Gen Z multi-talented star Rachel Zegler became a sensation for posting a video of herself singing "Shallow" alone in her high school auditorium. The clip went viral, and this attention prompted her to apply to an open casting call for the lead role in Steven Spielberg's new take on the classic "West Side Story." She was 17 when she was cast.
In the retelling of "Romeo & Juliet," she portrays Puerto Rican girl Maria who falls in love with a white boy named Tony (Ansel Elgort) from a rival gang fighting for a corner of the Upper West Side neighborhood San Juan Hill. Naturally, the star-crossed lovers are torn apart by cultural and racial differences, all while singing and dancing their hearts out. Her big break in "West Side Story" garnered a Golden Globe win at 20.
