All About Rachel Zegler's Parents, Gina and Craig Zegler

Rachel Zegler's father, Craig Zegler, works in construction, while her mother, Gina Zegler, works in education

Rachel Zegler may have played a few heroes on screen, but in real life, there are only two people she feels are worthy of the title: her parents.

"My mom sacrificed a lot and she left her job to come with me and be with me on the set of West Side Story cause I was a minor when I first started working on it," the actress told Hola in 2023. "My dad worked crazy hours to give my family a really good life and make sure that we had things to look forward to, vacations, a roof over our heads and food on the table. So my parents are my heroes."

Gina and Craig Zegler have been married since 1992 and have two daughters. Jacqueline Zegler was born on Jan. 4, 1999, followed by Rachel on May 3, 2001. In a 2019 Instagram post congratulating Jacqueline on graduating college early and Rachel on her role in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, Gina wrote about how proud she was of her daughters' accomplishments — and the people they've become.

"They work hard everyday pursuing their dreams with tangible results," she wrote. "But where my heart and my blessings overflow; where the tears of pride and awe for my daughters run free is rarely ever seen. It’s in the quiet moments when the people they work for; the people they work with; the people they love take the time to tell me what amazing human beings they are."

Here's everything to know about Rachel Zegler's parents, Gina and Craig Zegler.

They met in New Jersey

In a 2021 interview with TIME, Rachel said that her grandmother moved to the United States in the 1960s from Colombia to have her mother. Eventually, Gina and Craig met in New Jersey.

The actress told NJ.com in 2022 that she bonded with fellow New Jersey-born performer Bruce Springsteen when he made an impromptu visit to the set of West Side Story.

"We spoke our own language, I think," Rachel said. "We had a conversation about Avon-by-the-Sea versus Asbury Park versus Belmar versus Bradley Beach versus Jenkinson’s and Point Pleasant because my parents met in Point Pleasant."

Gina works in education

For most of Rachel's life, Gina worked at a school for children with disabilities. The actress told Hola that when she landed the role of Maria in West Side Story, her mom quit her job so she could accompany her on set.

"That was a really big sacrifice," she said. "Her job was really the thing that had her leaving the house and doing everything she needed to do. She was so excited to be back at work, and she left for me."

Craig works in construction

Rachel told NJ.com that her father is in the construction business. While his exact role is unknown, the actress said that he's worked on iconic New York structures like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center and the new Yankee Stadium.

“I always say that he constructed my Nueva York,” she said. “I walk through these streets and my dad is everywhere, and that is such a huge blessing."

They have two daughters

Craig and Gina welcomed their elder daughter, Jacqueline, on Jan. 4, 1999. Just a few years later, the couple had their second daughter, Rachel, on May 3, 2001. The West Side Story actress posted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2019 that her parents named her after Rachel Greene, the character Jennifer Aniston played on Friends.

Rachel told Hola that as a kid, she just did whatever her older sister told her to do. "She was the reason I actually spoke my first word," she said. "I was babbling as a baby does, and my sister said, ‘Stop.’ And then I said, ‘Stop.’ So I really did listen to her."

They raised their family in New Jersey

While it's not clear where Jacqueline was born, Rachel told NorthJersey.com that she was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and spent her childhood just outside of New York City in Clifton. Both Zegler girls attended Immaculate Conception High School after their mother saw the school's production of West Side Story in 2014.

Rachel told the outlet that as a young Latina who grew up in the New York area, she felt like she identified with Maria. In a 2022 interview with Variety, the actress said that she's more immersed in her Colombian culture than her American culture.

"There was this idea from my abuelita since my mom was a kid and when I was a kid, that you will be American," she said. "You will speak English. You will go to an American school and you will get a good job and make money and have a family. And that's the life that's set up for you before you're born."

They've always supported her acting aspirations

In a 2023 interview with Numéro, Rachel credited both of her parents for developing her passions for singing and acting. She said that when she started liking musical theater, they took her to Broadway and attended every audition and show.

"It almost feels weird not getting to let them in on every second of filming the movies I’ve made since, but something I love about my life is that my performances live on forever on screen and therein lies their endless love and support for me," she said. "Neither of those things will ever die and I think that’s really beautiful."

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