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Selena Gomez Celebrates Her Mexican Heritage With Spanish Film Emilia Pérez: 'Very Proud Of Who I Am'
Selena Gomez reconnects with her Mexican roots, performing in Spanish in Emilia Pérez now streaming on Netflix.
Selena Gomez returned to her Mexican roots with her role in the Spanish-language movie Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard. Starting as a Disney star, Gomez's evolution into more complex acting roles, especially with Emilia Pérez, is likely to be the film that brings forth a newer and bolder phase in her life and career.
Gomez speaks mostly in Spanish in the movie and had to train her pronunciation in the kitchen show Selena & Chef. Given the nature of her character, which is broad and complex, before the premiere of the film at the AFI Festival, she stated her desire to take part in a project that is "bold" and "exciting" to Entertainment Weekly.
The film focuses on Emilia, played by Karla Sofia Gascón, who once ruled a cartel and fought to reconnect with her family after transitioning into a woman. Gomez channels her tough side and embodies the role of Jessi, which is a character she worked really hard for. As a non-native Spanish speaker, she was driven to work in a particular film because it would enable her to represent her Mexican-American background.
She was able to pick up some Spanish in time for her project and now holds this work dear as it enables her to reconnect with her family culture. Although she does not hear the language around her, Gomez insists that she is proud of her ancestry and that the sound of her surname incorporates them all. She said, "What's really difficult about my position is that I am really surrounded by predominantly white English-speaking people. So, to be a part of something like this was truly meaningful because I'm very proud of who I am."
The Only Murders In The Building star added, "I may not be fluent [in Spanish], but that doesn't make me less proud or less Mexican in my eyes. I think it's about what my last name has always meant to me: it's my family. It's everything that's a part of me." While the Rare Beauty mogul does not intend to perform on Broadway anytime soon, she is, however, excited by the prospect of carrying out more Spanish-language projects in the future.
Reflecting on her character, Jessi, Gomez told the outlet, "I thought she was such a complex character that I really could sink my teeth into. I gave it my all. I tried my hardest. I brought to the table what I could bring — a little bit of vulnerability, and coming from a lot of hardness around her, she was still able to feel love again, and that was really special."
Emilia Pérez, now streaming on Netflix, is inspired by Mexican musical tradition and features Gomez and her fellow actors such as Zoe Saldana in a number of dance numbers as well as singing in Spanish. Though Selena Gomez did not have to give her co-stars any pointers, she was grateful for pointers from Saldana who is a trained dancer.
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