Introduction

Rachel Zegler is a child. She’s also an incredible talent who has captured the essence of Audrey Hepburn so perfectly that she was approached by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing at Rihanna’s Diamond Ball last year and asked if he could use her photos as inspiration for his upcoming collection. And then there’s this video she shared on Twitter keep your eye on the character sitting across from her:

Let’s get this out of the way early: Rachel Zegler is a child

Let’s get this out of the way early: Rachel Zegler is a child. At 19 years old, she’s still in high school and has just graduated from her first year as an underclassman. She is also a triple threat she sings, dances, and acts (which is why we need to make sure that you know that this isn’t some kind of joke).

She’s also an incredible talent

Ziegler is a singer, dancer, and actress. She’s been in several movies including the crime drama The Lottery (2003), which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female. She’s also been on Broadway as part of Naked Angels’ production of West Side Story.

The 19-year-old New Jersey native has just been cast

The 19-year-old New Jersey native has just been cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story. Ziegler takes on the role of Maria, who lives with her family on the west side of Manhattan and dreams of being a dancer at a famous dance school called “The Five.” She meets Tony (played by newcomer Gideon Adlon) when she goes to watch him perform at his high school musical and their love story will be told against the backdrop of one wild night in New York City.

She’s doing it in quite a surprising manner

Rachel Zegler is an incredible talent. She’s doing it in quite a surprising manner.

Rachel Zegler, the 19-year-old Latina model and actress who has been cast as Audrey Hepburn in West Side Story and is currently working with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing on her film debut, was approached by him at Rihanna’s Diamond Ball last year while she was attending fashion week as an aspiring model.

Latina actors to play Maria, Anita, and Rosalia

It wasn’t a typical casting call, because there was no audition to speak of Zegler simply heard that the director was looking for Latina actors to play Maria, Anita, and Rosalia. She didn’t have to do anything except show up and read from her script in front of Wes Anderson (who would go on to direct). The seller’s agent told her she had been cast in the role of Maria after reading some other parts they called her up for. When she got off the phone with him, it didn’t take long before he texted her again: “The part is yours!”

So she submitted a video singing “Somewhere”

So she submitted a video singing “Somewhere” from West Side Story, as well as a song from her favorite musical Hamilton (a Robert Frost poem set to music). Her submission was so good that it won the competition.

She also recorded herself performing “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables, but I don’t recommend watching it if you haven’t seen the movie yet.

That was enough for Spielberg to offer her the lead role

Auditioning for West Side Story was not an easy task. Rachel Zegler who, if you don’t know, is the actress who plays Maria in West Side Story had to audition with a video and then meet Spielberg in person. She says that not only did she get the role of Maria after her first audition, but also that she got it because of who he was: “He’s known for finding talent.”

Audrey Hepburn plays Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music

But it’s not just her singing ability that makes her perfect for the role of Maria, who is supposed to be Audrey Hepburn playing Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music. While Zegler has an experience on stage than Hepburn did when she first got started, she’s also a talented actress and singer with an impressive resume.

Zegler captured the essence of Hepburn so perfectly

Ziegler the essence of Hepburn so perfectly that she was approached by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing at Rihanna’s Diamond Ball last year, and he asked if he could use her photos as inspiration for his upcoming collection.

He told her that it would be “a dream come true” to design a dress based on hers, which prompted him to reach out again after seeing her perform in West Side Story at The Royal Albert Hall this past summer.

Her photos are an inspiration for his upcoming collection

You might have heard of this person. She’s a fan of Balmain, and she was recently photographed by Olivier Rousteing for his new campaign. He noticed her photos and asked if he could use them as inspiration for his upcoming collection and she said yes!

Balmain has now decided to use these photos as their next advertising campaign, which means that all of you will be seeing more of Rachel Ziegler around town (and online).

There’s this video she shared on Twitter

And then there’s this video she shared on Twitter keep your eye on the character sitting across from her.

“When I was little, I used to watch West Side Story every day before school,” she says in the video. “I loved it because it had such an important message and message of tolerance.” She then sings “Somewhere,” which is one of my favorite songs from West Side Story.

Conclusion

Rachel Zegler is an incredible singer and actress, but she also has a great sense of humor. And if you’re going to be the Disney Princess of West Side Story, you need to be able to laugh at yourself.