Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American actress and singer-songwriter best known for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the Emmy Award winning Disney Channel Original Series, Wizards of Waverly Place. She has starred in the television movies, Another Cinderella Story and Princess Protection Program.
Before Disney, she had one of the kid roles on Barney & Friends. In 2008, she signed a record deal with Hollywood Records and contributed to the Tinker Bell, Another Cinderella Story and Wizards of Waverly Place soundtracks. Her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, released their debut studio album Kiss & Tell on September 29, 2009, which was certified Gold by RIAA on March 5, 2010.
Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefey (née Cornett), a former stage actress. Her father isMexican American and her mother is of half Italian descent. Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother. In 2006, her mother remarried Brian Teefey. She is named after Tejano singer Selena.
In a 2009 interview, Gomez said she developed an early interest in acting from watching her mother perform in theater productions. "My mom [Mandy] did a lot of theater, and I would watch her rehearse. When she got ready for the show and put on her makeup, I would sit behind her and color. She said, 'You have my lines memorized better than I do!' One day I said [to her], 'I want to be like you!'" She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.
Before Disney, she had one of the kid roles on Barney & Friends. In 2008, she signed a record deal with Hollywood Records and contributed to the Tinker Bell, Another Cinderella Story and Wizards of Waverly Place soundtracks. Her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, released their debut studio album Kiss & Tell on September 29, 2009, which was certified Gold by RIAA on March 5, 2010.
Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefey (née Cornett), a former stage actress. Her father isMexican American and her mother is of half Italian descent. Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother. In 2006, her mother remarried Brian Teefey. She is named after Tejano singer Selena.
In a 2009 interview, Gomez said she developed an early interest in acting from watching her mother perform in theater productions. "My mom [Mandy] did a lot of theater, and I would watch her rehearse. When she got ready for the show and put on her makeup, I would sit behind her and color. She said, 'You have my lines memorized better than I do!' One day I said [to her], 'I want to be like you!'" She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.
