“Musical theater has always meant expression to me. It makes me sit back in my seat and say, 'How did they put all of that into words?'”

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.