Selena Gomez is making waves in the entertainment world not only with her voice but also with her acting skills, most recently in the critically acclaimed musical Emilia Pérez. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film has caught the attention of both audiences and awards bodies, with major recognition this season.
During her appearance at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 9, 2025, Gomez shared her future aspirations, revealing that after her experience on Emilia Pérez, she’s ready to focus more on acting in films and television. “I think film and art-making and being around such incredible, talented people that have done nothing but uplift me along the way… It’s going to be very hard for me to ever go back to music after this,” she said, hinting at a potential shift in her career focus.
In Emilia Pérez, Gomez stars alongside Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, marking her first live-action role since her voice-over role in Hotel Transylvania 4 (2022). The film has been a major contender this awards season, earning 13 Academy Award nominations. It also won Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice awards for Saldaña, who starred in the lead role. Additionally, Emilia Pérez received the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, further solidifying its critical acclaim.
Despite some controversy surrounding Gascón’s social media posts, the film has been met with praise, and Gomez herself has shared that she enjoyed watching it with her family after seeing it at Cannes. With her newfound focus on acting, it seems Selena Gomez’s career may be entering an exciting new phase!