Walt Disney may be remembered as the visionary artist behind some of pop culture’s most beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and Disney princesses. But no amount of whitewashing by history can convince me he wasn’t responsible for ruining the lives and careers of people, including that of a Snow White voice actress, Adriana Caselotti, who now remains largely forgotten to time.
In a saga that is no less than tragic, Caselotti’s experience with Walt Disney in 1937 mirrors the same treatment that Rachel Zegler has been facing with the studio since the pre-production days of Snow White. Despite the two films being separated by a span of 88 years, the similarity in Hollywood’s harsh and exploitative attitude towards its stars still remains the same.
88 years later, history repeats itself once again with the legacy of Snow White once more at stake. Considering what happened to Caselotti when the actress dared to stand up to Disney in the past, I can only imagine what Zegler’s future in Hollywood holds for her if she doesn’t play by the studio’s rules.
The original Snow White actress was silenced by Disney
Walt Disney has been hailed as a genius, a visionary, an artist, and a pioneer, among other things. It was that innovative vision and knack for storytelling that turned him into a driving force behind the American animation industry, eventually leading him to transform grimdark children’s horror stories (from the Grimm’s Fairy Tales collection) into beloved evergreen Disney classics.
However, the Oscar-winning filmmaker was hardly as flawless as history likes to paint him as. The director had his fair share of sins to answer for, especially regarding some of his irrational and questionable studio rules that led to the complete ruination of the careers of talented artists whose contributions were invaluable to both art and cinema.
One of Disney’s ridiculous rules involved never crediting its voice actors after the completion of an animated project. This includes Adriana Caselotti who voiced the titular role of Disney’s 1937 animated classic, Snow White. Afraid that putting a human face to the animated character would take the magic out of the film, Disney prevented her from ever making a public appearance. Caselotti’s situation was hardly any better than a princess trapped in a castle.
Despite her cherubic voice earning the studio a staggering fortune of $330 million since the film’s release, the then 18-year-old actress was paid only $970 by Walt Disney for over a month’s worth of hard work (via Twitter/X).
Moreover, the filmmaker barred her from appearing in other television shows, films, and interviews after the film’s premiere – which, Caselotti was never invited to in the first place, despite being its star. The reason behind Disney going out of his way to hide her identity was later revealed by the actress herself who claimed: “Walt wouldn’t allow me to appear because he thought it would ruin the Snow White illusion.”
Throughout her lifetime, Caselotti only earned $14,000 from personal appearances after Disney refused to let her cash in on her Snow White voice performance and allegedly blacklisted her from all future films. In 1938, she attempted to sue Disney along with her Prince Charming co-star Harry Stockwell, but both lawsuits were unsuccessful.
It was only in 1994 – three years before her death – that Adriana Caselotti was recognized as a Disney legend at the age of 77. But the hard truth remains that the title did nothing to make up for a lifetime of missed opportunities; and no amount of Disney princess magic can redeem the filmmaker’s behavior in shunning Caselotti to the sidelines after using her voice to make a fortune.
History repeats itself with Disney’s Snow White actress
Since the news of her casting, Rachel Zegler and the 2025 live-action musical were faced with a barrage of scandals and controversies that did neither the actress nor the film any favors. If not for right-wing commentators decrying the casting of a Latina woman, it was Zegler’s own problematic relationship with media and politics that dragged the film under a negative spotlight.
Despite not having to worry about public appearances, Zegler’s condition is in no way better than her 1937 Disney counterpart. Just as Caselotti was silenced and exiled by the studio, the West Side Story star could easily face the same fate, especially after the public denouncement by Snow White producer’s son who cited Zegler’s “narcissism” and “personal politics” as reasons behind the film bombing at the box office.
The striking similarities between the two cases of Disney’s Snow White actresses have now grabbed significant momentum on social media as well, as one fan posted on Twitter/X:
adriana caselotti and rachel zegler. both are snow white. both were put through hell for wanting disney to pay artists fairly. both silenced in different ways to save the company’s image. both deserved so much better. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/ug2VJyz2W7
— 🧸💬 (@zeglian) March 26, 2025
Although much damage has already been done to Rachel Zegler’s image after two years’ worth of hate campaigns against the actress, it is not too late to learn from Adriana Caselotti’s case and fight for what’s right. However, it is the very fact of Caselotti’s failed fight against the Goliath studio that serves as a cautionary tale for Rachel Zegler’s Hollywood career.
Snow White is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
