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 isRachel 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 forSteven Spielberg’sWest 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. While her public image as a whole has left audiences relatively divided in recent years due to her open political views, her talent and prowess on-screen are undeniable, making her that much more of a likable star for young audiences.
6’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! Fury 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.
Zegler plays the role of Athena in the film, one of the daughters of Atlas and the younger sister of the primary antagonists of the film, Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu). Her character winds up being the key to bridging the gap of friendship between the Shazam Family and the daughters of Atlas, using her powers and knowledge of the fantasy world to help stop her sisters' villainous plot. She does a fine enough job in the film, if not being relatively forgettable, asthe film simply doesn’t utilize any of her key strengths as an actress, largely just using her due to her notable star power while being able to play a young character.
Shazam! The Fury of the Gods
5’Snow White' (2025)
Directed by Marc Webb
The most recent film that Zegler has been a part of, the live-action remake ofSnow Whitehas 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 whatits abysmal IMDb scorewould have one believe, the film is not one of the worst movies of all time, but at the same time, it still features a lot of the flaws that have plagued Disney’s corporate and soulless remakes. Between the off-putting visual effects, Gal Gadot’s atrociously bad performance, and a variety of changes from the original story, the film immediately put a lot of people off from even considering the film as worth watching.
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.
Snow White
4’Spellbound' (2024)
Directed by Vicky Jenson
The only time that Zegler has lent her talents as a voice actress to an animated movie so far,Spellboundis a small-scale, underrated animated film that uses its fantasy world and aesthetics to tackle the topic of divorce from a child’s perspective. While the prospect of tackling such a unique and heavy subject is difficult on paper,the film does a great job of providing a perspective and healthy approach to the concept while also being a fun 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 is given a lot of opportunities to show off her talent as both a voice actress and a singer through her leading role as Princess Ellian. She sings a great deal throughout the film in a wide variety of different tones and approaches, with her exceptional singing voice elevating the already exceptional songwriting of legendary animated musical songwriterAlan 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.
Spellbound
3’Y2K' (2024)
Directed by Kyle Mooney
While much of Zelger’s work has been in major blockbusters and releases from massive studios,Y2Kstands out as the only independent film in her filmography, being a goofysci-fi comedyreleased 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 brings a level of depth and intelligence to the character of Laura that helps her stand out as a compelling and dynamic horror protagonist. It makes for an especially comedic shift in perspective for Zegler considering that she wasn’t even born yet when the period of the film takes place, adding additional layers to her performance and the comedy that comes with it.
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 Snakesproved 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 popularHunger Gamesfranchise not only lives up to the legacy and strength of the original films, but is arguably on the same level as the heights of the franchise as a whole. The film follows the origins of Coriolanus Snow, 64 years before he would eventually become the tyrannical president of Panem, as he acts as a mentor to a female tribute from District 12 for the 10th annual Hunger Games.
Zegler plays the role of Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12 who finds herself being mentored and fostering an unexpected relationship and romance with Snow throughout the film. Considering the massive legacy that Zegler had to follow up in filling the shoes ofJennifer Lawrence’s genre-defining performance as Katniss Everdeen, Zegler transforms Lucy Gray Baird into an icon of her own.She utilizes all of her strengths as an actress to breathe life into the character of Lucy Gray, even utilizing her singing abilities for the character’s legendary musical numbers during the film. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role other than Zegler, as she largely elevates the character and subsequently the film as a whole with her performance.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
1’West Side Story' (2021)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Despite largely increasing her career and status as a Hollywood star since her acting debut, Steven Spielberg’sWest Side Storystill stands as the height of her career as well as her best display of acting and singing talent on-screen. Remaking one of the most iconic and acclaimed musicals of all time, it entirely comes down to the performances and approach to storytelling to elevateWest Side Storyinto an experience worth existing alongside the masterpiece of the original. It easily makes for one of the definingmusical experiences of the 2020sanda showcase of just how effective and mesmerizing a movie musical can be if treated like a massive cinematic experience from top to bottom.
Zegler herself is simply one piece of the puzzle that makesWest Side Storywork 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 Storywill always be associated with the actress as one of her highest achievements.
