Selena Gomez

“	Everything happens for a reason. So enjoy it right now. Enjoy the moment.	”
– Selena Gomez's motto according to Famous magazine

Selena Gomez
[[Image:|center|225px]]
Information
Full Name	Selena Marie Gomez
Born	July 22, 1992 (age 23) Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.
Occupations	Singer, actress, model, fashion designer
Years active	2002-present
Status with Selena	Alive

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992; 7:19 AM) 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. 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.

After the release of television films and their accompanying soundtracks, Gomez made her theatrical film debut in Ramona and Beezus in 2010 and starred in Monte Carlo in 2011. Upon the conclusion of Wizards of Waverly Place and the hiatus of Selena Gomez & the Scene in 2012, she focused on her film career, serving as a voice actress in Hotel Transylvania and starring in Spring Breakers the following year. Stars Dance, her debut solo album, was released on July 23, 2013, and is preceded by its lead single "Come & Get It".

Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Gomez is involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.

Life and career

1992-2004: Early life and career beginnings

Gomez as a child

Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas. She is the daughter of former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Teefey (née Cornett) and Ricardo Joel Gomez. Her father is of Mexican ancestry; her mother, who was adopted, is of Italian ancestry. 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." Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother. In 2006, Mandy remarried Brian Teefey. This led to the family having financial troubles, with her mother struggling to provide for them. On the situation, Gomez stated, "I remember my mom would run out of gas all of the time and we’d sit there and have to go through the car and get quarters and help her get gas because she never liked to ask my grandparents for money. I remember having a lot of macaroni and cheese but my mom never made it seem like it was a big deal. She was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. My mom gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me, sacrificed her life for me." Gomez later elaborated on the topic, stating "I definitely didn't appreciate it when I was little. 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]." She was named after Tejano singer Selena, who died almost three years after Gomez was born.

While attending school as a child, Gomez has stated on numerous occasions that she was the victim of bullying. When speaking of the situation, Gomez said "I was bullied every second of every day in elementary and middle school [...] Obviously, people are going to bring you down because of your drive. But, ultimately, it makes you a stronger person to turn your cheek and go the other way." She later added, "I was never the popular kid at school. I had two friends, but I just sat at the back of the room and got on with my work. School is such an awkward time in your life. I was never confident in school." 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. She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.

Gomez began her acting career at age seven, playing Gianna on Barney & Friends. 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.

In 2004, Gomez was discovered by the Disney Channel in a USA-wide scouting. 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. 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.

2007-2008: Wizards of Waverly Place and breakthrough

Gomez at the premiere of High School Musical 2, 2008

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." 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. 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!". 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 voice-over 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".

2009-2011: Film debut and Selena Gomez & the Scene

Gomez at the Warner Bros. Golden Globes Party, 2011

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. The album's single, "Naturally", was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 15, 2010. 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. 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." She also began dating actor Taylor Lautner, whom she met in Vancouver, while filming Ramona and Beezus and while he was shooting New Moon, 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.

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. The telecast garnered 8.5 million viewers becoming, at the time, the third most watched Disney Channel Original Movie. 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. 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. In September 2009, Wizards of Waverly Place won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards., and in 2010, the film adaptation won the series its second consecutive Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Gomez's first theatrical film Ramona and Beezus premiered on July 23, 2010 and met with generally positive reviews. 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. In the film, Gomez plays Grace, a girl who's "mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris." 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. The same year Gomez confirmed that the fourth season of her hit Disney Channel show, Wizards of Waverly Place, would be its last.

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. As of April 2011, the band has sold 1,354,000 albums in the United States. 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 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. Production for the final season of Wizards of Waverly Place came to a wrap on May 14, 2011. Gomez co-hosted the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 19. 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. 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. On November 17, 2011, the album was certified platinum. 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. 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.

2012-present: Films and debut solo album

Gomez at the premiere of Hotel Transylvania, 2012

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: "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."

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. Next, Gomez appeared in the Harmony Korine film Spring Breakers, alongside James Franco. The film premiered at the 69th Venice International Film Festival, and was released in March 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. 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. 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. The film, entitled 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 13, 2013 at 8/7pm Central.

On April 8, 2013, "Come & Get It" was released as the lead single from Gomez's debut solo album (fourth overall) Stars Dance. On April 8 on On Air with Ryan Seacrest during the world premiere of "Come & Get It", Gomez has stated that she has started recording the album in October 2012, and is finished. The album was released on July 24, 2013, and promoted through a world tour. Gomez stated her desire to "write about things I’ve never talked about before and tell a story with this album, because I’ve never actually had time to go in and do that", and later listed Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Skrillex as three of its most prominent influences. She performed at the Radio Disney Music Awards on April 27, 2013.

On November 24, 2014, Gomez released her first greatest hits album, For You. This is her last album under Hollywood Records as she is now signed with Interscope Records.

On June 22, 2015, "Good for You" was released as the first single off her second studio album "Revival"

Other ventures

Gomez starring in a commercial for Borden Milk products, 2008

Gomez was part of Sears back-to-school fashion ad campaign. 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.

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. Also, as part of the deal, "XYZ Films will allow Gomez to star in and produce at least two films. 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."

Gomez is a spokesperson for Borden Milk; she is featured in the campaign's print and television ads. 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.

In October 2009, Gomez announced her plan to launch her own fashion line, called "Dream Out Loud". The clothing line launched in the fall of 2010. The collection consists of and features bohemian dresses, floral tops, jeans, skirts, jackets, scarves and hats, all made from recycled or eco-friendly materials. 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." 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. 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." 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.

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."

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. She will be teaming up with Fergie and Common to create fashionable custom phone cases for a good cause.

Philantrophy

Main article: Philantrophy

Artistry

Gomez names singer 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". She admires Ella Fitzgerald, calling Fitzgerald her "favorite singer" continuing to praise her "beautiful voice" and Katy Perry whom she said "isn’t afraid to be herself onstage." Gomez also cites Rihanna as an influence saying "I think she’s very strong and classy. I look up to that. She carries herself very well."

Personal life

On February 27, 2011, Gomez attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar party with Canadian singer Justin Bieber,

Gomez and her long-time best friend Taylor Swift

confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair. The relationship was Gomez's most high-profile and the two became a teen power couple. In early November 2012, it was widely reported that the couple had ended their relationship after approximately two years together. They reconciled later that month. However, in January 2013, it was reported that Gomez and Bieber had broken up again. She is now rumored to be dating DJ/producer Zedd, whom she collaborated with on the hit song I Want You to Know.

On June 2013, Gomez's mother gave birth to newborn Gracie Elliot Teefey. Gomez is the older half-sister of Teefey and has expressed joy in when she became one.

Gomez is the owner of six rescue dogs and describes herself as a "huge animal-lover".

Her net worth is estimated between $4 million and $5.5 million.

Tattoos

Gomez's "LXXVI" tattoo

Gomez has four tattoos. One is a tattoo of a musical note on her right wrist, which was tattooed on February 22, 2012 by artist Louie Gomez. The second one is a tattoo of the Roman numerals "LXXVI" which is believed to be a tribute to Gomez's mother. The tattoo was done on September 29, 2012 by tattoo artist Bang Bang. The third one is writing which reads “God Who Strengthens Me”. On November 5th 2013, Selena spoke to Ryan Seacrest on his show On Air with Ryan Seacrest about her tattoo. She explained that the tattoo is from The Philippians 4:13 verse of the Bible, which includes Selena's favorite passage: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She also admitted that the tattoo was over a year old at the time.

Gomez's "أحب نفسك أولا" ("Love yourself first") tattoo.

She also tattooed "أحب نفسك أولا" ("Love yourself first") in 2014.

“	Art by @bangbang --from my first to my last. It's always this fool. http://instagram.com/p/qh0ZIXujMr/	”
– She tweeted on 16th July along with a link to a photo showing the new tattoo

Trivia

Main article: Selena Gomez facts

Filmography

Main article: Filmography

Discography

Main article: Discography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Selena Gomez