Actor Martin Klebba, who portrays the character of Grumpy in the live-action adaptation of the beloved animated classic "Snow White," harbors deep disappointment over Disney's decision to downscale the film's grand premiere. In an exclusive interview with TMZ on March 12th, Klebba vented his frustration, saying, "I'm genuinely bummed out and a tad annoyed that Disney has chopped off what was supposed to be a grandeur premiere for such an epic movie."
Although the "Snow White" premiere will proceed on March 15th at Los Angeles' prestigious El Capitan Theatre, it won't be the usual red-carpet affair teeming with media. According to Variety's report on Tuesday, the event will be devoid of press interviews with the film's leading ladies, Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler, limiting attendance to photographers and in-house staff only. (Us Weekly has sought clarification from Disney regarding this matter.)
In this remake, 23-year-old Zegler embodies the titular princess, while 39-year-old Gadot portrays the menacing Evil Queen. Klebba, a 55-year-old actor with acromicric dysplasia—a form of dwarfism—lent his voice to the motion-captured version of Grumpy, one of the Seven Dwarves.
The exact reasons behind the scaled-down premiere remain undisclosed, but the latest iteration of "Snow White" has faced numerous controversies since its production commenced four years ago. In a January 2022 podcast interview on Marc Maron's "WTF," actor Peter Dinklage, who has achondroplasia—another form of dwarfism, expressed his dissatisfaction: "You claim to be progressive in one aspect, yet you're still churning out that archaic tale of seven dwarves cohabiting in a cave. What exactly are you thinking, man?"
Following Dinklage's remarks, Disney issued a statement affirming, "To refrain from perpetuating stereotypes from the original animated film, we're adopting a fresh approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community." TMZ quoted Klebba as saying that "motion-capture was always the intended plan, and it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction" to Dinklage's feedback. However, he also lamented, "Landing roles in Hollywood, especially lead roles, is incredibly challenging for Little People, so this could have been a monumental opportunity for many others."
Meanwhile, Zegler faced backlash from critics in 2023 when she deemed the 1937 original as "dated," citing the prince's "stalking" behavior towards Snow White. In an interview with Variety, she emphasized, "She won't be rescued by the prince. She's not dreaming of true love. She aspires to become the leader she knows she's capable of being."
Addressing the public's reaction to the reinterpretation of "Snow White" in an interview for Vogue Mexico's March 2025 issue, Zegler observed, "I perceive people's sentiments towards this film as passionate. What an honor to be part of something that evokes such intense emotions from others. We can't always align with everyone around us, and all we can do is our best."
