Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992)
[2] is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer. She is known for portraying
Alex Russo, the protagonist in the
Emmy Award-winning television series
Wizards of Waverly Place. She subsequently ventured into feature films and has starred in the television movies
Another Cinderella Story,
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, and
Princess Protection Program. She made her starring theatrical film debut in
Ramona and Beezus.
Her career has expanded into the music industry; Gomez is the lead singer and founder of the pop band
Selena Gomez & the Scene, which has released three
RIAA Gold certified studio albums,
Kiss & Tell,
A Year Without Rain, and
When the Sun Goes Down, spawned three RIAA Platinum certified singles, "
Naturally", "
Who Says" and "
Love You Like a Love Song" and charted four No. 1
Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
[3] Gomez has also contributed to the soundtracks of
Tinker Bell,
Another Cinderella Story,
Wizards of Waverly Place, and
Shake It Up after signing a record deal with
Hollywood Records.
In 2008, Gomez was designated as a
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
[4]
Biography
1992–2008: Early life and career breakthrough
Gomez was born in
Grand Prairie, Texas.
[2] She is the daughter of former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Teefey (née Cornett) and Ricardo Joel Gomez.
[5][6][7] Her father is of
Mexican ancestry; her mother, who was adopted, is of part
Italian descent.
[8][9][10] Regarding her Hispanic heritage, Gomez has stated: "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 [that we] go to the
park and have barbecues on Sundays after church."
[11] Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother.
[5][12] In 2006, Mandy remarried Brian Teefey.
[13] She was named after
Tejano singer
Selena, who died almost three years after Gomez was born.
[14] In a 2009 interview with
People,
Gomez mentioned that she developed an early interest in acting from
watching her mother prepare for and act in theater productions.
[12] She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.
[15] Gomez began her acting career at age seven, playing Gianna on
Barney & Friends.
[16] She later had minor roles in
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and the TV film
Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire. Gomez also starred in the television movie
Brain Zapped.
Gomez on the studio set of
Wizards of Waverly Place, 2007
In 2004, Gomez was discovered by the
Disney Channel in a USA-wide scouting.
[17] Gomez appeared as a guest star on
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and had a guest appearance – that later turned into a recurring role – on
Hannah Montana from seasons two to three. Gomez previously taped two different pilots that were spin-offs to two previous Disney series.
[18] The first one,
What's Stevie Thinking?, was the spin-off to
Lizzie McGuire. Gomez played Stevie Sanchez, Miranda Sanchez's little sister. The other show was titled
Arwin!, the spin-off to
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, in which she played Alexa. Neither series was picked up.
In early 2007, Gomez was cast in the Disney Channel series
Wizards of Waverly Place as one of the three main characters,
Alex Russo. The show premiered to an audience of 5.9 million, becoming a hit. Many news outlets began dubbing Gomez the next '
Miley Cyrus'
causing some controversy and a reported 'feud'. Gomez clarified that
there was no feud and that she was flattered by the comparison, saying:
"It's a little overwhelming, but I think really, it's a compliment.
She's obviously extremely successful, and I think she's a wonderful
performer ... So being compared to her, I was very, very flattered."
[19] Gomez recorded four songs, one of which was a cover, for the
Wizards of Waverly Place soundtrack, only one single ("
Magic") from the album was released. In 2008, Gomez recorded a cover of "
Cruella de Vil"—which included a music video—for the compilation album
DisneyMania 6. Gomez also recorded "Fly to Your Heart" for the 2008 animated film
Tinker Bell. In July 2008, before Gomez' sixteenth birthday, she signed a recording deal with
Hollywood Records, a music label owned by
Disney.
[20] In May, of the same year, Gomez was featured, with
Forever the Sickest Kids, on a duet version of the non-album song "
Whoa Oh!".
[21] The same year Gomez appeared in
Another Cinderella Story, the direct-to-DVD sequel to the
2004 Hilary Duff film, opposite
Drew Seeley. She also had a minor voiceover role as one the Mayor's ninety-six daughters in
Horton Hears a Who! which released in March of that year. In April, Lacey Rose, of
Forbes
ranked Gomez as being fifth on their "Eight Hot Kid Stars To Watch"
list; and Rose described Gomez as having been "a multi-talented teen".
[22]
2009–11: Theatrical film debut and Selena Gomez & the Scene
In 2009, Gomez formed the
teen pop band
Selena Gomez & the Scene.
Kiss & Tell, the band's debut studio album was released on September 29, 2009 by
Hollywood Records. On March 5, 2010, the album was certified Gold by RIAA.
[3] The album's single, "
Naturally", was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 15, 2010.
[3] In February 2009, Gomez signed on to star as one of the two female leads in
Ramona and Beezus, a film adaption of
the children's novel series by
Beverly Cleary.
[23][24]
Gomez stated that she felt no pressure in taking more adult roles: "I
think I'm fully aware of my audience and I'm still just a kid myself. I
wouldn't do a role I don't feel comfortable doing or that my audience
wouldn't feel comfortable seeing."
[25] She also began dating actor
Taylor Lautner, whom she met in
Vancouver, while filming
Ramona and Beezus and while he was shooting
New Moon,
[26] and the two dated for a few months. However, the pressure of the media became too much for them and caused the two to break-up.
[27]
In June 2009, Gomez did a guest appearance as herself in one episode of best friend
Demi Lovato's Disney Channel television show,
Sonny with a Chance,
entitled "Battle of The Network Stars". That same month, Gomez appeared
alongside Lovato in the made-for-television Disney Channel movie,
Princess Protection Program.
[28] The telecast garnered 8.5 million viewers becoming, at the time, the third most watched
Disney Channel Original Movie.
[29] One month later, Gomez, along with two cast members of
Wizards of Waverly Place appeared in a television three-way cross-over episode with
Hannah Montana and
The Suite Life on Deck, entitled
Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana.
On August 28, 2009, two months after appearing in
Princess Protection Program, Gomez starred in
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a made-for-television film based on the show.
[30]
The film premiered to an audience of 11.4 million viewers becoming
cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 and Disney Channel's second
most-viewed film premiere after
High School Musical 2.
[31] In September 2009,
Wizards of Waverly Place won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the
61st Primetime Emmy Awards.,
[32] and in 2010, the film adaptation won the series its second consecutive Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" at the
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
[32]
Gomez's first theatrical film
Ramona & Beezus premiered on July 23, 2010 and met with generally positive reviews.
[33] In March 2010,
Variety reported that Gomez was set to star as one of the three lead roles in
Monte Carlo, a film produced by
Nicole Kidman, alongside
Leighton Meester and
Katie Cassidy.
[34] In the film, Gomez plays Grace, a girl who's “mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris.”
[35]
To prepare for the role, Gomez learned how to play polo and also took
two weeks of vocal training to learn two different British accents.
[36][37] The same year Gomez confirmed that the fourth season of her hit
Disney Channel show,
Wizards of Waverly Place, would be its last.
Gomez performs at the KISS 108 Jingle Ball in December 2010
On September 17, 2010,
Selena Gomez & The Scene released their second studio album,
A Year Without Rain The record debuted on the
Billboard 200 at number 4, selling 66,000 copies. On January 19, 2011, the album was certified Gold by RIAA.
[3] As of April 2011, the band has sold 1,354,000 albums in the United States.
[38] To support the album, the band embarked on the mini-tour
A Year Without Rain Tour. In February 2011,
TV Guide reported that Gomez would make a cameo in the
Muppets film.
On March 23, 2011,
Hollywood Records announced through a press release that
Selena Gomez & The Scene would be embarking on their third concert tour in the United States, the
We Own the Night Tour ran during the summer of 2011 and was ranked 18th in Pollstar's Top 20 concert tours.
[39][40] Production for the final season of
Wizards of Waverly Place came to a wrap on May 14, 2011.
[41] Gomez co-hosted the
2011 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 19.
[42] She also hosted the
2011 MTV EMAs on November 6, 2011, in
Belfast,
Northern Ireland, where she performed her band's single "
Hit the Lights". On June 28, 2011,
Selena Gomez & The Scene released their third studio album,
When the Sun Goes Down, previously titled
Otherside.
[43] The album debuted at number 4 on the
Billboard
200, selling 78,000 copies its first week and the following week, the
album rose to number 3 on the Billboard chart, becoming the band's
highest charting album to date.
[44][45] On November 17, 2011, the album was certified platinum.
[3] The album's lead single, "
Who Says" was certified Platinum by RIAA on June 23, 2011 and has become the band's highest charting song on the
Billboard Hot 100 to date, peaking at number 21.
[3][46] The second single, "
Love You Like a Love Song", was certified Platinum by RIAA on December 2, 2011, and became the act's first to sell over two-million copies.
[3][47]
2012: Focus on film
In January 2012, Gomez announced that she would put her music career
on hold in order to focus on her acting career, and that the band would
be taking a hiatus:
[48]
"my band and I are going our separate ways for a while. This year is
all about films and acting and I want my band to play music wherever
with whoever. We will be back but, it will be a good while."
[49]
As of August 2012, Gomez has been cast in a number of films. She first appeared in
Hotel Transylvania, an animated film, voicing the character of Mavis, alongside
Adam Sandler and
Steve Buscemi. The film premiered at the
37th annual Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 21, 2012.
[50] Next, Gomez will appear in the
Harmony Korine film
Spring Breakers alongside
James Franco.
[51] The film is premiering at the
69th Venice International Film Festival and is scheduled to be released sometime in spring 2013. In addition, Gomez filmed a cameo for
Aftershock, an upcoming thriller starring
Eli Roth which premiered at the
37th Annual Toronto International Film Festival. On April 7, 2012, Gomez posted a video for fans in which she revealed that she would be filming a new movie called
Getaway in Bulgaria with
Ethan Hawke and
Jon Voight.
[52]
The film wrapped up in May and is scheduled to be released in 2013.
Gomez was considered for the role of Carrie in the remake of the 1976
horror film
Carrie, although she never auditioned. The role eventually went to
Chloë Grace Moretz.
[53] Next, Gomez will star in the film adaptation of the
Ric Browde novel
While I'm Dead... Feed the Dog opposite
Dylan McDermott and
Nat Wolff.
[54] The film, entitled
Behaving Bad, will be directed by Tim Garrick. Gomez will also reprise her role as
Alex Russo in a one-hour special entitled
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, which began production on October 22, 2012, and finished filming on November 10, 2012. It will air on
Disney Channel on March 13, 2013 at 8/7pm Central.
[55][56]
Other ventures
Selena Gomez attending "The 6th Annual Hollywood Style Awards"
Beverly Hills, 2009
Gomez was part of
Sears back-to-school fashion ad campaign.
[57]
As part of the campaign Gomez was featured in the television
commercials. In August 2009, Gomez also hosted the "Sears Arrive Air
Band Casting Call" – to select five people for the first-ever "Sears Air
Band", which performed at the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
[58]
In October 2008, Gomez launched her own production company, July Moon
Productions, and partnered with XYZ Films to create star vehicles for
Gomez. As part of the agreement Gomez will have the opportunity to
option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to
studios.
[59][60] Also, as part of the deal, "XYZ Films will allow Gomez to star in and produce at least two films.
[61] Variety
reported that: "In August, XYZ [Films] inked a similar deal with Time
Inc. and management-production company the Collective to finance the
development of the print media giant's content for the bigscreen [...]
As part of the July Moon-XYZ deal, [Selena] Gomez will have the ability
to cherry-pick projects from the vast Time Inc. library, which includes
Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Life."
[60]
Gomez is a spokesperson for
Borden Milk; she is featured in the campaign's print and television ads.
[62] She is also a spokesperson for
State Farm Insurance and is featured in their TV commercials, which air on the
Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver.
[63]
In October 2009, Gomez announced her plan to launch her own fashion line, called "Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez". The
clothing line launched in the fall of 2010.
[64][65] The collection consists of and features
bohemian dresses, floral tops, jeans, skirts, jackets, scarves and hats, all made from recycled or
eco-friendly materials.
[66][67]
Gomez said that the line will reflect her own personal style and
described the clothing as being "pretty, feminine, and bohemian," and:
"With my line, I really want to give the customer options on how they
can put their own looks together [...] I want the pieces that can be
easy to dress up or down, and the fabrics being eco-friendly and organic
is super important [...] Also, the tags will all have some of my
inspirational quotes on them. I'm just looking to send a good message."
[64][67] Gomez, who has no background in fashion, teamed up with designers Tony Melillo and Sandra Campos, both who have worked with
big-name fashion houses.
[65]
Gomez said of the partnering: "When I met Tony and Sandra, I was
instantly comfortable with them and now they are just like family to
me ... They are so creative and I love how I can just call them up
whenever and talk to them about everything, even if it's just about
changing a button ... They've been so cool about everything."
[64][65][66][67]
The brand will be manufactured by, Melillo and Campos teamed with New
York-based Adjmi Apparel and formed by Adjmi CH Brands LLC; which is the
holding company for the brand.
[68]
It was announced on July 14, 2011, that Gomez had signed a license
agreement with Adrenalina, an extreme sports and adventure-themed
lifestyle brand, to develop, manufacture, and distribute the actress'
fragrance. It is expected to debut in May 2012. Chairman and C.E.O. of
Adrenalina,
Ilia Lekach,
said, "We are incredibly enthused to be working with Ms. Gomez and will
reveal more details pertaining to the fragrance as we get closer to the
launch date."
[69]
It was announced on July 30, 2012, that Gomez would partner with
Case-Mate as part of its upcoming "Right Case, Right Occasion" marketing campaign.
[70] She will be teaming up with
Fergie and
Common to create fashionable custom phone cases for a good cause.
Philanthropy
Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign which encouraged teenagers to learn more about
2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama and
John McCain.
[71] In October 2008, Gomez participated in
St. Jude's Children's Hospital "Runway For Life" benefit.
[72] She is the ambassador of DoSomething.org after being involved with the charity Island Dog, which help dogs in
Puerto Rico.
[73] She got involved while filming
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in Puerto Rico.
[74] Gomez is also involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, an initiative of the
Enough Project, which helps raise awareness about
conflict minerals and violence against Congolese women.
[75] Gomez is involved in
Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its
public service announcements.
[76] Gomez,
Demi Lovato,
Miley Cyrus, and the
Jonas Brothers recorded "
Send It On", a charity single with all of its proceeds to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.
[77][78] It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 20.
[77]
Also in 2009, Gomez made a surprise visit to a Los Angeles elementary
school as part of the "A Day Made Better" program that was sponsored by
OfficeMax. During her visit, Gomez gave the school an award and $1,000
worth of school supplies, and talked to students about the importance of
giving back to the community.
[61][79] On January 22, 2010, Gomez participated in the
Hope for Haiti Now Telethon with a number of other celebrities.
[80] In April 2012, Gomez was named ambassador to the
Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
[81]
Work with UNICEF
In October 2008, Gomez was named
UNICEF's spokesperson for the
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world.
[4] She said that she was "extremely excited" to "encourage other kids to make a difference in the world."
[4]
In August 2009, a 17-year-old Gomez became the youngest
UNICEF ambassador ever, passing fellow songstress
Hayley Westenra,
who was 18 when she was chosen. In her first official field mission,
Gomez traveled to Ghana on September 4, 2009 for a week to witness
first-hand the stark conditions of vulnerable children that lack vital
necessities including clean water, nourishment, education and
healthcare.
[82][83] Gomez explained during an interview with
Associated Press
that she wanted to use her star power to bring awareness to Ghana:
“That's why I feel very honored to have a voice that kids listen to and
take into consideration [...] I had people on my tour asking me where IS
Ghana, and they Googled it [...] and because I went there, they now
know where Ghana is. So it's pretty incredible.”
[83][84]
Gomez said of her role as ambassador that: "Every day 25,000 children
die from preventable causes. I stand with UNICEF in the belief that we
can change that number from 25,000 to zero. I know we can achieve this
because every moment, UNICEF is on the ground providing children with
the lifesaving assistance needed to ensure zero becomes a reality."
[82]
Gomez was named spokesperson for
UNICEF's 2009 Trick-or-Treat campaign, for the second year in a row.
[85] Gomez, who raised over $700,000 for the charity in 2008, stated that she hopes to be able to raise 1 million dollars in 2009.
[83] Gomez participated in a celebrity auction
[86] and hosted a live web cast series on Facebook in support of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.
[87] Gomez returned as the
UNICEF spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign in 2010.
[88]
In celebration of the 60th anniversary, Gomez and her band, The Scene,
held a benefit concert donating all proceeds to the campaign.
[89]
In February 2011, Gomez traveled to Chile to witness and meet with the families of
UNICEF's
supported program, "Programa Puente" which helps families better
understand and develops skills to deal effectively with early childhood
education, development and other issues related to raising children.
From her field trip experience, Gomez said "UNICEF is helping Chilean
families get out of poverty, prevent violence within the home and
promote education. To witness first hand these families' struggles, and
also their hope and perseverance, was truly inspiring."
[90] In March 2011, Gomez participated in the
UNICEF Tap Project's
"Celebrity Tap Pack," limited-edition, custom-made water bottles
featuring tap water from the homes of each celebrity advocate, in order
to raise funds and increase profile for the clean water and sanitation
programs.
[91] She is also featured in videos promoting the campaign.
[92][93]
Personal life
On February 27, 2011, Gomez attended the 2011
Vanity Fair Oscar party with Canadian singer
Justin Bieber,
[94] confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair.
[95] The relationship was Gomez's most high-profile and the two became a teen
power couple.
[96][97]
In early November 2012, it was widely reported that the couple had
ended their relationship after approximately two years together.
[98][99] They reconciled later that month.
[100][101][102] However, in January 2013, it was reported that Gomez and Bieber had broken up again.
[103]
Gomez is the owner of six
rescue dogs and describes herself as a "huge animal-lover".
[104]
Her net worth is estimated between
$4 million
[105] and 5.5 million.
[106]