The 94th Annual Academy Awards took place on Sunday, March 27th, 2022, and social media is abuzz with chatter about the event of the season. One topic of conversation is the presence of actor Rachel Zegler, who starred as Maria Vasquez in the 2021 remake of West Side Story. After initially posting on Instagram that she was “disappointed” that she hadn’t been invited to the event, Zegler appeared alongside Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) to present the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, which Dune took home.
“Growing up in Australia, I never thought that I would stand up on this stage,” said Elordi before Zegler replied, “And I never thought that I would be here six days ago.”
West Side Story’s Zegler was jokingly referring to an Instagram comment she sent several days earlier. An Instagram user commented on one of Zegler’s posts, “Can’t wait to see what you’ll be wearing on Oscar night.” Zegler replied, “I’m not invited,” before adding that she would be wearing “sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.”
Zegler further elaborated, saying: “y’all, I have tried it all [to get into the 94th Academy Awards ceremony], but it doesn’t seem to be happening.” She continued: “I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did three years ago.” However, the social media uproar and celebrity support, including from Russ Tamblyn, who played Riss in the original West Side Story, changed the Academy’s minds—and Zegler secured a “last-minute miracle” to get an invitation to the 94th Oscars ceremony.
West Side Story Received Seven Oscar Nominations
West Side Story also starred Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) as Tony and David Alvarez (We Regret to Inform You) as Bernardo. It was directed by Steven Spielberg (The Terminal) from an AARP Movies for Grownups Award-winning screenplay by Tony Kushner, based on the stage play by Arthur Laurents.
West Side Story received seven Oscar nominations, and Zegler’s co-star, Ariana DeBose, who played Anita, was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, a category with stiff competition: Jessie Buckley for The Lost Daughter, Dame Judy Dench for Belfast, Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man 3) for The Power of the Dog, and Aunjanue Ellis for King Richard were all contenders, as well. DeBose was previously awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
The Oscars for which West Side Story was nominated but did not take home the award included Best Motion Picture of the Year, Spielberg for Best Achievement in Directing, Janusz Kaminski for Best Achievement in Cinematography, and Paul Tazewell for Best Achievement in Costume Design.
Zegler will soon appear in the live-action remake of Snow White for Disney, and she will also appear in the upcoming sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which has finished filming and is currently in post-production. Fans of the actress can already watch her performance in West Side Story, which is currently available for streaming on Disney+.
