Rachel Zegler

Rachel Anne Zegler (/ˈzɛɡlər/; born May 3, 2001) is an American actress and singer. She made her film debut playing Maria Vasquez in the 2021 musical drama West Side Story, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She was the first actress of Colombian descent to win the award and, at 20 years old, its youngest recipient. She was included on Forbes' "30 Under 30" list in 2022. Zegler's parents are Gina and Craig Zegler. She was named after the fictional character Rachel Green from the TV show Friends. She has an older sister. Her mother is of Colombian descent. Zegler's maternal grandmother immigrated from Colombia to the United States in the 1960s. Her father is of Polish descent. Zegler was born in Hackensack and raised in Clifton, New Jersey, where she attended St. Philip the Apostle Preparatory School. She then attended the Catholic all-girls college-preparatory Immaculate Conception High School. She graduated from high school on June 2, 2019.