In the bustling heart of Los Angeles, where dreams collide with reality, Rachel Zegler, the 23-year-old star of Disney’s live-action Snow White, found herself at the center of a moment that would ripple far beyond the silver screen. It was late March 2025, just days after the film’s premiere, and Rachel was navigating the whirlwind of her newfound fame. Known for her radiant performance as the iconic princess, Rachel had already captured hearts with her voice and spirit. But it was an encounter on a quiet street corner that would reveal the depth of her compassion—and leave her co-star, Gal Gadot, in tears.
Rachel was walking back from a promotional event, her mind still buzzing with the chaos of red carpets and interviews. The Snow White remake had sparked mixed reviews—praise for Rachel’s “incandescent” performance, criticism for its CGI dwarves, and whispers of tension between her and Gal Gadot, who played the Evil Queen. But Rachel, ever grounded despite the spotlight, noticed a small figure huddled against a storefront. It was a girl, no older than 14, clutching a tattered notebook. Her clothes were worn, her hair unkempt, but her eyes sparkled with a fire Rachel recognized—a dreamer’s gaze. On the notebook’s cover, scrawled in marker, were the words: “I’ll be Snow White someday.”
Rachel paused. The girl hadn’t noticed her, lost in her own world, humming a tune from the 1937 animated classic. Rachel knelt beside her, softening her voice. “Hey, I love your notebook. Are you a Snow White fan?” The girl, startled, looked up, her face shifting from shock to disbelief as she recognized Rachel. “You’re… you’re her,” she stammered. Her name was Lila, she said, and she’d been homeless for months, bouncing between shelters with her older brother. “I watch the old Snow White on library computers,” Lila confessed. “I want to be like her—kind, brave, singing to the world. But I don’t know how.”
Rachel’s heart ached. She thought of her own journey—born to a Colombian mother and Polish father in New Jersey, facing racist backlash when cast as Snow White for her Latina heritage. She’d fought to prove she belonged, just as Lila was fighting to hold onto her dreams in a world that seemed to push her down. “You’re already like her,” Rachel told her. “You’ve got her heart.” Lila’s eyes welled up, and Rachel, without hesitation, made a decision. “Stay here,” she said, dashing to a nearby café to grab a warm meal and a hot chocolate for Lila. When she returned, she sat with her, listening as Lila shared her love for theater, her scribbled stories, and her dream of performing.
But Rachel didn’t stop there. She pulled out her phone, contacting a local youth arts program she’d partnered with during Snow White’s promotion. “I’ve got someone special,” she told them. By the next day, Lila was enrolled in a free theater workshop, with Rachel quietly covering transportation and supplies. She also arranged for Lila and her brother to visit the Snow White set, where Lila met the cast and crew, her notebook now filled with their encouraging notes. “You’re going to shine,” director Marc Webb told her. Rachel gave Lila her own Snow White costume from the film, a smaller version used for fittings. “This is yours now,” she said. Lila, overwhelmed, hugged her tightly, whispering, “You’re my real-life princess.”
The story might have stayed quiet, a private act of kindness, but a passerby had filmed Rachel’s initial encounter with Lila and posted it online. The video went viral on X, amassing millions of views. Fans praised Rachel’s empathy, with one user writing, “This is what Snow White’s heart looks like in real life.” The clip reached Gal Gadot, who was in New York for a separate event. Gal, 39, a mother of four and a proud Israeli who’d served in the IDF, had faced her own share of controversy during the film’s release, including tensions with Rachel over their differing views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Sources had claimed the two “had nothing in common,” their age gap and politics creating distance. Yet, watching the video, Gal’s perspective shifted.
Gal was in her hotel room when she saw the clip. As Lila’s face lit up in Rachel’s presence, Gal felt a lump in her throat. She thought of her own daughters, of the kindness she hoped they’d find in the world. Rachel’s actions—unscripted, unguarded—struck a chord. Gal, who’d been criticized for her Snow White performance but lauded for her flamboyant Evil Queen, knew the pressures of public scrutiny. She saw in Rachel not just a co-star, but a young woman living the values their film preached. Gal called Rachel that evening, her voice thick with emotion. “I watched the video,” she said. “You made that girl’s world brighter. You made me cry.” Rachel, surprised, laughed softly. “I just did what felt right.”
The call was a turning point. At the next Snow White event, a charity screening for underprivileged youth, Gal and Rachel appeared together, their smiles genuine. Gal spoke first, her eyes glistening as she praised Rachel. “This film is about kindness, and Rachel lives that every day. I’m so proud to stand beside her.” Rachel, visibly moved, hugged Gal, whispering something that made them both laugh. The audience, unaware of the rumored feud, felt the warmth between them. Lila was there, too, in the front row, wearing her Snow White dress, her notebook now a script for her first play.
Rachel’s act didn’t erase the film’s box office struggles—$87 million globally against a $350 million budget—or the online vitriol. Critics still debated the CGI dwarves and Gal’s singing, while some unfairly blamed Rachel for the flop. But for Lila, and for those who saw the video, Rachel was a beacon. Gal, too, found new respect, not just for Rachel but for the power of small gestures. “Kindness is the real magic,” Gal later posted on X, echoing the film’s theme.
Rachel kept in touch with Lila, attending her workshop’s showcase months later. Lila’s performance, a monologue about hope, brought the room to its feet. Rachel, in the audience, clapped hardest, her eyes as bright as Lila’s. For a moment, the controversies, the feuds, the box office faded. What remained was a girl’s dream, a star’s heart, and a bond that reminded everyone—even a tearful Gal Gadot—that fairy tales can still come true.
