The Evolution of Selena Gomez: From Disney Star to Emmy-Nominated Actress

Alex Russo once said, “I’ll handle it like I handle all my life’s problems, ignore it until it goes away.”

Selena Gomez, playing Alex Russo in the hit situational comedy, Wizards of Waverly Place, must not have taken her character’s words to heart because, in the greatest controversies of Hollywood, she’s got herself a nomination for her role in the comedy thriller Only Murder in The Building.

Emmy Nomination for Selena Gomez

The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, at 8 p.m. EST. Selena Gomez has been nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Mabel Mora, the young artist living alone in her aunt’s unit. She was nominated for two Emmys before as a producer of the show.

The hit comedy also stars Steve Martin, the scriptwriter and executive producer of the show alongside Martin Short, also an executive producer. The main plot focuses on a trio of strangers, Martin, Short and Gomez, all with a shared interest in true crime podcasts.

Enter, a succession of suspicious murders in their affluent Upper West Side apartment building.  This leads to them investigating the murder and in the process producing their own podcast about the cases, titled Only Murders in the Building. And who wouldn’t listen to those?

Other recurring actors in the show are: Cara Delevingne, Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Amy Ryan, among more.

Only Murders in the Building has also received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series- Music or Comedy.

The first ten-episode season saw a release in August 2021. And now, we’re all set to stream the fourth season, which already promises to be a nail-biter. It’s set to release on August 27, 2024.

Selena Gomez’s Iconic Roles and Career Journey

Wizards of Waverly Place:

It all started when Alex Russo waged war on her brothers in the race to become their family’s and possibly world’s, best wizard. And thus began the schemes and the fight to survive. With that plot, you would expect the show to be a supernatural thriller drama, but instead, it’s hilarious as heck and will keep you laughing throughout, especially with Selena’s Alex being as relatable and impudent as she is.

Selena’s Transition: From Alex Russo to Cinderella

Selena in Another Cinderella Story was another anomaly, because, how did she go from iconic and sarcastic Alex Russo to sweet, romantic, and determined modern-day Cinderella, Mary Santiago? But that’s not to say she doesn’t play the best modern-day Cinderella.

Her character Dot in The Fundamentals of Caring, hits too close to home. And these are only some of her most iconic roles in Hollywood, while not even counting Mabel Mora in Only Murders in the Building.

The Return of Wizards: Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

In other news, Wizards of Waverly Place is set to come back with a sequel, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and it has been confirmed that Selena and David Henrie will be reprising their roles as Alex and Justin Russo. 

The sequel will be released during the second half of 2024, or at least that’s what Disney said. We’re not so sure about that news though, thanks to the fact that we’ve been waiting for 17 years, and now we’re tired of waiting.
The plot of the new series reads: “Justin embraces mortality to live with his family. His new challenge arises when Alex introduces Billie, a wizard-in-training, seeking Justin’s mentorship.”