Selena Gomez has made tremendous strides in her career and is currently getting ready for the premiere of her new Hulu series, Only Murders In the Building, which also stars Steve Martin and Martin Short. However, her past as a Disney Channel star remains a topic of discussion and, when asked about it recently, she shared some pretty honest thoughts. During a recent Television Critics Association panel for the Hulu show, Gomez said she "signed" her life away to Disney at a young age. Her comments seemed to give fans the impression that she, like some of her fellow Disney stars, regrets her early career choices. But now, the former child star is clearing the air.
In a new interview with RadioTimes, Selena Gomez, who once played Alex Russo on Disney Channel hit Wizards of Waverly Place, clarified just what she meant by her recent comments. And the response is enough to make anyone feel better regarding how Gomez feels about her time as a Disney star. When asked if she was reluctant to return to TV, Gomez said:
No, definitely not. I was looking for another show to do. And by the way, I’m beyond proud of the work that I did with Disney as well. It kind of shaped who I am in a way.
It’s not totally surprising that Selena Gomez still views her Disney work fondly. She still remains close with her Wizards co-stars and even once brought up the idea of a reboot to on-screen brother David Henrie. Although it’s been almost 10 years since Alex Russo won her family’s Wizard Competition, the kind of TV magic that Gomez and her castmates experienced is hard to forget.
Meanwhile, Selena Gomez’s Only Murders In the Building co-star, Steve Martin, chimed in and provided some clarification on her previous comments. He said:
I have to jump in because I was there when Selena said that [at the TCA] and it was said in the most light-hearted, funny, jokey way. And then I see it gets interpreted – sometimes they’ll say she was joking and sometimes they have it as an ominous headline – but it was completely just all in fun.
Selena Gomez has been reminiscing a lot lately, and it all seems to be in good fun. Last month, the actress actually roasted her younger self in a TikTok video, and the result was pretty hilarious. She also recently shared a video that shows her, as a young child, singing along to a Britney Spears classic. Gomez may have found her share of success beyond Disney but, even with her recent accomplishments, it's clear that she's not one to forget where she got her superstardom start.
It's honestly still a bit surprising that Only Murders in the Building will mark the first time Selena Gomez has been the lead in a TV series since the end of Wizards of Waverly Place. It's true she does have her quarantine cooking show Selena + Chef, but that's not a scripted series. Nevertheless, the lead star (and series executive producer) appears to have brought her A-game for the new show.
Only Murders in the Building premieres August 31 on Hulu.
