Why Does The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Main Star Look So Familiar?
Her rise to fame was incredibly fast.
Actress Rachel Zegler is rightfully considered one of Hollywood's brightest young stars right now. She has as many as five upcoming projects listed on her IMDb page, and the most exciting of them is the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Did you think that the actress looked somewhat familiar when watching the trailer for the Hunger Games spin-off? Well, that's because Zegler has already starred in two big projects — and in fact, these were the only screen roles in her career. Let's check out her incredible journey to fame.
Rachel Zegler began performing on stage when she was a young girl. With her amazing voice and talent, she quickly became a star of school musicals, continuing to perfect her skills throughout her teenage years. As a high schooler, Zegler played Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Dorothy in 42nd Street, and Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical.
In 2011, the rising star launched a YouTube channel where she shared covers of songs from famous musicals and other popular pieces. One of her most popular videos was the cover of 'Shallow,' originally performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born (2018).
Rachel Zegler made a big statement about herself at the end of 2021, playing the lead role in Steven Spielberg 's West Side Story. And the most surprising thing is not that the actress managed to take part in the famous director's project so early in her life, but that it was her first screen role ever!
This story is truly inspiring in fact. When in 2018 Spielberg announced the casting for West Side Story on Twitter, 16-year-old Rachel left a comment under his post, attaching videos of herself performing two songs from the production — 'Tonight' and 'I Feel Pretty.' It turns out Zegler was chosen from 30,000 candidates for the role, and even her lack of experience did not prevent Spielberg from casting the actress.
Later, it was announced that Zegler had been cast as the main character in the life-action adaptation of Disney 's Snow White, which is set for release next year. Though some fans are a bit sceptical of the choice, arguing that the actress' appearance is not suitable for the role, there is no doubt that Rachel will offer a fantastic rendering of the iconic character.
The actress' second big project after Spielberg's film was the superhero movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), in which she portrayed Anthea, the daughter of Atlas. And now, the world is eagerly awaiting the premiere of her third movie, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, where Zegler will play main character Lucy Gray Baird.
According to the plot, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope of his family, which has lost their status and wealth in the postwar Capitol. On the eve of the annual Hunger Games, Coriolanus is assigned as a mentor to Lucy, a girl from the impoverished District 12.
The Hunger Games prequel is scheduled for release on November 17, 2023.