Selena Gomez Reveals Why She’s Prioritizing Acting Over Singing: It Gives Her ‘Sanity’

The ‘Only Murders in the Building’ star has big ambitions where her acting career is concerned.

Selena Gomez / Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Selena Gomez really can do it all. She may have gotten her start as a Disney Channel actress, but she likewise has a passion for singing and songwriting—an occupation that consumed much of the 2010s. But in recent years, she’s been in search of an avenue to bring her fully back into the acting world.

When The Hollywood Reporter asked her to account for her recent prioritization of her acting career, Gomez simply pointed to a feeling of “sanity.” The occupation was her first passion, and for good reason. “Acting is just such a rush,” she said in the recent interview.

Her early acting career was, of course, defined by her teenage role as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place. But recent developments in her acting career have included the popular TV show Only Murders in the Building and the film Emilia Pérez.

Gomez has a laundry list of roles she wants to play and people she wants to work with. Despite recent success in securing serious acting roles that speak to her, Gomez still finds it difficult to convince people to book her for various films and television shows. “Sometimes even them just hearing that I want to audition, they’ll be like, ‘No, that’s not going to match for what we’re doing,’” she explained.

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For years, she has expressed frustration that people in the film industry can’t “separate” her from her characters. It’s been a source of great difficulty as she’s tried to establish herself as an actress. But she hasn’t given up—acting is, after all, her dream. “I think that’s something I’ve always wanted,” she said of securing TV and movie roles. “Music will always be in my soul, but I never really got to spend enough time in the field that I originally wanted to be in. And I’ve been very strategic and trying my hardest to pick projects that are going to be compelling and not necessarily what people would envision me doing. That’s something I get a high off of. But it was funny with Emilia, I genuinely thought it was going to be a movie that, like, came out in France.”

Going forward, the path might not get any easier. But you can expect that Gomez will continue to work towards her goals—and fight for what she wants. If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that she’s determined to pursue her passion.