It’s a part of the perpetual cycle of Hollywood that as older stars begin to fade and pass on, young, rising stars begin to take their place as the new icons to the younger generation. One of the most prominent and successful young actresses who has laid the groundwork for major success is
Rachel Zegler
, combining her talents of both acting and singing to be one of the most prominent Gen Z actresses working today. She rose to fame after being discovered through a public casting call for
Steven Spielberg
‘s
West Side Story
, where her undeniable singing talent had her selected for the lead role.
Since her discovery, she has quickly risen to be one of the most defining young actresses of the 2020s, starring in various blockbuster films and quickly cementing herself as a true Hollywood star. Even with only six feature-length films to her name,
she has amassed an undeniable star power that has catapulted her public image to the forefront of cinema
Despite her controversial public persona in recent times because of her outspoken politics, which have polarized viewers, she remains an unquestionably talented performer on screen, thus maintaining strong appeal among younger fans.
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (2023)
Directed by David F. Sandberg
A seemingly inescapable facet of modern blockbusters that almost every actor under the sun finds themselves a part of is the massively sprawling and non-stop cinematic universes of superhero films. While many of these films are at the very least passable, a select few manage to be notoriously forgettable and low quality, with the singular superhero film that Zegler was a part of,
Shazam! Wrath of the Gods
, is one of those forgettable,
mediocre superhero films
. The film mostly falls into a rut, attempting to recreate the magic of the original film while missing any of the charm or surprise factor that made the original such a hit.
In the movie, Zegler portrays Athena, who is one of the daughters of Atlas and the younger sibling of Hespera, the main antagonist.
Helen Mirren
) and Kalypso (
Lucy Liu
Her role turns out to be crucial for mending the rift of camaraderie between the Shazam Family and the daughters of Atlas. Utilizing her abilities and understanding of the fantastical realm, she helps thwart her siblings’ nefarious scheme. While she performs adequately in the movie, she remains somewhat unmemorable.
The movie fails to make use of her primary talents as an actor.
, largely just using her due to her notable star power while being able to play a young character.
‘Snow White’ (2025)
Directed by Marc Webb
The latest movie featuring Zegler, the live-action adaptation of
Snow White
has seen a wide range of controversy and discourse well before it was even released, to a point where its hard to have a good-faith discussion about the film. Despite what
its abysmal IMDb score
One might think that this movie isn’t among the worst ever made, yet it still carries many issues typical of Disney’s impersonal remake efforts. From jarring special effects and Gal Gadot’s terribly poor acting to numerous alterations from the source material, the film quickly deterred many viewers who then didn’t see it as worthy of their time.
However, despite all the negativity and hatred that is spread around the film,
Zegler herself is a shining beacon of quality in an otherwise mediocre experience
. She gives it her all in terms of her talents as both an actress and a singer, bringing to life the character of Snow White beautifully and refreshingly for the modern era. Whether she’s singing her own rendition of classic Disney songs or elevating the new songs with her singing voice, Zegler is always a joy to watch on-screen, which simply can’t be said for many other aspects of the film. It’s a shame that many were quick to strike down Zegler and blame her for the faults of the film, as she’s the main thing stopping this film from being one of the worst Disney films in decades.
‘Spellbound’ (2024)
Directed by Vicky Jenson
So far, Zegler has exclusively used her vocal skills for live-action projects rather than lending them to an animated film.
Spellbound
is a lesser-known, underappreciated animated movie that employs its fantastical setting and visual style to explore the issue of divorce through a child’s viewpoint. Although addressing this distinct and serious theme could be challenging theoretically,
The movie excels at offering a viewpoint and a balanced take on the idea, all while serving as an entertaining animated musical.
. While the film has largely been overlooked as one of many original animated films made for Netflix, it features a lot of great moments that make it worthwhile, even if the film can feel a bit unbalanced.
Zegler gets plenty of chances to demonstrate her skills as both a voice actor and a vocalist in her starring part as Princess Ellian. Throughout the movie, she performs extensively using a broad spectrum of vocal styles and techniques. Her remarkable singing ability enhances the already outstanding songwriting of the renowned composer for animated musicals.
Alan Menken
. The only real flaws that the film faces are in its pacing, as prominent plot points and character dynamics feel like they’re introduced too late, while seemingly other major characters are written off and missing from the second half. Still, when the film is at the height of its abilities, it’s one of the most underrated animated movies that Netflix has ever released.
‘Y2K’ (2024)
Directed by Kyle Mooney
While much of Zelger’s work has been in major blockbusters and releases from massive studios,
Y2K
stands out as the only independent film in her filmography, being a goofy
sci-fi comedy
released by A24. The film takes place in an alternate version of New Year’s Eve 1999, where the anticpated Y2K bug ends up being real, with technology all across the world coming to life and taking its revenge and murdering humanity in mass. It soon becomes up to a group of high schoolers to not only survive this technological apocalypse, but eventually rise up and take them down, saving humanity and the world in the process.
Zegler plays the role of Laura in the film, the female love interest of the main character Eli and eventual co-lead of the film, after Eli’s best friend Danny is brutally murdered by robots at a New Year’s party. While Zegler doesn’t sing in the film like many of her other roles,
She infuses the role of Laura with a degree of profundity and wit, which makes her emerge as a captivating and vibrant figure within the horror genre.
This creates a particularly humorous change in viewpoint for Zegler, especially since she was not yet born during the time setting of the movie, which adds extra dimensions to both her acting and the humor involved.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (2023)
Directed by Francis Lawrence
While Zegler had already proven her talents as a blockbuster star with her acting debut,
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
proved that her talents were far from a one-time fluke and that she was the real deal as a rising star
. The prequel film to the massively popular
Hunger Games
The franchise not just meets the standards set by the initial movies but also stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best entries within the series. This movie delves into the early days of Coriolanus Snow, exploring his role as a mentor 64 years prior to becoming the oppressive leader of Panem, during the 10th edition of the Hunger Games where he guides a young woman representative from District 12.
Zegler portrays Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, who unexpectedly develops a bond and romantic connection with Snow over the course of the movie. Given the significant legacy she needed to live up to in taking on this role,
Jennifer Lawrence
Zegler’s genre-defining portrayal of Lucy Gray Baird cements her status as an icon in her own right, much like her transformation of Katniss Everdeen.
She employs all her acting abilities to bring the character of Lucy Gray to life.
Even leveraging her vocal talents for the iconic musical sequences in the movie, it’s inconceivable to picture another actress in this role besides Zegler. She significantly enhances both the character and the entire film through her portrayal.
‘West Side Story’ (2021)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Even with her significantly growing career and elevated stature as a Hollywood icon following her acting début for Steven Spielberg, she has remained notable.
West Side Story
remains at the pinnacle of her career and showcases her finest blend of acting and singing abilities on screen. By rebooting one of the most legendary and highly praised musicals ever, success hinges completely on the performances and the narrative technique employed to uplift the production.
West Side Story
into an experience worthy of coexisting with the original masterpiece. It effortlessly stands as one of the defining elements.
music experiences from the twenties
and
a demonstration of how impactful and captivating a film musical can be when approached as an enormous cinematic event from start to finish
.
Zegler herself is simply one piece of the puzzle that makes
West Side Story
work so well, with her performance as Maria finding the perfect balance of heightened innocence and compelling self-determination required of the character. There is a good reason as to why she was chosen for the role of Maria amidst the thousands of other applicants in the online casting call, as she finds the perfect balance between expertly singing the songs and bringing emotion into every second of her performance. While Zegler is only at the relative beginning of her career and will surely have numerous other exceptional films under her belt in the coming years,
West Side Story
will always be associated with the actress as one of her highest achievements.
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