“I really believed in my talent very early on, and probably in a psychotic way, to the point where I was, 'Yeah, I'm in an audition for a Spielberg movie; maybe then I won't go to college.' That was the idea I had.”

American actress and singer

Rachel Anne Zegler is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence with her role as María in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story, a performance that brought her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. Her work is best known through that breakthrough role, which placed her among a new generation of screen performers. As a singer and actress, she is identified with musical performance and with the visibility that came from bringing a classic stage role to film.