The actor-singer-entrepreneur stars in Emilia Pérez, the new Spanish-language musical about a cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery. Gomez talks with Tonya Mosley about re-learning Spanish, her Disney years, and working alongside comedy legends Martin Short and Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building. Also, Ken Tucker shares three great country songs: Maren Morris' "People Still Show Up," Dwight Yoakam's "A Dream That Never Ends," and Shawna Thompson's "Lean On Neon." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Tanya Moseley and I recently had the chance to check out the movie Amelia Perez, the new Spanish language musical that stars my guest today, Selena Gomez.
The film is centered on a lawyer named Rita, played by Zoe Saldana, who is kidnapped and tasked with helping a ruthless Mexican cartel leader secretly undergo gender affirming surgery to begin a new life.
As Amelia Perez, Selena Gomez plays Jesse Del Monte, the wife of the cartel leader who knows nothing about her husband's transition and is led to believe that Emilia Perez is a distant cousin.
The film is almost entirely in Spanish and Gomez, who grew up speaking it but lost fluency, took lessons to prepare for the role.
Here she is singing a stirring performance of Bienvenida, which means welcome Bienvenida.
That's Selena Gomez singing in the new Netflix movie musical Emilia Perez.
As an ensemble.
Gomez, along with Zoe Saldana and Carla Sophia Gascon, who portrays both Emilia Perez and the cartel leader before she transitions, won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Actress.
Selena Gomez is an actor, singer and the founder of the successful cosmetic line Rare Beauty.
She began acting in 2002 at 10 years old on the television series Barney and Friends.
She went on to star in several Disney shows before her breakout role in the series the Wizards of Waverly Place.
As a musician, she's had 16 consecutive top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the longest active run of any artist.
And she's the most followed woman on Instagram.
We talked about some of her struggles with such a high level of fame and her diagnosis of lupus and bipolar disorder.
Gomez was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in the mystery comedy series Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Selena Gomez, welcome to FRESH air.
Thank you.