Everything Is Not What It Seems: A Study on Selena Gomez
Photo courtesy of Mike Marsland.
Dabbling in film, television, and music, Selena Gomez has proved to be multifaceted and unpredictable. I’m sure most of us grew up with her gracing her presence on our small screens on Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney Channel. We also got to witness her career as a musician blossom over the years as well. Here’s everything you need to know about Gomez’s story, her career so far, and what’s to come.
Selena Marie Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas on July 22, 1992. She is of Mexican descent from her father’s side and has Italian ancestry in her blood from her mother’s side. Gomez was named after singer Selena Quintanilla.
Her acting career began in 2002 when she starred on Barney & Friends. She guest starred on a episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody in 2006. The following year, she guest starred as Mikayla on Hannah Montana. At the time, she filmed two pilot episodes. One was a spin-off of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and one was a spin-off of Lizzie McGuire.
Later on, she auditioned for Wizards of Waverly Place and landed the role of Alex Russo. The series was a breakthrough for Gomez, bringing her to the attention of audiences everywhere. She was one of the highest paid teen actresses at the time, earning about $25,000 an episode. Gomez was praised for her comedic timing and delivery as the only daughter in the Russo clan. The series lasted from 2007-2011 and a TV movie was made. She sang the theme song for the series which propelled her to start a career in the music industry.
Gomez went on to star in Another Cinderella Story in 2008 and recorded the song Tell Me Something I Don’t Know for the film. She recorded the song Fly to Your Heart for Tinkerbell and signed with Hollywood Records that same year.
In 2009, Gomez hoped to propel her music career by forming the pop rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene. Their debut studio album, Kiss & Tell, was released on September 29, 2009. It has electronic and pop music influences. The album was met with mixed reviews, but remains to be the start of Selena Gomez’s career as an artist.
Gomez starred in Ramona & Beezus as Beezus Quimby in 2010 opposite Joey King. In the same year, Selena Gomez & the Scene released their sophomore studio album, A Year Without Rain. The band’s third and final studio album, When the Sun Goes Down, was released the following year. Love You Like a Love Song became the song’s best performing single to date in the U.S.
Gomez went on to star in Monte Carlo in 2011 with Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy. Selena Gomez voiced Mavis in Hotel Transylvania in 2012 and the film was a commercial success, earning over $350 million worldwide.
Gomez said she was going to take a break from music, but surprised everybody when she released Come & Get It in 2013 from her solo debut studio album, Stars Dance. The album became her first one to reach number one in the U.S. Similar to her albums with the Scene, the music is rooted in EDM and pop. in 2014, she released The Heart Wants What It Wants and a compilation album to complete her time with Hollywood Records.
In 2015, she collaborated with Zedd on I Want You to Know while simultaneously working on her second studio album. In late 2015, Gomez released Revival into the world. This album in particular solidifies Gomez’s signature sound with a mix of R&B vibes. Revival was a critical success, garnering positive reviews that highlight Gomez’s production and lyrics.
In 2016, she switched gears and starred in the dramedy, The Fundamentals of Caring, with Paul Rudd. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She executive produced a series adaption of Jay Asher’s novel, 13 Reasons Why. The series received mostly negative reviews throughout its run due to the nature of the topics that explored in it. She recorded a cover of Only You for the first season. She released Back to You for the show’s second season.
She’d go on to collaborate with Marshmello on the song, Wolves, in 2017. In 2019, she was featured on Anxiety by Julia Michaels. Gomez released, Lose You to Love Me, in October of 2019, which was the lead single off her third studio album. Many critics call Rare her best album to date because of its cohesiveness and production.
In 2020, Gomez hosted a cooking show, Selena + Chef, from her home with each episode highlighting a charity Selena will be donating to. She went on to star in Only Murders in the Building which premiered on Hulu in 2021. The series is on is fourth season which premieres in August of this year. At the time, Gomez wasn’t nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The Emmys until now. She’s made history being nominated 3 consecutive times in the producer category.
In 2022, the documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me was released on Apple TV+ and in select theaters. The film explores Gomez’s mental health struggles and was praised by critics for its transparency. She released the song, My Mind & Me, alongside the documentary. The song was shortlisted for The 95th Academy Awards, but it didn’t make the final cut.
Gomez attended the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of the musical crime comedy, Emilia Pérez. The film received the longest standing ovation in Cannes history.
On top of her music and acting endeavors, Gomez launched Rare Beauty in 2020 and the brand is inspired by her most recent album, Rare. Along with the beauty brand, she founded The Rare Impact Fund which gives young people access to mental health resources. In 2022, Gomez co-founded Wondermind with her mother Mandy Teefey. It’s designed to empower people with accessible resources.
Gomez has been big on raising awareness about the topic of mental health for years and she has shown her support for the LGBTQ+ community.
She will guest star in the pilot episode of Wizards Beyond the Place, a spin-off of Wizards of Waverly Place, and reprise her role as Alex Russo. The revival series will debut on Disney+ later this year.
I grew up watching Selena Gomez on Wizards of Waverly Place, and it’s so bittersweet to see how she’s grown as a person and a creative. Her career has spanned a little over 2 decades now. I hope her career is everlasting because she’s so talented and she’s an amazing human being.