Rachel Zegler Says She Received ‘Death Threats’ After Her Casting in ‘The Hunger Games’ Prequel
Not everyone is excited about Rachel Zegler’s casting in The Hunger Games prequel, with the actor confirming that she received death threats after the Lucy Gray Baird announcement.
Rachel Zegler will play Lucy Gray Baird in ‘The Hunger Games’ prequel movie
Hot off the heels of her appearance in West Side Story, Zegler landed roles in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Disney’s upcoming remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In 2022, she was announced as a starring cast member for The Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes.
“Like everybody, I first saw Rachel Zegler in West Side Story, and like everybody, I knew I was watching a star who would command the screen for a generation,” director Francis Lawrence said, according to Deadline.
“Lucy Gray is a perfect match for her as an actress: the character is bold, independent, and defiant, but also vulnerable, emotional, and loving,” the statement continued. “Rachel will make this character unforgettable.”
Lucy Gray Baird appeared as the District 12 tribute for the 10th annual Hunger Games. After singing at the reaping ceremony, this character forms a unique relationship with young Coriolanus Snow. However, not every Hunger Games fan was supportive of this casting choice.
Rachel Zegler says she received death threats after the ‘Hunger Games’ announcement
From her high school adventures in Shrek: The Musical to her red carpet moments as María in West Side Story, Zegler often “keeps it real” with fans on her YouTube channel. In 2022, she posted her latest video, also commenting on news regarding her upcoming project.
“They just announced my casting in The Hunger Games prequel as Lucy Gray Baird,” Zegler said, “which if you don’t know, now you know. I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m so excited, and yet simultaneously, people are telling me to die. And I’m doing laundry.”
The video mainly highlighted Zegler’s vacation to Morocco. With the actor spending time in England for Disney’s live-action adaptation of Snow White, the trip was a quick plane ride. As seen in the video, she spent time with friends at dinner and even met camels. Later, the actor reflected on her mental health.
“I can also be having the greatest time and simultaneously wishing people would stop sending me death threats,” Zegler added at the end of the video. “And maybe that’s a weird takeaway for this video… Just know that I am the most grateful person alive, but I’m also keeping it real.”
Rachel Zegler said she’s ‘keeping it real’ with YouTube viewers
With the video aptly titled “I Ran Away From My Problems for 72 Hours,” Zegler wrote in the caption, “Sometimes we need to escape in order to bring us back down to what’s real… if you’re going through something similar to me, where you aren’t quite sure if you should be feeling the way you do because you’re -supposed- to be on top of the world, according to society, then welcome to my channel.”
