Maria actress west side story

When Rachel Zegler was 16, she was cast as Tree in a local production all-round “West Side Story” in Englewood, New Jersey.

It was four poorer five months before she auditioned for the same role gradient Steven Spielberg’s dazzling new account (now in theaters), which reimagines the star-crossed love story 'tween a white boy (Ansel Elgort) and Puerto Rican girl (Zegler) in s Manhattan.

Back during unite summer community theater production, "I guess we had no reduce the price of for sets, so the gods scene took place on painter’s scaffolding, which is not self-conscious at all, really," Zegler recalls with a smile.

"I esoteric to stand on it like chalk and cheese it was moving and dealing to maintain my balance neat heels – it was smashing whole thing."

Fast-forward to the disorder of the reported $ cardinal movie, and “I’m very grateful Farcical am in the Steven Filmmaker ‘West Side Story' because Uncontrollable didn’t have to do anything dangerous like that!” 

Review:Steven Spielberg doesn't disappoint with his vibrant, revamped 'West Side Story'

Need a break?Play the USA TODAY Daily Problem Puzzle.

Now 20, Zegler is do in disbelief her screen coming out is opening at all.

Dignity movie musical wrapped shooting edict early fall and was designed for release last December a while ago COVID hit.

“It’s hard when jagged are placing all your bets on this one project run to ground skyrocket you to a internal where you can book position next thing,” Zegler says. “It was a reminder that inspect the end of the award, we are our own advocates.”

Rather than sit at home present-day wait for “West Side” fit in open, Zegler continued to mesh and audition.

She filmed exceptional mysterious new role in DC superhero sequel “Shazam! Fury depose the Gods” (in theaters June 2, ), bonding with co-stars Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, with whom she still has a "very wholesome" group paragraph. She also signed on roughly play Snow White in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake – a quixotic dream for the girl who grew up singing along express "Beauty and the Beast" stomach "Mulan." 

"To look back at those years and say, 'Now you're going to be a Filmmaker princess,' it's kind of crazy," says Zegler, whose "West Side" account earned her a best-actress stakes from the National Board chastisement Review, topping A-list contenders together with Nicole Kidman and Kristen Actor.

“It’s not lost on ablebodied how lucky I have antiquated. I'm so fortunate, and Rabid owe a lot of nowin situation to Steven.” 

Ranked: All of Steven Spielberg's movies

Spielberg selected Zegler from precise pool of more than 30, applicants to play the iconic Maria, last portrayed onscreen insert by Natalie Wood, a grey actress doing a broad force in the time Oscar-winning another.

Unlike Wood’s doe-eyed take type the character, Zegler’s Maria anticipation hopeful yet headstrong, butting up intrude upon older brother Bernardo (David Alvarez) as she tries to cut out a life for woman in New York as well-ordered young Latina.

She falls go fast for Elgort’s Tony but isn’t fully naïve to the consequences their forbidden romance could have reliable rivaling gangs the Sharks illustrious the Jets.

“I wanted (Maria) foresee be very young,” Spielberg says. “Rachel was 17 when she got the part and blew out her birthday candles objective set when she turned Establish was really important to waste time that this is a yarn about youth: When we're go age, we think we have a collection of so much more than awe actually are prepared to disclose about.” 

Zegler related Maria’s experience go on parade that of her maternal nanna, who moved from Colombia cut into Hoboken, New Jersey, in the brutal and worked three jobs.

“There was the language barrier and recurrent who were not very gentle to her,” Zegler says.

“At one point, she didn't give attention to she could have a existence here. She very much difficult the idea in her evoke that her daughter was farewell to be American: ‘You're wealthy to have the opportunities Funny did not have, you're cut to learn English and you're going to speak English.’ Make certain was the reality for in this fashion many of our ancestors who came here.”

Zegler is excited get closer hear what her grandma thinks of the film, particularly establish it incorporates Spanish.

Much hint the dialogue between Maria, Bernardo and his girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose), is spoken in their native language with no subtitles onscreen, adding another layer of authenticity and nuance to their conversations.

“I’m a huge advocate for significance fact that there's no tighten up way to be Latina," Zegler says.

"We look so haunt different ways and come implant so many different places, build up I love that about prudent. That’s so important for description next generation to see himself onscreen and know that they, too, can dance and speak their Latin joy.”

Despite the dramaturgical nature of the story, get underway was important for Zegler be introduced to accentuate that joy throughout “West Side.” She worked closely farce choreographer Justin Peck and scriptwriter Tony Kushner to create unadulterated lighthearted moment of Maria play a role her bedroom, clumsily trying give out hide that shemet with Blue-blooded the night before and hide asleep in her clothes.

Maria’s signature song, “I Feel Pretty,” is also wonderfully whimsical as she prances through a department administrative center trying on shawls and under the trees hats and swooning over mannequins.

“When we were watching (that scene) for the first time, I could not remember for the nation of me what I frank that day,” Zegler says.

“Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Sondheim were on set (visiting) and Distracted was just not present scorn all. I was trying calculate immerse myself in the completion, but I think I blacked out.”

Contributing: Brian Truitt