Rachel Zegler: Lesser-Known Facts About the Colombian Actor
Colombian American Actor Rachel Zegler's rapid rise from local theater to Steven Spielberg's West Side Story includes viral YouTube covers and her roles in The Hunger Games and Broadway's Romeo + Juliet. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Rachel Zegler has quickly become a Hollywood sensation in the past two years.

She started with local theater in New Jersey and shot to fame with Steven Spielberg's West Side Story.

Born and raised in New Jersey, she started as a wedding singer, then gained attention with viral YouTube covers, according to L'Officiel.

Here are some facts about Colombian American rising star Rachel Zegler that you may not know.

Nominee for the Metro Award Four Times

Rachel Zegler has been recognized at the Metro Awards, a high school student award show for Northern New Jersey and parts of New York.

Nominated four times, she displayed her talent by taking on roles such as Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" during her freshman year and Princess Fiona in "Shrek" during her senior year.

Her performances always left a lasting impression.

Recipient of a Golden Globe

Rachel Zegler was emotionally overcome when she received the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for her performance in "West Side Story."

She triumphed over nominees like Marion Cotillard, Alana Haim, Jennifer Lawrence, and Emma Stone.

Previously Portrayed Maria

In an emotional Instagram post, Rachel Zegler reflected on her journey to playing Maria in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story": "When I played Maria on stage a few summers ago, I never could have imagined that I'd be taking on the role again in Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story.' It's a dream come true to revisit this iconic character on the big screen," per Parade.

Role as a Wedding Singer

Between honing her skills for leading roles on high school and local theater stages, Rachel Zegler occasionally performed as a part-time wedding singer.

In 2015, she tweeted an account discussing Idina Menzel's start as a wedding singer, saying, "There's hope for me."

Five years later, reflecting on her journey, she tweeted, "Wow, 2015-wedding-singer-rachel! You had no idea."

Talent in Music Composition Alongside Singing

One of Rachel Zegler facts is that on her popular YouTube channel, which has over 2K subscribers, she captivates audiences with breathtaking song covers that consistently rack up millions of views.

But her channel offers more than just covers; it's a window into Rachel's soulful creativity, Girl's Life noted.

She also shares her original songs, each lyric revealing the depth of her artistic expression and the beauty of her heart.

Romantic Relationship with Former Co-Star

Rachel Zegler and her boyfriend, Josh Andrés Rivera, have been together for over two years since they first met on the set of West Side Story in 2021.

Their on-screen chemistry continued in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, where they also starred alongside each other.

Recently, Rachel Zegler took to social media to share heartfelt birthday wishes for Josh Andrés Rivera as he celebrated his 29th birthday.

The post was a public display of their affection, showcasing their bond on and off-screen.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

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