Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose & Rita Moreno Discuss Bringing West Side Story to Life

Erik Davis sat down with West Side Story Stars Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno to talk about how Steven Spielberg created a brand new experience of the classic musical.

Rita Moreno first experienced West Side Story through the eyes of Anita and is now back as a new character specifically created for the 2021 Version, Valentina. Playing Valentina a woman of "dignity and stillness, filled with love" made this a brand new experience for Moreno. The Academy-Award winner talks about how Spielberg brought out a stillness in her that hasn't been on screen yet.

Ariana Debose steps in the role of Anita balancing honoring the women who have played her before while also delivering a new portrayal of her. During the audition process, DeBose brought up the importance of being Afro-Latina and the lack of that interpretation onscreen. Allowing her interpretation of Anita being "unapologetically" Black was a part of bringing the character to life in a new light.

Rachel Zegler went from high school theater to starring as Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. Spielberg left it up to Zegler to decide who the character was and it was important to her that Maria was young and eighteen. She brought her own emotions of being sixteen while going through the audition process into her character.

-Jillian Chilingerian