The star of Disneys upcoming controversial live-action Snow White, Rachel Zegler, graces the cover of Allure magazine.

Zegler, despite her star turn in West Side Story, has garnered backlash for her role in the new film, with internet commenters seizing on news of her casting to complain about the white as snow character being played by an actress of Colombian descent.

Zegler also made headlines for critical comments about the original cartoon and an angry social media post aimed at Donald Trump voters after the 2024 election, which she quickly apologized for. Now, with Snow White set to hit theaters on Friday amid Trumps second term, which has included attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and anything too woke, the same criticism lobbed against the movie, the actress is speaking out about diversity.

My only prayer for the future of diversity and inclusion, Zegler tells Allure, is that we invest in and nurture talent no matter what they look like.

And Zegler says moviegoers can take lessons from Snow Whites battle against Gal Gadots Evil Queen, with Allure calling the character, manipulative, authoritarian, and consumed by demands for loyalty and [a] lust for power.

She says, Thats why its so important for the next generation to see movies likeSnow White. To realize theres nothing wrong with choosing to do whats right and that it doesnt have to be with anger or a clenched fist. Snow White chooses kindness and still makes change. Power takes many forms. I hope well see a new dawn of kindness and acceptance in the next couple of years. And people dont see the need to use hate to cause further division.

When asked who can save people from forces like the Evil Queen, Zegler says to look inward.

I think she exists. I genuinely think she exists in all of us, she says.

Zegler, who premiered Snow White with Gadot, director Marc Webb and the rest of the team behind the film Saturday in Los Angeles, also appeared on ABCs Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night, where she shared some details behind her casting.

She said that before she knew she got the part, she received a text from her West Side Story director Steven Spielberg alluding to the fact that I had gotten the part before I had found out, she said.

I wished him a happy Fathers Day as one does and he texted me a bunch of apple emojis as a response, Zegler said, with Kimmel calling the move very clever and very Steven Spielberg.

Zegler added, Yeah, he was giving Taylor Swift Easter eggs about my casting.

She went on to share that the level of secrecy around the project meant that she had no idea what she was reading in her audition.

Itll say like, Untitled Disney Live-Action Film, and the sides will have different names like Amber and Jeff, she said. So, I was reading for Amber and it wasnt until I had that first read with Marc Webb on Zoom that he had let it slip that I was actually conversing with Dopey. And in the back of my head, I went, OK.

Zegler also shared that her Disney ties extend to her family, sharing that her parents are true fans, so much so that their wedding song was A Whole New World from Aladdin.

I was bred for this, she joked of her role in the Disney film.