Introducing Hollywood’s Newest Star: Rachel Zegler
design: Katie Huang
A star is born.
by OLIVIA RODRIGUEZ ★ JANUARY 25, 2024
Fresh off her starring role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Rachel Zegler is quickly establishing herself in Hollywood with her captivating voice and stellar acting. So, let’s discuss who this rising star is, her iconic fashion, her new movies, and why we should be looking out for her in the future.
Those of us who are obsessed with Hollywood celebrities (or are currently on Hunger Games TikTok) have probably heard the name Rachel Zegler before. While some of us may be hearing her name for the first time, thanks to her leading role as Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I’m proud to say that I’ve been on the Rachel Zegler hype train for a while now.
Rachel Zegler got her start in acting when she was only 16 years old. She sent in a self-tape for the part of María in Steven Speilberg’s adaptation of West Side Story against 30,000 other girls and won the part with her astonishing voice…she’s that good. This role ended up winning her a Golden Globe, making her the youngest person to win Best Actress and the first Colombian to do so. Ms. Zegler went straight from high school and into stardom.
WSS was hardly the end of Zegler’s rise. She recently appeared as Anthea in the new Shazam: Fury of the Gods movie and was also handpicked by Disney to portray the next live-action princess: Snow White. Despite all this, Zegler still had to face racist online backlash for playing the part of an originally white character. Through it all, our girl has stayed strong and poised. Her kindness and gentle attitude only cement further that she is more than deserving of all the amazing opportunities and accolades she has attained.
Today, Zegler can most recently be seen as leading lady Lucy Gray Baird in the newest installment in the Hunger Games franchise, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. However, the press junket for this movie was put on hold due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. SAG, or, the Screen Actors Guild, is the union that represents most actors in Hollywood, and was on strike for 5 months for everything from fair wages to A.I. protection. The strike inhibited actors from promoting any of their projects, so Zegler and her co-stars could be seen on the picket line, supporting the actors in their fight.
Luckily, however, Lionsgate Studios struck a deal with SAG-AFTRA, allowing the cast to promote the movie. I, for one, could not be more thankful. From this, we got some of the cutest and most fun content from Zegler and the cast. From Tom Blythe to Hunter Schafer, the cast is just as amazing as the movie itself (which you should totally go see). Zegler is phenomenal in this movie with her soaring vocals and captivating performance. She IS Lucy Gray. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about her. It’s also so adorable to see her and her boyfriend, Josh Andrés Rivera, who she stars alongside in both West Side Story and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, on the red carpet together. Talk about couple goals.
Side note: can we talk about Zegler’s red carpet fashion? She, and her stylist, Sarah Tooley, continuously understand the assignment. One of her Hunger Games premiere dresses was even directly inspired by Katniss’s fire dress from the original trilogy! It suffices to say that Zegler is more than just an amazing actress and singer. She is also a total fashion IT girl, with a sense of style all her own.
Rachel Zegler is a girl to look out for. She is a versatile actress, accomplished singer, fashion icon, and well-rounded performer—and she’s only 22! Zegler is the epitome of a thriving Hollywood star, with her grace, kindness, charm, and wit. If she continues on this trajectory, I have no doubt that her future in the industry is bright.