Rachel Zegler remembers first day on 'West Side Story' set

Rachel Zegler found herself to be the 'lucky girl' after Steven Spielberg picked her for 2021 West Side Story; at the time, she was a fairly unknown face. Reflecting on her first day on set, she remembered the legendary direction.

Taking to X, the Hunger Games star shared a clip from the film, reminiscing about the directions she received for one specific shot.

"That time, it was my first day on set, and Steven Spielberg said, 'whatever you do, don't blink,'" she penned.

The actress continued, "Imagine Janusz Kaminski putting a whole light in your face, and you have to A) not blink, B) not tear up, and C) not die because it's your first day on your first movie ever."

"This is why I won the Golden Globe. My eyeballs of steel," Rachel hilariously added.

Notably, the 22-year-old was selected from a horde of over 33,000 applicants for the María role.

Critics lauded her performance in the musical drama, leading her to win a Golden Globe.

At the time, Rachel shared her euphoria about the win in her breakout role.