UPDATE: Rachel Zegler gets invited to the Oscars as a presenter
"I hope some last minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person," wrote the actor
UPDATE, March 22: After Rachel Zegler replied to a fan on Instagram saying she was not invited to the Oscars, many rallied to get the West Side Story star an invite. Per The Hollywood Reporter, those efforts worked out, as the actor has now been invited to the Academy Awards as a presenter.
Though Zegler is currently filming Disney’s live-action Snow White remake in London, THR reports that production is working on rearranging the shooting schedule so Zegler can attend the ceremony.
Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story received seven Oscar nominations—including one for Best Picture—but in a surprising and extremely questionable move, the Academy did not invite the film’s lead, Rachel Zegler, to the ceremony.
When a fan commented on her Instagram “Can’t wait to see what you’ll be wearing on Oscar night,” Zegler revealed that she won’t be attending the ceremony. She wrote, “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.”
“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 elaborated in another reply. “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.”
One Day At A Time creator Gloria Calderón Kellett shared on Twitter a screenshot of Zegler’s comment, writing, “Hey ABC you moved ONE Latine show you have to Hulu and The Academy claims to want to embrace diversity. How about the rare time that Latine people have a movie nominated for an OSCAR you invite the lead. Latine people are 18.5% of this country. ENOUGH!” Others in the industry chimed in, expressing their outrage as well.
Zegler then wrote a tweet addressing her fans who called out the Academy for not extending an invite to her. She wrote, “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.”
The 94th Oscars will be held this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.