Rachel Zegler was announced as the winner of Best Actress in a Musical at the 2026 Laurence Olivier Awards for her role as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s West End revival of Evita. The 25-year-old actress, who will bring her acclaimed portrayal to Broadway starting in February 2027, discusses how she has navigated criticism and controversy throughout her career while remaining committed to representing the Latino community in the arts. Zegler emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion, expressing pride in the opportunities her work has created for women and Latinos in the industry.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Rachel Zegler, at 25, won Best Actress in a Musical at the 2026 Laurence Olivier Awards for her role as Eva Perón in *Evita* in London. Initially unsure if she had won due to an unusual presentation by Vanessa Williams, Zegler expressed immense pride in her performance and its reception. Following this success, Zegler is set to bring her acclaimed portrayal of the former First Lady of Argentina to Broadway starting in February 2027. Additionally, she will return to the big screen for Disney’s live-action version of Snow White, scheduled for release in 2025, after facing controversies over her Colombian heritage and her interpretation of the character.
Written for “Rachel Zegler Advocates For Latino Re…” on 2026-09-15,
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Leaning score withheld for article 10936: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-16
When Rachel Zegler was announced as the winner of Best Actress in a Musical at the 2026 Laurence Olivier Awards, she initially wasn’t sure she’d won.
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she → announce → Awards
“It was one of those crazy things,” she says.
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she → say → things
“Vanessa Williams presented it, and she didn’t do the traditional ‘The winner is ...’
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winner → present → is
She just said, ‘Get up here, Rachel.’
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She → say → ?
So I didn’t know what was happening.
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what → know → ?
Then my best friend was like, ‘Go, go, go!’”
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friend → go → ?
As for the role that earned her that honor—playing Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s West End revival of Evita—Zegler doesn’t mince words when it comes to how much those 12 weeks she spent performing at the London Palladium meant to her.
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she → earn → her
“That production and having done it with the people I did is my proudest achievement,” she says.
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she → do → people
“It was the most incredible summer anyone could ever dream of.”
uncertain
anyone → dream → ?
Zegler, 25, is now poised to bring her acclaimed portrayal of the former First Lady of Argentina to Broadway, with previews for the show beginning in February 2027.
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previews → poise → February
The musical’s highly anticipated New York City run will kick-start a chapter in which Zegler is also set to return to the big screen for the first time since starring in Disney’s 2025 live-action version of Snow White, and
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Zegler → anticipate → White
“It’s a very important thing for all women, but particularly those in this industry, to learn that you’re never going to please everybody,” Zegler says of what she took away from that period of intense scrutiny.
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she → ’ → scrutiny
“If you are doing everything you can to be fulfilled and to do good work with good people, the rest of it is really just noise.”
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rest → do → it
Reflecting on how she was criticized for not being “enough of one thing” for her breakout role playing the Puerto Rican character Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and “too much of another” for Snow White, Zegler maintains she will always be grateful for the formative impact of both films, despite the turbulence.
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she → reflect → turbulence
“I was thrilled with the response for West Side Story.
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I → thrill → Story
I won a Golden Globe when I was 20,” she says.
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she → win → Globe
It was ultimately a really soul-filling learning experience.”
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It → fill → ?
With a slate of forthcoming features in the pipeline, including indie dramedy She Gets It From Me, psychological thriller NDA, and the Lin-Manuel Miranda–directed Octet, Zegler is now looking ahead to new horizons.
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Zegler → include → horizons
“I had one mission this year, which was to work with women and Latinos,” she says.
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she → have → women
She’s excited for the doors those films will open—“Not just for me, but for the amazing people I got to make them with, who in the past have been disenfranchised in this industry.
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who → ’ → industry
Ultimately, Zegler refuses to let anyone put her in a box.
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anyone → refuse → box
“I love playing fully formed humans with complexities,” she says.
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she → play → complexities
“Human beings deserve to be represented for their flaws as well as the things that make them wonderful—I kind of think they’re one and the same.”
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they → deserve → flaws
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