Selena Gomez, our Black Sheep for this month, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and TV producer. She has found great success at a very young age and created an exclusive space for herself in media and show business. Her fans call themselves Selenators. Read on to learn more about the talented artist.
Childhood, Education, and Early Life
Selena Marie Gomez was born on 22nd July, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas to Ricardo Joel and Amanda Dawn Cornett. Her father has Mexican roots and her mother has some Italian ancestry. Selena’s parents got separated when she was just five years old. Afterwards, the young girl and her mother struggled to survive due to poverty. Selena spent a lot of her early life with her grandparents. She was very fond of them but it’s her mother she really admires as she sacrificed a large portion of her life for her happiness and wellbeing.
Selena Gomez chose a career in acting because she was inspired by the stage performances of her mother. Since she ventured into an acting career at a very young age, she didn’t have full-fledged school life. She attended Danny Jones Middle School in Texas and completed her high school diploma in 2010 through homeschooling.
Career
Selena started giving auditions for television shows in her early age and when she was just ten years old, she was selected in the popular Disney Channel kids’ show named “Barney and Friends”. She did 14 episode and was a part of the show from 2002 to 2004.
The talented young actress ventured into the mainstream Hollywood film industry in 2003 with her cameo in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over”. The year 2007 was the turning point of her career when she was cast for “Hannah Montana”, a popular Disney Channel series. Her performance in the show was widely accepted by the critics and audience alike. That success helped her garner a lot of attention and get a role in another Disney show called “Wizards of Waverly Place”. Funny enough Selena Gomez played a black sheep very well in that role. The show became a smash hit and helped Selena achieve a more mainstream success.
In 2008, Selena Gomez was cast in the lead role in a musical film called “Another Cinderella Story”. The movie was a hit and accepted positively by critics. In June 2009, the actress was cast to play the lead role in the movie named “Princess Protection Program”. It also became a commercial success.Selena starred in a number of successful films afterwards, e.g. “The Muppets”, “Ramona and Beezus”, “The Big Short”, “Hotel Transylvania” trilogy, and many other films.
As a singer, Selena Gomez proved her talent in a relatively short amount of time. She started her own band called “Selena Gomez & the Scene”. She released multiple albums and solo tracks. Some of the popular ones include “Revival”, “Stars Dance”, and “Rare”. She is involved in a number of upcomingprojects, e.g. “Spiral”, “15 Candles” “Rising”, and more.
Notable Accomplishments
Selena’s most successful amongst all her work is considered the TV movie “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie”. The young celebrity has been nominated on more than hundred occasions and has won a lot of prestigious awards for her acting performances and her songs. She has received awards like iHeartRadio Music Award, Billboard Women in Music Award, ALMA Award, Teen Choice Award, MTV Video Music Award, American Music Award, and many Guinness World Records.
Selena started her career as an actress but today she primarily focuses on the music industry. She is also involved in a number of brand campaigns. She represents Coach handbags, Adidas, Coca-Cola products, and Pantene shampoo and conditioners.
Philanthropy
Selena Gomez is well-known for her charitable work. She is a generous philanthropist and the youngest UNICEF ambassador. She is associated with many NGOs that work for child and women development. She has worked for the UNICEF in Ghana and volunteered for the welfare of underprivileged kids in the country. The singer has also been involved with other campaigns and organizations, such as “Hope for Haiti Now”, “Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund”, “Friends of Change”, RAISE Hope for Congo”, “Island Dog”, amongst many others. She has served various causes from animal protection to child welfare to environmental concerns.
Challenges and Setbacks
Selena is no stranger to struggles and challenges. Her family had to pass financial troubles during her childhood. Her mother worked three jobs simultaneously to provide for the pair. Apart from this, the artist has faced health problems in her youth. In 2015, she was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic auto-immune disease. Her health was critical before the surgery and she went to rehab for treatment. Her Lupus progressed to the point that she was suffering from organ failure and arthritis. She had a life-saving kidney transplant to cope with it.
Selena has been very open about her health problems. In 2016, she canceled her Revival tour to deal with panic attacks, despair, and anxiety caused by her Lupus. The artist made a successful comeback to the spotlight and accepted the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist in 2016.
The young celebrity continues to talk passionately and freely about the life-changing impact of her therapy and the fact that she will “fight” depression and anxiety for the rest of her life.
Why Does Selena Gomez Fit the Term “Black Sheep”?
Selena Gomez is a very talented and globally acclaimed actress and singer. She rose to fame at a very young age with the Disney show “Wizards of Waverly Place”. Apart from acting, she garnered a lot of following and fame with her talent in singing. Over the years, she has won many awards as a solo artist and made a name for herself as a philanthropist. She is considered as one of the most successful child actors of Disney. Her life can be described as a rags-to-riches story. Despite all the struggles and setbacks, she achieved success at an age that many can only dream of. Her accomplishments as an artist and as a human being make her a Black Sheep. Till next time!-The Black Sheep
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