Rachel Zegler just spilled the beans on her wild initiation into the magical world of West Side Story with none other than the cinematic sorcerer, Steven Spielberg!
This 22-year-old dynamo rocked the role of Maria in Spielberg’s 2021 rendition of the musical time machine that is West Side Story. But let’s talk about her first day on set because, boy, it’s a story for the ages!
Our girl Rachel, bless her heart, took to the Twittersphere (formerly known as Twitter, for you non-time-travelers) on a fine Friday (November 24) to regale us with the tale of her grand adventure with the legendary filmmaker.
So, imagine this: Rachel, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, strolls onto the set, ready to conquer the world (or at least the West Side). And what does Spielberg, the puppet master of Hollywood, tell her? “Whatever you do, don’t blink.” Now, if that’s not a recipe for instant panic, I don’t know what is.
In response to a four-second GIF of her in the movie (because that’s how we communicate in the future, apparently), Rachel dropped this gem: “that time it was my first day on set and Steven Spielberg said ‘whatever you do don’t blink.'” Talk about pressure, right?
In a follow-up tweet, she spills the real tea: “imagine Janusz Kaminski putting a whole light in your face and you have to A) not blink, B) not tear up, and C) not die because it’s your first day on your first movie ever.” Easy peasy, right? I mean, who needs eyelids, anyway?
And here comes the punchline. Rachel proudly declares, “this is why I won the Golden Globe. My eyeballs of steel.” Move over, Meryl Streep, we’ve got a new sheriff in town, and she’s got ocular fortitude like you wouldn’t believe.
Let’s fast forward a bit—because that’s a thing we can do now, apparently. After her stellar performance in West Side Story, Rachel didn’t just kick back and relax. Oh no, she’s been busy gracing the silver screen in 2023 with not one, but two blockbuster hits: Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Can we get this girl a cape or something?
The hilarious chronicles of Rachel Zegler’s first day on the West Side Story set. Who knew not blinking could be a career-defining skill? Move over, method acting—here comes method not blinking!
that time it was my first day on set and steven spielberg said “whatever you do don’t blink” https://t.co/alYAk7wmnk
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) November 25, 2023
