Rachel Zegler remains one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming stars but, at the same time, she’s received a lot of backlash. The past few years have seen Zegler draw into a number of controversies, some of which involved projects she participated in. Chief among them was the Snow White situation, which saw social media users chastise Zegler for comments she made about the Disney princess. Now, one of Zegler’s Evita co-stars is speaking out on her behalf and isn’t holding back about the bad press she receives.
This summer marked Rachel Zegler’s West End debut, during which she played political leader and activist Eva Perón in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita. Among Zegler’s co-stars is James Olivas, who plays the role of Juan Perón. Olivas discussed this latest revival of the acclaimed musical during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When discussing Zegler, Olivas had nothing but praise for her, and he also spoke out against those who criticize his scene partner:
I think Rachel became very notorious prior to the show. In very similar ways to Eva Perón, she was loved and hated. Prior to coming to London, my understanding of her was that she was being dogpiled on a little bit by the media… I did some actual research, like, ‘What is this scandal? What are the big controversies?’ and found that there’s nothing of merit. It’s people just choosing to be angry at her because she is a woman of color, and she is young, an easy target.
When it comes to the West End Show, the Shazam! Fury of the Gods alum has been critiqued due to one key moment in the production. Said segment sees the leading lady, while in character as Eva, leave the stage and perform “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” from the balcony of the London Palladium for those outside the building. When that happens, theater attendees are treated to a livestream of that performance. Many have taken issue with having paid to see the play only for that particular song not to be performed on stage.
James Olivas seems to be of the opinion that much of that backlash is disingenuous. Later on in his discussion with THR, he referred to it all as “such manufactured outrage.” Olivas went on to describe the reactions that he’s personally heard in regard to his co-star taking to the balcony to sing live for the citizens of London:
[They say], ‘How could Rachel Zegler do this to paying customers? It was this game of telephone that was never rooted in truth — there’s not been a single person that has come to see the show that has anything less than loved what that moment is in the theater and how it reads outside.
Said balcony brouhaha was preceded by the aforementioned Snow White controversy. That began in earnest in 2023, at which point comments that Rachel Zegler made about Snow White at 2022’s D23 Expo resurfaced. Zegler stated that her iteration of the princess would have more agency and complexity than her animated 1937 counterpart. Fans took offense, with that backlash coming after many criticized the decision to cast Zegler (who’s of Latin descent) as “The Fairest of Them All.” James Olivas had this to say about it:
Even in her press run for Snow White, [people were] saying, ‘Rachel Zegler hates traditional Snow White, so she changed it, and she doesn’t want a prince!’ I think it speaks to people’s ignorance… Do you think that she’s the writer? Do you think she’s the director? She’s an actor, she was given lines, she was given a job. And same thing in this production.
Rachel Zegler herself has also addressed the flak she’s taken for not only her comments about her Disney character but her political views as well. As far as her take on global issues go, Zegler finds it “alarming” at times, though she believes she has a platform to speak out on such topics. The West Side Story breakout also got candid about having a conversation with her psychiatrist about the hate she’s received.
Snow White was a box office bomb, yet Rachel Zegler’s career has continued to thrive. In June, Snow not only trended high amid its Disney+ debut, but this latest production of Evita also raked in a considerable amount of cash on the West End. Also, Zegler is working with Oscar winner Marisa Tomei in an upcoming dramedy film, She Gets It From Me, which will see them play mother and daughter. As Zegler’s critics continue to share thoughts and her career continues, it seems she can say James Olivas is in her corner.
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