By Movieguide® Contributor
Rachel Zegler is sharing her hopes for what audiences take away from SNOW WHITE, from kindness and positivity to the true meaning of being “fair.”
“So much of my life has been dedicated to playing Snow White,” Zegler said in a recent interview. “I’ve been attached to this movie and this girl for five years now, and it’s a really big percentage of my life and career, so so much of us has sort of melded into one.”
She continued, “I really hope that I have a similar heart to hers. She has this really beautiful, unending kindness and positive outlook towards the world. I wish I could be as positive as she is at times. That’s certainly a difference we have.”
The WEST SIDE STORY star explained that Snow White “sees the good in everyone and everything, and I hope that I and so many people who watch this film can embody that as well.”
In an interview with GOOD MORNING AMERICA, Zegler said being cast in the movie was “the honor of a lifetime.”
“I think every young person dreams about a phone call like that,” she continued. “This one is certainly extra special as a huge Disney fan. “To get to bring [Snow White] to life in such a unique way and such a special way, it’s just a beautiful opportunity, and I’m very honored.”
Zegler also shared her hopes for what viewers will take away from the movie’s message.
“I really hope that audiences walk away from this film with an understanding of the true meaning of fairness,” she said. “There is a message that’s been carried on for almost 90 years now from the original animated classic that is, fairness is what is within. Fairness is to do with your heart, the way you treat the people around you, and it has nothing to do with what you look like, and that’s the misunderstanding between Snow White and the Evil Queen.”
She elaborated on this theme in an interview with Allure, saying, “It’s so important for the next generation to see movies like SNOW WHITE — to realize there’s nothing wrong with choosing to do what’s right and that it doesn’t have to be with anger or a clenched fist.”
“Anger can be a powerful emotion, but it doesn’t bring the brightest future,” Zegler continued. “[It uncovers] fear, insecurity, and a lack of love. Snow White chooses kindness and still makes change. Power takes many forms. I hope we’ll see a new dawn of kindness and acceptance in the next couple of years. And people don’t see the need to use hate to cause further division.
From SNOW WHITE to WEST SIDE STORY to a Broadway stint as Juliet in a new production of ROMEO AND JULIET, Zegler is used to taking on beloved and iconic roles.
“There’s definitely an unspoken pressure that comes from the reimagination and retelling of classic stories,” she explained. “I’ve been very honored for much of my career to bring those stories back to the new generation…there’s a lot of responsibility there, and so you have to take excellent care of the classic versions of these stories that people care so deeply about and toe the line for the modern age and make them understand why it needs to be retold.”
2025’s SNOW WHITE promotes “true love, doing the right thing, letting goodness be your guide, inner beauty, freedom, honesty, sincerity, sacrifice, and bravely standing up to tyranny,” per the Movieguide® review, and that is paying off at the box office.
SNOW WHITE has already made over $85 million at the worldwide box office and is currently the No. 1 movie in America, opening at over $42 million. For comparison, second place went to BLACK BAG, with a little over $4 million.
Read Next: Will Rachel Zegler’s Homage to Original SNOW WHITE Actress Save Live-Action Version?
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