Rachel Zegler said her ethnic background was put into question during the casting process for “West Side Story,” during which she says white executives repeatedly asked whether she was actually of Latin descent.

“There’s confusion because I don’t have a single ounce of Latin in my name,” the “Snow White” star said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. “When I was in the running for Maria in ‘West Side Story,’ they kept calling to ask if I was legit. I remember thinking, ‘Do you want me to bring my abuelita in?’ I will. I’ll bring her into the studio if you want to meet her.”

Zegler, who stars as Snow White in the upcoming live-action adaptation for Disney, had her breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story.” The 23-year-old, New Jersey-born actress-singer comes from a mother who is of...