Rachel Zegler Is "Disappointed" She Wasn't Invited To The Oscars This Year But Says She'll Still "Root For 'West Side Story'"
20-year-old Rachel Zegler was only 17 years old when she was filming "West Side Story," Steven Spielberg's recent remake of the beloved musical.
Rachel Zegler played the main character of Maria, who found herself in a star-crossed love story with Tony, played by Ansel Elgort. West Side Story is nominated for seven awards at the 2022 Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Sound. But it looks like Zegler won't be there this year — and not because she doesn't want to attend.
Rachel Zegler Wasn't Invited to the Oscars
Zegler posted a series of photos on her Instagram page that offered a glimpse into her life recently. A fan commented, "Can't wait to see what you'll be wearing on Oscar night." Her response caught a lot of people off guard.
"I'm not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend's flannel," Zegler replied.
Fans responded in shock, pointing out that she was the protagonist of West Side Story, a film that has several Oscar nominations. Why wouldn't she be in attendance? Nobody could seem to wrap their head around it. She responded yet again in the comment section.
"Idk y’all i have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening :’) i will root for west side story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago," she said. "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. ❤️"
Zegler also took to Twitter to thank everyone for "all the support." She wrote, "We live in such unprecedented times, and a lot of work behind the scenes goes into making movie magic happen... let’s all just respect the process and i’ll get off my phone."
People are still in disbelief that she won't be on the red carpet. But the Academy announced in February that they have to reduce the seating capacity in Dolby Theatre. It usually holds 3,300 people, but due to coronavirus concerns, they are only inviting 2,500. According to Variety, movie studios are given an undefined allotment of tickets to the Oscars and they choose who to give those tickets to. This leaves everyone asking why Disney left Zegler off the guest list.
The Academy Awards will air on March 27.