In a new cover story for VARIETY’s New York issue, actress Rachel Zegler speaks with Reporter Selome Hailu and Film Reporter Katcy Stephan about starring in Sam Gold’s Broadway revival of “Romeo and Juliet” and Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White.” She also discusses the use of AI in Hollywood, supporting Palestine, and wanting a family in the future.
Zegler on starring as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”: “It’s 100% iambic pentameter. This is Shakespeare, and you’re sitting your ass down for the play.”
On how Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White” has its own origin story for the name of the titular character, particularly the line about her “skin as white as snow”: “It fell back to another version of ‘Snow White’ that was told in history, where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby. And so the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience. One of the core points in our film for any young woman or young person is remembering how strong you actually are.”
On the online hate Zegler endured when she said in interviews that her version of Snow White wouldn’t spend her days pining over a man: “In all honesty, it made me sad that it was taken in such a way, because I believe that women can do anything. But I also believe that they can do everything…I would never want to box someone in and say, ‘If you want love, then you can’t work.’ Or ‘If you want to work, then you can’t have a family.’ It’s not true. It’s never been true. It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don’t land. The love story is very integral. A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that storyline] anymore—we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day…I’ve watched women get torn down my whole life, my whole career. We’ll watch it in the election that’s upcoming. We’re gonna witness that for a long time, I fear. Sometimes it can feel like we’re going back; it certainly felt that way when that was happening.”
On AI in Hollywood: During the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, Zegler championed protections against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence—a threat that felt personal: She’d already had something like “465 photos taken of every corner of my body” for use in CG stunts.
“It was fucking dystopian. I was really scared of being replaced by an artificial intelligence version of myself that they scanned when I was 18 and then never being able to work on a set again. What was stopping them from using that for the rest of my life?”
On supporting Palestine: “I can’t watch children die. I don’t think that should be a hot take. I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it. We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years. Like so many people, I’m so heartbroken by the loss of life that we’re seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions.”
“I don’t have the answers. I don’t think any celebrity making a political statement has the answers. But we have the platform to share a donation link to make sure that these people get the money, the care and the aid that they need that people in power aren’t giving them. If that means that it can fall upon us to be in power in a way that is helpful, then I’m happy to do it.”
On wanting a family in the future: “Honestly, my goal is to get married, have kids and retreat at some point. And get to do the thing where I come out every couple years and make something and have it hopefully be really special and celebrated and then go back…What I’ve learned, if I’ve learned anything in the past couple years, is that the love I have in my life is way more important than any accolade. It’s what’s kept me from—” Zegler surprises herself, tears springing forward. “Sorry,” she whispers. She swallows, then speaks through it. “It’s what’s kept me from doing anything stupid…There have been times where I’m just like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. My mere existence has served as an education for people that don’t have a basic sense of empathy. And that can really make you want to disappear.”
[Photo Credit: OK McCausland for Variety Magazine]
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