Selena Gomez, the guest on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast at Chapman University, has been acting since age 7 and became a star at 14 with the lead role in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, launching a successful pop music career and becoming a renowned global figure.
As she matured, she sought opportunities to showcase her serious acting skills in high-quality projects. This aspiration was realized in 2024. At 32, Gomez balanced three distinct acting roles. In the third season of Only Murders in the Building, she earned her third Emmy nomination for producing — becoming the most Emmy-nominated Latina producer — and her first for acting. In Emilia Pérez, she and her co-stars won the Cannes best actress award and are generating Oscar buzz. Additionally, she returned to the Waverly Place universe as an EP and played the adult version of her childhood character in the spinoff Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
In this episode, Gomez discusses her life and career, addressing questions from the host and Chapman students. She covers her industry journey, experiences as a child star, challenges transitioning to adult roles, and the differences between acting and singing/songwriting. Gomez explains her shift in focus from music to acting over the past nine years and shares insights about Only Murders and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. She highlights the significance of Emilia Pérez, revealing that Audiard cast her despite only knowing her from Spring Breakers. As a granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Gomez felt hesitant about playing a Spanish-speaking character due to losing her fluency, but Audiard adjusted the script to accommodate this. Additionally, Audiard, with songwriters Camille and Clément Ducol, replaced Jessi’s original musical number with the ballad “Mi Camino,” reflecting themes from her 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.
All of this, along with bonding with her co-stars (they share a “sisterhood” and have a group text chain), has made Emilia Pérez a dream project for Gomez, marking an exciting new chapter in her career. “I can’t believe it,” she says of the film’s reception and her performance. “I feel humbled, overwhelmed — in a good way — and I hope this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to do more and be in this world that I love so much.”