Selena Gomez, who began her showbiz career with Disney, is reflecting on her first major role after leaving the network.
The 32-year-old actress revealed that her most “challenging” movie was the crime comedy Spring Breakers.
In an interview with Elle, alongside her co-stars from Emilia Pérez—Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón—Gomez shared a memory from the 2012 film. “I was only 18 or 19, it was the first thing I did right after my Disney show, and it was such a crazy detour,” she recalled.
The movie gave Gomez a glimpse into a different side of the entertainment industry, and she shared, “That’s when I knew I was going to fall in love with filmmakers and really gritty, fun stuff that was a little too graphic.”
This comes after the award-winning pop star told The New York Times in 2013 that the role was her way of “kind of taking baby steps” toward more mature roles. “I know that people will judge my involvement in the movie as a whole,” she said at the time. “I’m prepared to accept that.”
Her latest project, Emilia Pérez, adds another unique entry to Gomez’s diverse portfolio. The Spanish musical drama, directed by Jacques Audiard, follows Gascón’s character, a transgender leader of a Mexico City drug cartel trying to escape a life of crime.
The film has garnered critical acclaim, and Gomez, along with Saldaña, Gascón, and co-star Adriana Paz, were named joint winners of the Best Actress award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
