snow White” brought a different experience. She faced racist trolling over her Colombian heritage, alongside heated debates about her take on the 1937 animated original and her political views.

The Outspoken Actress Learns She Can’t ‘Please Everybody’

Her breakout role as the Puerto Rican character Maria in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” also brought scrutiny, with questions about her Latina heritage.

Through those experiences, Zegler explained, she learned to find peace in knowing she cannot please everybody and that people’s opinions will always differ.

“It’s a very important thing for all women, but particularly those in this industry, to learn that you’re never going to please everybody,” she told TIME.

The actress added, “If you are doing everything you can to be fulfilled and to do good work with good people, the rest of it is really just noise.”

Rachel Zegler Refuses To ‘Assimilate For Anybody Else’s Comfort’

Reflecting on criticism that she was not “enough of one thing” for “West Side Story” and “too much of another” for “Snow White,” Zegler told Harper’s Bazaar that hearing those comments at such a young age made it a “really confusing time.”

However, she remained determined to embrace her identity.

She said, “I grew up proud of being Colombian – eating the food, wearing the dresses, drinking the coffee, doing all the things that were so intrinsic to who I was as a kid and who I am as an adult.”

“But I do think there’s an argument to be made that, in the public eye at least, when you’re two things, you’re simultaneously nothing,” she continued. “But I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”

Zegler, who is of Colombian descent on her mother’s side and Polish descent on her father’s, has openly identified as a white Latina and spoken about embracing her Colombian heritage.

The Rachel Zegler Wants To Open Hollywood Doors For Latinos first appeared on The Blast