“When I was Belle, I was at the bottom of the high-school food chain. I was a freshman theater student. I was the antithesis of popular high-school student, literally hiding in this corner waiting to go onstage because I was so scared.”

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.