Selena Gomez Spills on Disney Near-Miss Before Breakthrough
Kai Montgomery here, reluctantly dispensing wisdom because apparently everyone needs a reminder that fame isn’t a straight line. Oh, fantastic, another star admitting that before the glitz they were clutching at straws. But here we are, so let’s roll.
Selena Gomez, now 33, recently confessed on the Therapuss With Jake Shane podcast that she was literally “at my wits’ end” when three Disney Channel pilots tanked. She revealed that in 2007 she auditioned for spinoffs of Lizzie McGuire, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and what became Wizards of Waverly Place. All three seemed dead in the water, leaving the then-15-year-old convinced her big break would never arrive. Sources at the New York Post confirm this harsh Hollywood reality check nearly derailed her budding career.
Lo and behold, only Wizards of Waverly Place got the green light and Selena’s destiny shifted overnight. She admitted the instant thrill of achieving that dream was surreal. The sitcom endured four seasons through 2012, chronicling the Russo family’s magical mishaps. Fans loved her banter as Alex Russo alongside brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin), according to production notes obtained by the New York Post. Surprise, surprise: audiences ate up teenage wizards juggling spells and schoolwork.
Before that triumph, Gomez cut her teeth even younger on Barney & Friends from 2002 to 2004, a fact she wore proudly on her Disney Channel badge. Fast forward to 2024 and Disney has tapped her to reprise Alex in the reboot Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, where she also earns executive producer credits. Season two looms next month, per Disney press materials.
Meanwhile, Hulu’s hit Only Murders in the Building keeps her plate full. Gomez stars with comedic heavyweights Steve Martin and Martin Short in a murder mystery that snagged her first SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. In an interview with Numero Magazine, she admitted she can’t keep a straight face around those two legends. She thanked them on the podium in January, joking they “raised me” in comedy.
On the entrepreneurial front, Gomez founded Rare Beauty in 2020, proving she’s not just chasing acting roles. She also dropped her fourth studio album, I Said I Love You First, in collaboration with fiancé Benny Blanco. In Interview Magazine, Blanco confessed the surprise engagement nearly unraveled because he’s “not the world’s greatest liar.” Gomez, however, praised his studio chops and said working side by side has been a dream.
Despite dizzying highs and near misses, Selena Gomez’s journey shows that even the biggest names can feel stuck before they soar. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Therapuss With Jake Shane podcast, Numero Magazine, Interview Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
