“There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name,” Zegler said. “When I was in the running for María in ‘West Side Story,’ they kept calling to ask if I was legit. I remember thinking, ‘Do you want me to bring my abuelita in?’ I will. I’ll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her.”

Rachel Zegler said an interview with Allure magazine that white studio executives repeatedly questioned her during the casting process for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” which served as her acting breakthrough in Hollywood.

Zegler, who is now starring as the titular princess in “ Snow White ,” told Allure that her breakout turn as María in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” had some “confusion” in the casting process. Spielberg wanted the role of María to be played by a Latina actress.