ACTING AND ASPIRATIONS
A True Triple Threat An actor, singer, and dancer, Selena Gomez is a true triple threat! Whether you know her from her albums like
Revival,
Rare, and
Revelación or her role as Mavis in the
Hotel Transylvania films, she brings three things to every project: a mastery of her craft, a passion for entertainment, and a unique artistic voice.
In the earlier phases of her career, Selena Gomez may have been dismissed as a mere “dance-pop princess,” but today she commands true respect as an artist and a performer. One thing’s for certain: It’s Selena’s world. We’re just living in it.
Fast Facts! Selena was named after Selena Quintanilla, the legendary queen of Tejano music.
Selena’s parents thought of calling her Priscilla, but one of her cousins already had that name.
Born in Grand Prairie Selena Marie Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, on July 22, 1992. Her mother, Mandy Teefey (née Cornett), and her father, Ricardo Gomez, were high-school sweethearts. When Selena was five years old, her parents divorced. She lived with Mandy, and Ricardo spent time with her on weekends.
Mandy wanted to be an actor, but she struggled to find well-paid acting work in the small town of Grand Prairie. She often brought Selena with her to auditions and rehearsals. Selena was fascinated by show business. Mandy started to think that maybe her daughter could be an actor someday!
Fast Facts! Selena’s father Ricardo is of Mexican descent. And Selena is very proud of her Mexican heritage!
Because Selena was born on July 22, her zodiac sign is Cancer.
It All Began with a Purple Dinosaur In 1999, when Selena was seven years old, her mother Mandy found out that the producers of the children’s television series
Barney & Friends were holding auditions for new cast members!
While in line for the audition, Selena met another aspiring child actor from Texas. Her name was Demi Lovato, and she was from the city of Dallas. Soon, both Selena and Demi were cast on
Barney & Friends. Selena played the character of Gianna on the show for two seasons, and her episodes aired from 2002 to 2004.
Her television career had begun. And it was all thanks to a purple dinosaur named Barney.
Fast Facts! Aside from appearing on
Barney & Friends, Selena appeared in two
Barney movies.
Those movies are
Barney: Best Manners—Invitation to Fun and
Barney: Read with Me, Dance with Me, both of which were released in 2003.
Copyright © 2024 by Arie Kaplan; Illustrated by Risa Rodil. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
