“West Side Story” will be a serious contender for many of the top prizes on Oscar night next week, but it looks like its star Rachel Zegler will not be on hand to support it.
In the comments of a recent Instagram post highlighting the actress’ past three months, a fan asked Zegler what she planned on wearing to the Oscars. Her droll response: “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.”
Angry fans quickly flooded the comments, expressing dismay that the breakout star was not invited to the ceremony. While Zegler is not nominated for anything, the film received seven nominations including Best Picture. It is common for stars to attend the show to support their films in top categories, even if they did not receive nominations themselves. Zegler replied to her supporters and added more context to the situation.
“IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” she wrote. “I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. 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 OK. So proud of our movie.”
The news struck many online film fans as odd, considering how much effort the Academy is putting in to modernize the Oscars telecast and attract younger viewers. While such decisions are usually made by studios who receive a limited allotment of tickets for each film, many were quick to point out that having the young breakout star of one of the year’s most nominated films would be a no-brainer for all involved.
Even if Zegler does not receive that miracle invite she is hoping for, she is in for quite the year. After making her film debut in “West Side Story,” she landed a DC superhero role in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is set to hit theaters this December, and will then play the titular princess in Disney’s “Snow White” remake.
The 94th Academy Awards will take place Sunday, March 27.
