Entertainment
Selena Gomez in ‘Hotel Transylvania’
B
orn on July 22, 1992
in Grand Prairie,
Texas,
Selena
Gomez got an early start in
show business as Gianna on
“Barney & Friends.” She
made her screen debut soon
thereafter in “Spy Kids 3-
D,” and subsequently
appeared on such TV shows
as “Walker, Texas Ranger,”
“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” “Han-
nah Montana” and “The Suite Life on
Deck,” before skyrocketing to fame starring
as Alex on the Disney Channel’s Emmy-
winning sitcom, “Wizards of Waverly
Place.”
In 2008, the versatile entertainer
embarked on her musical career when she
recorded several songs for the soundtrack of
her Disney film, “Another Cinderella
Story.” She has since had many hit tunes,
including duets with Miley Cyrus, The
Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, as well as
with her own group, Selena Gomez and The
Scene.
In 2009, Selena became the youngest
UNICEF Goodwill ambassador in history at
17. The following year, she launched her
very own fashion line, the Dream Out Loud
Collection.
In terms of her private life, Selena has
long been romantically linked to pop idol
Justin Bieber, and the couple was recently
rumored to be building a love nest together
in the San Fernando Valley. Here, she talks
about her new movie, “Hotel Transylvania,”
an animated adventure where she plays
Dracula’s daughter Mavis who, over her
father’s objections, falls in love with a mere
mortal.
Kam Williams: Hi Selena, thanks for
another interview.
Selena Gomez: Of course, Kam thank
you.
KW: I really appreciate that last time you
were gracious enough to take a photo after-
wards with my intern, Richie. Thanks.
SG: Thank Richie for asking. That was so
sweet.
KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks:
What interested you in Hotel Transylvania?
SG: It had a really good script, it’s really
funny, and has an amazing cast, so it was
kind of a no brainer.
KW: How would you describe the movie?
SG: I think it’s a really cute father-daugh-
ter film that kinda touches on growing up,
and on experiencing your daughter wanting
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
by Kam
Williams
to have independence.
It’s a really sweet story
that daughters and dads
can relate to.
KW: Richie would
like to know what’s
your favorite type of
monster: a zombie, a
werewolf, a vampire or
something else?
SG: Probably a zom-
bie.
KW: Larry Greenberg says: I really love
the place where horror and comedy touch.
Did you have a lot of fun working on this
film?
SG: Yes, and for that particular reason. I
love scary movies, so I really enjoyed being
a part of a project that puts a twist on the
scary formula.
KW: How did you find it portraying an
animated character for the first time?
SG: It was different for me, since I had
never done something like that before. So, I
enjoyed it. It was new. I would love to do it
again. It was great!
KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says:
You’ve already been acclaimed for singing
and dancing, for acting on TV and film, for
fashion, for your charity ambassadorship
and you’re only 20 years old— what’s left
for the rest of your life?
SG: [Giggles] I don’t know. I guess I’m
just sort of figuring it out. But I do enjoy
everything I’ve been doing, and I feel very,
very blessed and lucky.
KW: Patricia also asks: What does it
mean to you to be a UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador, and what was the most fulfill-
ing thing you did so far for UNICEF?
SG: Working with Unicef is very, very
important to me. Like I said, I’ve been very
blessed, so I feel that it’s very important for
me to give back as much as I can and to use
the platform that I have to kind of spread the
word. What’s been most fulfilling is being
able to travel with them and witness how
this organization does what it believes in,
which is saving kids’ lives.
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks:
How did you become so altruistic at such a
young age? Where did you get your inspira-
tion to do so much to help make the world a
better place, all the charity work with chil-
dren, animals and other causes?
SG: It’s always been important to my par-
ents, and that’s where it came from. I was
taught that no matter how little or how
much we had, that it was important to give
Selena Gomez during taping for ‘Hotel Transylvania’
back. They always donated my clothes to
shelters, and we’d always volunteer at soup
kitchens on Thanksgiving. So, concern for
the less fortunate has been a family tradition
for as long as I can remember.
KW: Bernadette also asks: Is there anoth-
er pop icon whose career choices and level
of success you’re trying to emulate or
exceed?
SG: There are a lot of people I look up to.
But the person whose story has touched me
the most is Katy Perry. She’s worked really
hard to get to where she is, and it certainly
didn’t happen overnight for her.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson ques-
tion: What was the last book you read? The
last time you told me it was, “13 Reasons
Why.”
SG: “The 5 Love Languages.”
KW: What was the last song you listened
to?
SG: I’ve been listening to Frank Ocean’s
new album.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
SG: Oh, I love Southern food, so any type
of casserole.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is
your favorite clothes designer?
SG: For high, high-end fashion would
have to be Marchesa.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what
do you see?
SG: Myself. [Giggles]
KW: If you could have one wish instant-
ly granted, what would that be for?
SG: For everyone to be nice.
KW: The Kerry Washington question: If
you were an animal, what animal would you
be?
SG: A monkey.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is
your earliest childhood memory?
SG: My first concert ever, with Britney
Spears.
KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What
key quality do you believe all successful
September 19, 2012
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