Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) release of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” has received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. But leading lady Rachel Zegler will have to watch her colleagues from afar because she was not allocated a ticket to attend Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.
What Happened: On Sunday, the 20-year-old Zegler confided to her 590,000 followers on Instagram that she was not invited to the awards show.
“Idk y’all, I have tried it all, but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” Zegler wrote in a comment to an Instagram follower. “I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did three years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person, but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. Thanks for all the shock and outrage — I’m disappointed too. But that’s okay. So proud of our movie.”
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What Happens Next: Although Zegler’s “West Side Story” performance as Maria won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, she was not nominated for the Academy Award — co-star Ariana DeBose, who played Anita, was the sole member of the film’s cast to be Oscar-nominated.
Zegler responded to the outpouring of fan support by taking to Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) to tap down whatever controversy was percolating, tweeting: “my goodness, folks!! appreciate all the support, i really really do. we live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen. that goes for film productions (like the one I am so lucky to be currently shooting in london) and awards shows alike. let’s all just respect the process and i’ll get off my phone x R.”
Zegler is currently in London for another Disney production, a live-action version of “Snow White” that is scheduled to be in theaters in 2023. While in London, she attended last week's BAFTA Awards with DeBose and "West Side Story" actor Mike Faist, who was BAFTA nominated for portraying Riff.
Neither Disney nor the Academy has publicly commented on why Zegler is not being invited to the Oscar telecast.
Photo: Rachel Zegler as Maria in "West Side Story," courtesy of Disney
