Josh Andrés Rivera is feeling like a proud boyfriend seeing Rachel Zegler take to the stage within the new Broadway play Romeo + Juliet.

“Rachel simply made her Broadway debut, which is actually, actually, thrilling,” Rivera, 29, gushed whereas chatting completely with Us Weekly on the Newport Seaside Movie Competition Honors Brunch on the Balboa Bay Membership and Resort on Sunday, October 20. “I went to see the present a pair weeks in the past and it’s unbelievable. Everyone go see it. It’s so good.”

Zegler, 23, stars alongside Heartstopper’s Equipment Connor because the Shakespearean play’s titular star-crossed lovers. Zegler took her first Broadway bow throughout the present’s first preview final month however will make her official Broadway debut when the manufacturing opens on Thursday, October 24.

Acting on the Nice White Method is one thing Zegler has been a dream of hers since she was 4 years outdated. “For years and years, as a youngster, I attempted to get the possibility to be on these phases,” she wrote by way of Instagram on September 28. “Life had different plans for which I stay insanely grateful. my love for making films won’t ever go away, however my house will at all times be the stage.”

Zegler and Rivera’s relationship has a Broadway connection as they met enjoying Maria and Chino, respectively, in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film musical remake of West Facet Story. The couple confirmed their relationship in February 2021 and went on to share the display once more within the 2023 Starvation Video games prequel movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Having a girlfriend who can also be part of the leisure trade is one thing Rivera instructed Us could be very particular. “When you concentrate on the sort of trade we’re in, it’s a really particular factor that it’s onerous to elucidate what the attitude is like,” he defined. It’s good to be with any individual who understands that, to have the ability to talk the issues that we’re going by means of with each other.”

Simply as Zegler is reaching her newest profession milestone, River is making strikes of his personal by starring within the new FX sequence American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez.

“It’s very thrilling to have sort of parallel issues which are simply barely completely different as properly that we’re each doing,” he instructed Us. “It’s neat. It’s thrilling.”

Rivers stars as former New England Patriots participant Aaron Hernandez within the miniseries, which premiered final month. The present follows the athlete’s rise to soccer stardom and arrest for the 2013 homicide of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez was discovered responsible of first-degree homicide in 2015 and died in jail two years later on the age of 27.

“In contrast to lots of people, I wasn’t tremendous aware of the story once I first approached it. It wasn’t till the prospect of auditioning for it got here alongside once I actually dove into all the info and there’s quite a bit,” Rivera instructed Us of taking over the position of Hernandez. “There’s quite a lot of completely different sides to the story. There’s quite a lot of completely different views, relying on who you ask. I’ve to take quite a lot of these info at face worth and simply determine how I internalize it, whereas additionally being accountable with the present views. There’s quite a lot of stuff.”

The actor additionally gained round “30 kilos” for the half, which he’s now attempting to lose. “It’s enjoyable to be a giant boy. It’s not very versatile until I’m doing motion films or stuff like that,” Rivera quipped. “I’m within the strategy of sort of leaning out, but it surely was enjoyable whereas it lasted. I’m not gonna misinform you, I appreciated being a giant boy.”

New episodes of American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez premiere on FX Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Mike Vulpo