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Rachel Zegler’s Reaction to Suzy
Singer and actress Suzy has been hailed as the “Korean Snow White” after her collaboration with Disney Korea for the upcoming live-action “Snow White”. Rachel Zegler, the star of the Hollywood adaptation, showered Suzy with praise, calling her a “Disney princess” after watching her performance.
Particularly, on March 21, Disney Korea released a reaction video of Rachel Zegler watching Suzy’s performance of “Waiting On A Wish”, one of the film’s official soundtracks. The American actress was mesmerized, commenting, “She’s beautiful of course”, “She’s stunning, it’s mesmerizing to watch”, and “Insane vocals.”
Zegler also gasped as she listened to the video, before expressing her admiration further, saying, “What an incredible honor” and “She is a Disney princess.”
Disney Korea has previously worked with several top K-pop artists for special collaborations on movie soundtracks, including Taeyeon, An Yujin, and Nayeon. On March 10, they teased Suzy’s involvement with a music video preview, exciting fans with her take on the classic Disney song.
Following the official release, fans praised Suzy’s flawless visuals and angelic vocals, leaving comments such as “Even the prince will come to Korea,” “The magic mirror will say Suzy is the fairest of them all,” and “This is the real Snow White.”
Snow White’s Casting Controversy
While Suzy’s performance received glowing reviews, Disney’s live-action “Snow White” has faced backlash since its trailer release. Many long-time fans criticized the casting of Rachel Zegler, arguing that it diverges from the original fairytale description of Snow White, who was written as a girl with “skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.”
Zegler, whose mother is Colombian and father is of Polish descent, has a darker complexion than the traditionally depicted Snow White, leading to heated discussions about Disney’s approach to cultural representation. Some have defended the casting as a move toward diversity and inclusivity, while others argue that it strays too far from the source material.
This controversy mirrors the debate surrounding Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid“, where Halle Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel sparked similar discussions about authenticity in casting choices.
Addressing the criticism, Zegler stated that she knows where she comes from and embraces her heritage in everything she do, emphasizing that her identity is something that cannot be denied. She also spoke about the initial backlash, saying that while the controversy lasted for a while and everyone was furious, at the end of the day, all she can do is give her best performance and hope to win people over.