In a new conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors, the pair celebrated each other’s recent work in Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Rachel) and The Color Purple (Halle).
They also discussed the racist backlash they received when they stepped into the roles of Ariel (Halle) and Snow White (Rachel).
Rachel complimented Halle on always proving the naysayers wrong “with grace” and asked if the backlash ever affected her.
“Of course,” Halle responded. “I mean, we’re sensitive. We’re human beings. I get my feelings hurt if my cat doesn’t want to sit next to me.” While these roles are incredible opportunities, she said, people stop viewing actors as “real human beings.”
In return, Halle complimented Rachel on the way she’s weathered her own social media storm.
“Choosing thankfulness and gratefulness is choosing peace,” Rachel said.
Rachel added, “I feel so thankful for those moments because it started to make me feel like solid Teflon. That nothing can hurt anymore because they’ve said the worst that can be said.”
Halle agreed and shared a saying that she loves.
“It’s true, though,” Rachel replied. “Because we’re making things that make people connect with one another.”
Rachel focused on the positive, pointing out all the children who were overjoyed to see themselves in Ariel.
Halle said she cried when she saw the videos, and used them as “armor” during all the backlash.
When Halle pointed out that Rachel is in the same position to inspire the Latino community, and asked if she felt pressure from that, Rachel replied, “The [Snow White] cartoon is so beloved. It was the first feature-length cartoon movie. It won honorary Oscars. And all these amazing things that happened for that film are the reason that you and I get to sit here today, because it made Disney what it is.” While that comes with pressure, she tries to make “little Rachel” proud.
These two are just the cutest!
“Talk about counting your blessings and thanking whatever it is that brought me here,” Rachel responded. “Obviously for my community, it’s a huge moment. And I hope that it’s not one of those moments that we hear about in the news where it’s like, ‘Oh, the first in X amount of years.’ I don’t want it to be one of those where, 25 years later, it’s the next Latina playing a Disney princess.”
Such a wonderful convo between two incredible young ladies! You can watch their full discussion below:
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Variety