Evita’ Star Massive Advocacy of Rachel Zegler Casting, Calls Criticism ‘Manufactured Outrage
Oh, Rachel Zegler. How does one become a lightning rod for controversy in Hollywood without even trying? Seriously, her portrayal in Disney’s Snow White hasn’t exactly been the stuff of fairy tales. From the casting backlash to comments about the original film’s “outdated” portrayal of women, Zegler has been dragged through an online circus, with pitchforks aplenty. And, if you thought the drama ended there, think again. This snowball of controversy (pun intended) doesn’t seem to be melting anytime soon.
Evita Co-Star Defends Rachel Zegler
Yes, you read that correctly. If you’ve been living under a rock, people are blaming Rachel Zegler for the not-so-stellar Snow White performance. This film reportedly cost Disney a cool $270 million but only made $205.6 million globally. According to reports, there were concerns from the get-go about Zegler derailing the movie because infusing your politics into a PR campaign isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Shocking, I know.
Somehow, Snow White found itself on a redeeming journey after bombing in the theatres. Her co-star in Evita, James Olivas, stepped forward to defend Rachel Zegler, drawing a comparison between her situation and Eva Perón’s historical, polarizing fame. According to Olivas via The Hollywood Reporter, the actress was the victim of “manufactured outrage,” likely fueled by media scrutiny. He said, “I think Rachel became very notorious prior to the show. In very similar ways to Eva Perón, she was loved and hated.”
In addition, he added, “Prior to coming to London, my understanding of her was that she was being dogpiled on a little bit by the media… I did some actual research, like, ‘What is this scandal? What are the big controversies?’ and found that there’s nothing of merit. It’s people just choosing to be angry at her because she is a woman of color, and she is young, an easy target.”
You could almost hear him internally yelling, “She’s just an actor, people!” And honestly, he has a point. The hate Rachel Zegler has received feels as exaggerated as a Marvel movie’s end sequence. Olivas didn’t just stop there. He pointed out a simple truth that seems to escape her critics: Rachel Zegler didn’t write, direct, or produce Snow White. She’s not standing on a soapbox demanding people flock to theaters. She’s just the face of a project that, frankly, had uphill battles long before her involvement.
Specifically, criticism cropped up around her handling of the iconic balcony scene. Cue the eye rolls from James Olivas, who passionately defended her, reminding us that Zegler, too, is merely an actor within larger productions. “Do you think that she’s the writer? Do you think she’s the director? She’s an actor,” Olivas pointed out, clearly exasperated by what he sees as misplaced blame.
Final Thoughts
At the heart of it all, this chaotic swirl surrounding Zegler speaks volumes about modern celebrity culture. We’re so quick to either pedestal or vilify public figures without sparing a second for nuance. Is Zegler a master manipulator, derailing multi-million-dollar productions? Or is she just a talented actress burdened by a relentless media frenzy and a few clumsy comments?
The answer probably lies somewhere in between. But hey, one thing’s for sure. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s not about heroes or villains. It’s that celebrity scandals, much like poorly-performing Disney films, are oddly captivating for reasons we’re not entirely proud of.
