Former Disney Channel starlet, Selena Gomez, is celebrating her 22nd birthday today, July 22nd.
The actress got her start in the industry on the seventh and eighth seasons of PBS’s Barney & Friends as Gianna. Living just outside of Dallas, Gomez began auditioning for acting roles and managed to gain the attention of a Disney Channel representative.
Once she had appeared in guest-starring roles as Gwen on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Mikayla on Hannah Montana, Gomez landed the leading role of Alex Russo in Disney’s newest comedy series, Wizards of Waverly Place.
After four successful seasons and two popular spin-off films, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie and The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, Gomez began venturing into movies and music, appearing in many popular films and releasing four studio albums, Kiss & Tell, A Year Without Rain, When the Sun Goes Down, and Stars Dance.
In honor of the actress and singer feeling 22 today, here are our top 10 Selena Gomez roles!
Image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com
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10. Hotel Transylvania
Selena Gomez stars in Sony Pictures’ animated film Hotel Transylvania, a comedic animated family movie about Dracula (Adam Sandler) housing other monsters in a resort that is away from the human world. However, when a boy, Jonathon (Andy Samburg), discovers the resort, Dracula goes into overprotected dad mode once Jonathan develops a crush for the count’s daughter, Mavis (Gomez).
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9. Ramona and Beezus
Based off of the popular children’s book series by Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Beezus follows Joey King, who is known for Crazy, Stupid, Love and White House Down, as Ramona, an incredibly adventurous young girl that always manages to get herself into trouble. With a star-studded cast – including John Corbett (Sex and the City 2, Bridget Moynahan (I, Robot), Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time), Josh Duhamal (Transformers), and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) – the comedic family film brings the misguided adventures of Ramona Quimby and her family to life.
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8. Hannah Montana
Selena Gomez appeared on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana as Mikayla, one of Hannah Montana’s rival competitors in the music industry and singer of the hit song “If Cupid Had a Heart.”
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7. Monte Carlo
Selena Gomez stars alongside Katie Cassidy (Taken), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), and Cory Monteith (Glee) in a film similar to the plot of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, where Gomez poses as an international pop star during her time abroad.
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6. Another Cinderella Story
In the sequel to A Cinderella Story, starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, Another Cinderella Story stars Drew Seeley and Gomez in a fairytale film about a girl that has big dreams and aspirations, but does not have the support from her family to get her there.
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5. Behaving Badly
Selena Gomez appears as Nina Pennington in Behaving Badly, a rated R comedy starring Mary Louise-Parker (Weeds), Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), and Heather Graham (The Hangover). When Rick Stevens (Wolff) sets his eyes on Nina (Gomez), he has to deal with her crazy ex boyfriend to try to win the girl of his dreams.
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4. Princess Protection Program
Best friends Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato (Sonny With a Chance) were given the rare opportunity to star alongside one another in Disney Channel’s original movie, Princess Protection Program.
When a Princess’ (Lovato) country gets invaded, she is relocated to Louisiana to live with Carter Mason (Gomez) and must act as a normal teenager until she can return to her own country.
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3. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Selena Gomez appeared as Gwen on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody for her Disney Channel debut. Although Gwen has her eyes set on Cody (Cole Sprouse) throughout the course of the episode, she is cast as Zack’s (Dylan Sprouse) love interest in their school’s rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and has to kiss him in one of the scenes.
In 2009, Gomez dished to Bop and Tigerbeat that her kiss with Dylan Sprouse on the show was her first one ever!
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2. Spring Breakers
Gomez appears alongside Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars), Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), and James Franco (127 Hours) in a film about four girls embarking on a crime-filled spring break.
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1. Wizards of Waverly Place
Our all-time favorite Selena Gomez role is the actress portraying Alex Russo in the Primetime Emmy winning comedy series, Wizards of Waverly Place. Gomez won over the hearts of fans with her witty, comical, and sarcastic character, Alex, as she continually found herself struggling to hide her wizard powers in the real world.