Selena Gomez

Birth Name: Selena Marie Gomez
Birthplace: Grand Prairie, Texas
July 22, 1992 – Present
Years Active: 2002 – Present

Named after legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, Selena Gomez was perhaps destined to be a performer. Inspired by her mother, a struggling stage actress, Gomez began auditioning for roles at an early age, eventually landing a role (with Demi Lovato) in the children’s television series Barney & Friends. Gomez became a household name, however, after getting the title role of Alex Russo in the Disney series Wizards of Waverly Place.

While working as an actor for Disney, Gomez also emerged as a talented singer. She recorded theme songs for various Disney series and films, and performed alongside other acts such as The Jonas Brothers. At 16, Gomez was signed by Hollywood Records, which produced albums for Disney stars such as Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus. With Hollywood Records she formed the pop-punk band Selena Gomez & The Scene, which produced three albums and hits including “Naturally,” “Round and Round,” and “Who Says.”

In 2012, Gomez released her first solo album, Stars Dance. The album debuted as No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts. The tour for the album, however, was cut short after Gomez was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus.

Gomez released her second album, Revival, in 2015. The album debuted at No. 1 again on the charts, producing hits such as “Good for You,” which featured AS@P Rocky. In 2016, Gomez embarked on a tour, but it was again cut short after she required a kidney transplant due to complications related to lupus.

After releasing a variety of singles with collaborators such as Zedd, Marshmello, Benny Blacno, J Balvin, and Cardi B, Gomez released her third album, Rare, in 2020.

Also in 2020, Gomez launched a makeup line focused on “breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection”. Rare Beauty has become extremely popular since then for its accessibility and its cruelty free ingredients. Gomez also started the Rare Impact Fund, where a portion of makeup sales will go to increase access to mental health resources.

While writing and performing music, Gomez has also continued her acting career, playing roles in movies and shows such as Horton Hears a Who, Ramona and Beezus, Monte Carlo, the Hotel Transylvania series, Spring Breakers, Only Murders in the Building and Selena + Chef most recently.

In addition to acting, Gomez has been a producer, creating the netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why and Living Undocumented. Both series are personal to Gomez continuing her work on opening a dialogue about mental health and immigration issues in the U.S.

Gomez has listed artists such as Bruno Mars, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Skrillex, Janet Jackson, and Cheryl Cole as influences.

Gomez works regularly as a UNICEF Ambassador, and has contributed to the organization TIMES UP and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.