Snow White ‘named for her resilience not pale complexion’ in Disney remake

Rachel Zegler said in the latest version, Snow White survived a snowstorm as a baby and was given the name to "remind her of her resilience". Photo / Getty Images

Colombian-American actress Rachel Zegler offers a different explanation for the origin of her character’s name.

Snow White was not named after the colour of her skin, the star of Disney’s embattled remake has claimed.

Rachel Zegler, 23, suggested the forthcoming feature film is based on “another version” of the original 1812 fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, which includes a line describing the princess that translates to: “Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony.”

In contrast to the text and original 1937 Disney animation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the actress has claimed in the reimagined live-action film, the princess received her name because of her “resilience”.

In the original animation, as in the fairytale Schneewittchen, Snow White’s name is derived from her pale complexion, specifically referencing the description of “skin as white as snow”.

The latest movie has been mired in controversy over claims it is a “woke” remake of a classic film.

Speaking to Variety magazine, Zegler said: “It fell back to another version of Snow White that was told in history, where she survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby.”

“And so the king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience.”

Rachel Zegler as Snow White in the latest live-action remake of the film. Photo / Disney

“One of the core points in our film for any young woman or young person is remembering how strong you actually are.”

The Colombian-American star has previously hit back at critics over her casting for the role in a since-deleted post on social media platform X, saying she would not be “bleaching” her skin to be Snow White.

Zegler’s latest intervention is not the first time she has attempted to put a different spin on the original fairytale for the forthcoming live-action film, to be released in March.

She faced heavy criticism last year when she hinted at a complete overhaul of the story in which Snow White would become “a fantastic leader” rather than being “saved by the prince”.

She also described the original version as being “extremely dated” and likened the prince’s behaviour to that of a “stalker”.

The Golden Globe-winning actress added that in the live-action film, Snow White is “not going to be dreaming about true love”.

Speaking to Variety about the controversy surrounding her previous comments, Zegler admitted it made her “sad” as she suggested that people misunderstood her.

“In all honesty, it made me sad that it was taken in such a way, because I believe that women can do anything. But I also believe that they can do everything,” she said.

The former star of West Side Story added of her feminist spin on the Disney princess: “I would never want to box someone in and say, ‘If you want love, then you can’t work’. Or, ‘If you want to work, then you can’t have a family’.

The actress previously described the original version as being "extremely dated". Photo / Getty Images

“It’s not true. It’s never been true. It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don’t land.

“The love story is very integral. A lot of people wrote that we weren’t doing [that element of the story] anymore - we were always doing that; it just wasn’t what we were talking about on that day.”

A University of Surrey professor who specialises in feminism and Disney princesses told The Telegraph that her research has shown Disney’s Snow White as a “passive dreamer”.

Dr Robyn Muir said: “[She is] a princess whose narrative constructed her as a helpless victim who desired a romantic relationship.”

Speaking about the forthcoming film, Muir said: “What tends to happen in live-action adaptations, however, is a redressing of some of the more outdated traits for a contemporary audience.”

“While previous Disney princess live-action adaptations have sometimes struggled to create authentic feminist heroines, it will be interesting to see how the Snow White adaptation redresses some of the problematic elements and tropes in the story for a contemporary audience.”

Zegler’s latest comments come after the son of the animator who directed the original film condemned the studio’s “woke” remake, saying it was “insulting” to the original work.

David Hand, whose father, also named David Hand, worked with Walt Disney to create the much-loved 1937 hit, said last year the pair would be “turning in their grave” as studio bosses “destroy” their creation.