Selena Marie Gomez born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress, businesswoman, and producer. Gomez began her career as a child actress, starring on the children’s television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). She rose to prominence and emerged as a teen idol, for her leading role as Alex Russo on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). She signed with Hollywood Records in 2008. As the lead vocalist, she formed the pop rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene, and released three studio albums from 2009 to 2011; each of the band’s albums and singles were certified gold or higher by the RIAA.
Selena Gomez Facts
- Born : Selena Marie Gomez
- July 22, 1992 (age 31)
- Grand Prairie,: Texas, U.S.
- Occupations: Singer songwriter actress
- Years active : 2002–present
- Formerly of Selena: Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez Early life
Selena Marie Gomez was born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas,to Ricardo Joel Gomez and Texas-born former stage actress Mandy TeefeyShe was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who died in 1995. Her father is of Mexican descent, while her mother, who was adopted, has Italian ancestry.Gomez’s paternal grandparents emigrated to Texas from Monterrey in the 1970s.Of her heritage, Gomez has said she is “a proud third-generation American-Mexican”and “My family does have quinceañeras, and we go to the communion church. We do everything that’s Catholic, but we don’t really have anything traditional except go to the park and have barbecues on Sundays after church.”Gomez was fluent in Spanish until age seven.[clarification needed] Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother.Gomez has two younger half-sisters and a younger stepbrother: Gracie Elliot Teefey, through Mandy and her second husband, Brian Teefey, and Victoria “Tori” and Marcus Gomez, through Ricardo and his second wife, Sara.She earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.
Gomez was born when her mother was 16 years old. The family had financial troubles throughout Gomez’s childhood, her mother struggling to provide for the pair. At one point, Gomez recalls that they had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car. Her mother later recalled that the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to buy spaghetti for dinner. Gomez has said, “I was frustrated that my parents weren’t together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I’m terrified of what I would have become if I’d stayed [in Texas].”[19] She later added that her mother “was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me, sacrificed her life for me.” Gomez had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child and appeared in various pageants. Her grandparents often took care of her while her parents finished their schooling, and she has said they “raised her” until she found success in show business.
Selena Gomez Career
Gomez first gained an interest in pursuing a career in entertainment watching her mother prepare for stage productions.] In 2002, she began her acting career on the children’s television series Barney & Friends,portraying the character GiannaThe show was her first acting gig. Gomez recalled of the experience, “I was very shy when I was little I didn’t know what ‘camera right’ was. I didn’t know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney.”Gomez appeared in thirteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004; the show’s producers released her as she was “too old” for the series. While working on Barney & Friends, Gomez had bit part roles in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005)She guest starred in a 2006 episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
2007–2012: Breakthrough with Disney and Selena Gomez & the Scene
Gomez at the 2009 Hollywood Style Awards in Beverly Hills
Gomez was given a recurring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in 2007 as pop star Mikayla During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first was a Suite Life spin-off titled Arwin!, and the second was a Lizzie McGuire spin-off titled What’s Stevie Thinking?. She later auditioned for a role in the network’s series Wizards of Waverly Place, ultimately winning the lead role of Alex Russo.Gomez and her mother subsequently moved to Los Angeles.Wizards of Waverly Place saw Gomez playing a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York City It quickly became a success for the Disney Channel and represented Gomez’s breakthrough into the mainstreamThe role brought Gomez “teen idol” status.And she also became one of the ten highest-paid children’s TV stars of all time, earning from US$25,000-30,000 per episode. The series received numerous awards and nominations,and won the Outstanding Children’s Program at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.It garnered positive reviews,with Gomez’s being particularly praised for her comic timing and sarcastic delivery
In 2008, while working on the second season of her series, Gomez voiced Helga along with Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and others in the animated film Horton Hears a Whohe film became a commercial and critical success,grossing over US$300 million worldwideIn September of the same year, the teen musical comedy film Another Cinderella Story was released, where Gomez played the main role of an aspiring dancer Mary Santiago, the film became the second installment of the A Cinderella Story series, released on direct-to-video.Gomez recorded three songs for the soundtrack album, including the single “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”-which became Gomez’s first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[49] and the premiere of the music video was on MTV’s Total Request LiveThis role earned Gomez a Young Artist Award.he also recorded the original song “Fly to Your Heart” for the soundtrack album of the animated film Tinker Bell (2008).In 2008, at age 16, Gomez signed with Hollywood Records,and formed her own production company, July Moon Production. She partnered with XYZ Films for the project, allowing Gomez to option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to studiosGomez was slated to release two films under the company. The first, titled What Boys Want, would feature Gomez as a girl who could hear the thoughts of men.She later announced a film adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she was to play a young girl who commits suicide; ultimately, neither film was made,but later, Gomez will produce a television adaptation of this novel.
Selena Gomez Impact and advocacy
Gomez has been referred to as “Pop Princess” by several media outletsand various journalists regard her as a “triple threat”, owing to her successful singing, performing, and acting careers The Guardian credits her with popularizing “whisper pop”, a style of pop music characterized by soft, hushed and breathy vocalsRolling Stone India regards her as one of the most influential pop culture icons of her timeIn 2017, Time honored her as one of the “women who are changing the world” on its First Women Leaders listn 2020, Gomez received the Art Award from Hispanic Heritage Foundation for her impact on global culture via her music, filmography and advocacy.n 2022, People named Gomez as one of 15 women who are “changing the music industry today”.
Variety considers her a key personality in global media, owing to her “multi-hyphenate” presence incorporating music, films, television, cosmetics, and social activism. Gomez was also included in The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 list as one of the most powerful women in entertainment.
Selena Gomez & the Scene released their third and final, as well as most successful studio album, When the Sun Goes Down, in June 2011The album received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the album’s production and described it asis a very professional affair”the album also was co-written by Britney Spears and Katy Perry It debuted at number four on the U.S. with first-week sales of 78,000 album-equivalent units, reaching number three the following week,as well as reaching number two in Canada and SpainIts lead single, “Who Says”, was the band’s highest charting effort, peaking at number twenty-one in the U.Sts second single, “Love You like a Love Song”, although it did not reach great heights in the charts, reaching only number twenty-two in the U.S. and spending 38 consecutive weeks there as well as reaching the top-ten in Canada,[98] and topping the chart in Russia] but became a worldwide hit and one of the most successful, best-selling and popular songs in Gomez’s career.Alex Frank from Pitchfork called the song “a cult karaoke classic”.In 2022, Billboard ranked the song as the biggest song that peaked at number twenty-two of all timeor two years in a row (2010–2011), Billboard magazine ranked Gomez third in their list of 21 Under 21: Music’s Hottest Minors, an annual ranking of the most popular musicians under the age of 21.
Gomez starred in the comedy film Monte Carlo (2011), with Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidyshe played the lead role of Grace, a teenager “mistaken for a socialite”, Cordelia (also Gomez), “while on a trip to Paris”.[105][106] In preparation for the role, she learned to play polo and received dialect coaching to speak in two different British accents Gomez’s accent was described as “unconvincing”.[109] The film received mixed reviews from critic.Nick Schager from Slant Magazine found Gomez “cute, but too bland to lend the proceedings any vivid character, except for the few scenes that allow her to indulge her cold, sarcastic, nasty side as Cordelia”.That year, Gomez appeared in a cameo role in the film The Muppets.Gomez hosted in June the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada, and in November the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast