Zegler recalled the unsettling experience of being forced to prove your heritage to a room full of white executives.Rachel Zegler is still shocked by some of her experiences throughout the West Side Story casting process.

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.