7 Things To Know About Rachel Zegler
L'OFFICIEL rounds up 7 things you didn't know about the burgeoning actress.
Within the past two years, Rachel Zegler has been thrown into Hollywood's limelight, experiencing the thrills and challenges of becoming a young in-demand actor.
From her early days performing in local theater productions to her breakout role in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, Zegler's ascent to fame is a testament to her unwavering commitment to her craft. Born and raised in New Jersey, she spent time as a wedding singer during high school, before honing her skills on stage and posting viral covers of famous songs on YouTube.
With her recent role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and her upcoming roles as Snow White and Juliet in the Broadway show Romeo + Juliet, here are the 7 things you might now know about the talented young Zegler.
She was a wedding singer
When she wasn't honing her skills for leading roles on high school stages or local theaters, the singing sensation found herself occasionally performing as a part-time wedding singer.
She once quote tweeted an account in 2015 discussing how Idina Menzel began her career as a wedding singer before achieving fame, expressing, "there's hope for me." Fast forward five years, the emerging star reflected on her journey with a tweet: "Wow, 2015-wedding-singer-rachel! You had no idea."
She went viral for a "Shallow" cover in 2018
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Among her earliest posts that garnered widespread attention was her flawless cover of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow." After this, Zegler was recognized by Hollywood's elite, and was soon cast in West Side Story, alongside Ansel Elgort.
She's dating her former co-star
Zegler and her boyfriend, Josh Andrés Rivera have been dating for over two years after meeting on the set of West Side Story in 2021. The two then also starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes alongside one another.
Zegler recently just posted birthday wishes for Rivera on his 29th birthday.
She played Fiona in her high school's production of Shrek the Musical
When Rachel Zegler landed her role in West Side Story, she was simultaneously deep into rehearsals for her high school's production of Shrek the Musical, where she was cast as Princess Fiona. After her performance, she swiftly transitioned to rehearsals for West Side Story, balancing her commitments while completing the remainder of her senior year studies online.
She regularly posted singing covers on YouTube
Between fielding calls from Hollywood executives, Zegler frequently shared singing covers on her YouTube channel. Reflecting on her journey, it's remarkable to witness how much she has achieved since then.
She won a Golden Globe
Emotions overwhelmed Zegler as she responded to winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for her role in "West Side Story." She won over esteemed nominees including Marion Cotillard, Alana Haim, Jennifer Lawrence, and Emma Stone.
She'll have her Broadway debut this fall
This fall, audiences can anticipate the Broadway debuts of Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor in a fresh adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. The production will be accompanied by music from Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff, who himself is stepping into the Broadway realm for the first time.
While exact dates and venue remain undisclosed, ticket sales are scheduled to commence in May.
