When it comes to singing vs. acting, Selena Gomez has been clear that her main priority is her work as an actor. Luckily, fans will get to see her do both in her next big movie. She’s set to star in a Linda Ronstadt biopic as the 1970s music icon.
A Rock Star’s Approval
Both Gomez and Ronstadt clued fans into the casting with their social media activity on Jan. 10. Gomez posted an Instagram story showing Ronstadt’s 2014 memoir, Simple Dreams, and wrote, “It all started with a simple dream,” per The Hollywood Reporter. Fans also noticed that Ronstadt’s official Instagram account started to follow Gomez. Plus, her account shared its own “It all started with a simple dream” Instagram story, this time with a Variety article announcing Gomez’s casting, which it also posted on Facebook.
Ronstadt’s posts subtly but clearly highlighted her excitement about Gomez playing her in the upcoming biopic. They included the eyes and two-hearts emojis. On top of that, TMZ’s sources say that Ronstadt signed off on Gomez personally. They reportedly had a chance to meet and discuss the project a couple of months ago at Ronstadt’s house.
Mutual Past Praise
Even before revealing the casting, Gomez and Ronstadt had positive things to say about one another. In 2015, Gomez said on Power 106’s Cruz Show that her Revival album cover was inspired by the legend of country, rock, and Latin music. “It looks like a Linda Ronstadt photo, it’s a ’70s photo. … It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’m proud of that.”
More recently, Ronstadt talked about Gomez during an interview for ABC’s Latin Music Revolution special, which aired as part of the Soul of a Nation series in September. “I think she’s wonderful,” she said. “I think she’s adorable.”
Ronstadt also discussed their shared Mexican American heritage and likened Gomez to her in that they both can sing in Spanish but not speak it. As for her acting skills, those have impressed her, too. “She’s a good actress,” Ronstadt added. “I watch her on Only Murders in the Building. It’s so funny. She’s so good.”
The Linda Biopic
Few details are known about the movie, but Gomez will help bring Ronstadt’s life to the screen. Now 77, Ronstadt started her music career in the late 1960s as part of a three-person group called the Stone Poneys. They had their first hit, “Different Drum,” in 1967, and she went on to huge solo success in the 1970s. Like Gomez, she’s recorded albums in both Spanish and English. Over the years, she’s won 11 Grammy Awards, plus was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
