Selena Gomez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Selena Gomez | |
|---|---|
Gomez at the Walmart Soundcheck Concert, July 2013
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| Born | Selena Marie Gomez July 22, 1992 Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Television | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | Hollywood |
| Associated acts | Selena Gomez & the Scene |
| Website | selenagomez.com |
Following this, Gomez appeared in the film Ramona and Beezus, one of her first roles outside of Disney. Gomez & the Scene released their second studio album, A Year Without Rain, later that year. The album entered the Top 5 of the Billboard 200, and spawned two Top 40 hits. Gomez began appearing in more films such as Monte Carlo (2011) and The Muppets (2011). Gomez, along with her band, later released their third and final studio album, When the Sun Goes Down, in 2011. The album spawned the hit single "Love You Like a Love Song", which was certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA. Following the release of the album, Gomez confirmed she would be taking a musical hiatus to focus on her acting career. She then went on to appear in the films Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Spring Breakers (2013), the latter of which saw Gomez portraying a more adult role.
Despite her early comments of a musical hiatus, Gomez confirmed in October 2012 that she was working on her solo debut album. The lead single, "Come & Get It", was released in April 2013. It became her first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. The album's second single, "Slow Down", was released in June. Gomez has since announced plans of a second musical hiatus following the release of Stars Dance in July. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Gomez is involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.[6]
Contents
Life and career
1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings
Selena Marie Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas,[5] to Ricardo Joel Gomez and former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett.[7][8][9] Gomez was named after Tejano singer Selena, who died almost three years after Gomez was born.[10] Her father is of Mexican descent while her mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry.[11][12][13] 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."[14] Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother, who had her when she was 16.[7][15] This led to the family having financial troubles, with her mother struggling to provide for them.[16] On the situation, Gomez stated "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]."[17] On June 12, 2013, Mandy and her second husband Brian Teefey had a daughter named Gracie Elliot Teefey.[18][19]Gomez met Demi Lovato while they were auditioning for Barney and Friends.[20] The two became close friends and would later participate in various roles together.[21][22] She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.[23] Gomez officially earned her first role in 2002 when she was selected to appear on the children's television series Barney and Friends as the recurring character Gianna.[24] She appeared in a total of sixteen episodes, with her final appearance being in 2004. Gomez later stated that her age had led to her departure from the show, with producers feeling she was getting too old.[25] In 2003, Gomez made a cameo in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, making it her film debut.[26] Following this, Gomez began appearing in various commercials. In 2005, she had a cameo role in the television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire as Julie. Gomez later guest starred in an episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in 2006.[27]
2007–08: Breakthrough and musical beginnings
In 2007, Gomez appeared in three episodes of the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Gomez portrayed the character Mikayla, the rival of the series' title character.[28] During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first, titled Arwin!,[29] was a spin-off to the Suite Life series, while the second was a spin-off to the series Lizzie McGuire.[30] Gomez later starred in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, portraying the lead role of Alex Russo.[25] Gomez's character, along with the rest of her family, were wizards who owned a restaurant in New York; during the course of the series, the characters learned various spells and abilities that were useful to them.[31] The series proved to be an immediate hit, giving Gomez mainstream success.[32] Wizards earned Gomez numerous awards and nominations.[33][34]
In October 2008, Gomez launched her own production company, July Moon Productions, and partnered with XYZ Films. As part of the agreement, Gomez had the opportunity to option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to studios.[40][41] Also as part of the deal, Gomez was announced to be working on a film titled What Boys Want, in which her character could hear the thoughts of men.[42] Ultimately, the film was never released. That same year, Gomez began dating fellow Disney star Nick Jonas.[43] This led to Gomez appearing in the music video for the song "Burnin' Up", performed by Nick's band Jonas Brothers.[44] The couple later broke up in 2009.[45] During this time, Gomez began to focus more on music. She performed a cover of the song "Cruella de Vil" for the compilation album DisneyMania 6.[46] Gomez later recorded the song "Fly to Your Heart" for the soundtrack of the animated film Tinker Bell.[47] Gomez provided guest vocals on the Forever the Sickest Kids' single "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)", which serves as Gomez's official debut musical release.[48] The single failed to have much success, though it peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Pop 100 chart in the United States.[49]
Also in 2008, Gomez had the lead role in the Direct-to-DVD film Another Cinderella Story alongside Drew Seeley.[50] Gomez portrayed Mary Santiago, a young girl who hoped to someday become a dancer.[51] The film was released to generally positive reviews, and won the 2010 Writers Guild of America Award for Children's script-long form or special.[52] For the soundtrack, Gomez recorded three songs.[53] The song "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" was released as a promotional single for the album, with Gomez filming a music video for the release.[54] "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" became her first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 58.[55] Later that year, Gomez had the supporting role of Helga in the animated film Horton Hears a Who!.[56] The film was a commercial success, and went on to gross nearly three hundred million dollars worldwide.[57] She later appeared in the reality series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream and Disney Channel Games, as well as the series Studio DC: Almost Live.[58]
2009–11: Selena Gomez & the Scene and television
Gomez had been working on her debut album since signing with Hollywood Records in 2008,[69][70] and later announced that she had formed a band known as Selena Gomez & the Scene.[71] In August 2009, the band released their debut studio album Kiss & Tell.[72] The album proved to be an immediate hit, debuting inside the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.[73] Kiss & Tell went on to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA, and spawned the Platinum certified single "Naturally".[74] While the band began working on their second studio album, Gomez continued to work in film. In 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.[75][76] Gomez stated that she felt no pressure in taking more adult roles, saying "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."[77] The film premiered on July 23, 2010 and was met with generally positive reviews.[78] Gomez was part of Sears' back-to-school fashion ad campaign.[79] 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.[80] Gomez was a spokesperson for Borden Milk, and was featured in the campaign's print and television ads.[81] She was also a spokesperson for State Farm Insurance and appeared in numerous television commercials, which air on the Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver.[82] Gomez later began dating film star Taylor Lautner, though the couple broke up after a few months of dating.[25]
On February 27, 2011, Gomez attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar party with Canadian singer Justin Bieber,[91] confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair.[92] The couple quickly gained much media attention, and were labeled "Jelena" by online sites.[93] 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.[94] In the film, Gomez plays Grace, a girl who's "mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris."[95] 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.[96][97] The film was released on July 1, 2011. That same year, Gomez appeared in a cameo role for the film The Muppets,[98] and appeared in the Disney series' So Random! and PrankStars.[99] On June 28, 2011 Gomez and her band released their third and final studio album When the Sun Goes Down.[100] The album became their highest peaking album on the Billboard 200, and went on to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA.[74] The album's second single, "Love You Like a Love Song", went on to become the band's most successful single, receiving a 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA.[74] 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. 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."[101] Gomez later released the self-titled perfume.[102]
2012–present: Film projects and Stars Dance
Despite her earlier statements, Gomez confirmed in October 2012 that work had begun on an upcoming album.[113] The album's lead single, "Come & Get It", was released on April 8, 2013.[114][115] The song received a 2x Platinum certification from the RIAA in the US and Canada as well receive gold in three other countries. It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 becoming her first song to reach the Top 10. Gomez later confirmed that the album would be her solo debut album, rather than her band's fourth album.[116][117] Gomez's debut album, Stars Dance, was released on July 23, 2013.[118] It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 becoming her first album to do so as well as having the highest first week sales of any of her albums. Gomez has since confirmed that she plans to take another musical hiatus following the release of Stars Dance, and hopes to focus on her acting career.[119]
Gomez had a cameo role in Aftershock, a thriller starring Eli Roth, which premiered at the 37th Annual Toronto International Film Festival. Gomez also appeared in the thriller Getaway, with Ethan Hawke, Jon Voight and Bruce Payne,[120] which was released on August 30, 2013 in the United States. Next, Gomez is set to star in the film adaptation of the Ric Browde novel While I'm Dead... Feed the Dog opposite Dylan McDermott and Nat Wolff.[121] The film, titled Behaving Badly, will be directed by Tim Garrick. Gomez also reprised her role as Alex Russo in a one-hour special titled The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, that began production on October 22, 2012, and finished filming on November 10, 2012. It aired on Disney Channel on March 15, 2013.[122][123] In April 2013, Gomez joined William H. Macy's directorial debut Rudderless.[124] Filming began the same month.[125] In October 2013, she reported her decision to not be focusing in just one thing and still doing both acting and singing instead of her past decision to just be focused on acting after the release of Stars Dance.[126]
In December 2013, Gomez announced the cancellation of the Australian-Asian leg of her Stars Dance Tour and stated that she would be taking a short hiatus to spend time with her family.[127] Starting on January 5, 2014, Gomez spent two weeks at Dawn at The Meadows, a treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona that specializes in treating addiction and trauma in young people. Her representative stated that she had spent time there "voluntarily [...] but not for substance abuse."[128][129]
Artistry
Gomez names Bruno Mars as her major musical influence and idol, saying she is influenced in everything he does from "his style of music, his style in general, the way he performs, the way he carries himself."[130] Gomez also cites Beyoncé and Rihanna as influences.[131][132] Gomez's debut solo album Stars Dance (2013) was prominently influenced by singers Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and Skrillex.[133]Faith
Selena Gomez, a Christian, has posted Bible verses, such as Genesis 12:2, on her Instagram, after seeing it quoted in the book How to Maximise Your Life by Brian Houston.[134][135] In addition, on Easter, she posted the Paschal greeting "He is risen" the same social media network.[135] She regularly attends Bible study with Justin Bieber.[136][137][138]Philanthropy
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.[151] She said that she was "extremely excited" to "encourage other kids to make a difference in the world."[151] 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.[152][153] 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."[153][154] 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."[152]Gomez was named spokesperson for UNICEF's 2009 Trick-or-Treat campaign, for the second year in a row.[155] 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.[153] Gomez participated in a celebrity auction[156] and hosted a live web cast series on Facebook in support of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.[157] Gomez returned as the UNICEF spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign in 2010.[158] In celebration of the 60th anniversary, Gomez and her band, The Scene, held a benefit concert donating all proceeds to the campaign.[159] 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."[160] 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.[161] She is also featured in videos promoting the campaign.[162][163]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–04 | Barney & Friends | Gianna | 14 episodes |
| 2006 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | Gwen | Episode: "A Midsummer's Nightmare" |
| 2007–08 | Hannah Montana | Mikayla | 3 episodes |
| 2007–12 | Wizards of Waverly Place | Alex Russo | Lead role; Disney Channel Original Series; 106 episodes |
| 2008 | Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream | Herself | Episode: "Hello Hollywood" |
| 2008 | Studio DC: Almost Live | Herself | Episode: "The Second Show" |
| 2009 | The Suite Life on Deck | Alex Russo | Episode: "Double-Crossed" |
| 2009 | Sonny with a Chance | Herself | Episode: "Battle of the Networks' Stars" |
| 2011 | So Random! | Herself | Episode: "Selena Gomez" |
| 2011 | PrankStars | Herself | Episode: "Something to Chew On" |
| 2013 | The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex | Alex Russo | Special; also executive producer |
| 2013 | Austin Mahone Takeover | Herself | Episode: "Austin Mahone and Selena Gomez at the Billboard Music Awards" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over | Waterpark Girl | |
| 2005 | Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire | Julie | |
| 2008 | Another Cinderella Story | Mary Santiago | |
| 2008 | Horton Hears a Who! | Helga | Voice |
| 2009 | Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard | Princess Selenia | Voice |
| 2009 | Princess Protection Program | Carter Mason | |
| 2009 | Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie | Alex Russo | |
| 2010 | Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds | Princess Selenia | Voice |
| 2010 | Ramona and Beezus | Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby | |
| 2011 | Monte Carlo | Grace Ann Bennett / Cordelia Winthrop Scott | |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Herself | Cameo appearance |
| 2012 | Hotel Transylvania | Mavis | Voice |
| 2013 | Spring Breakers | Faith | |
| 2013 | Aftershock | VIP girl | Cameo appearance |
| 2013 | Getaway | The Kid | |
| 2013 | Searching | Violet | Short film |
| 2014 | Behaving Badly | Nina Pennington | |
| 2014 | Rudderless | Kate Ann Lucas | |
| 2015 | Hotel Transylvania 2 | Mavis | In development |
See also
- Selena Gomez & the Scene discography
- Selena Gomez discography
- Stars Dance Tour
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance airplay chart
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
- List of awards and nominations received by Selena Gomez
- List of best-charting music artists in the United States
- List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
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