Selena Gomez

Before The Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez was only a household name in the Grand Prarie, Texas home she shared with her parents. Her first break into show business came at the age of 12, when she was cast as Gianna on the kid show Barney and Friends. It was during the auditions for that show when Gomez met her future best friend, Demi Lovato. Since starring on the show together, the two girls have been a staple in each others lives – often posting YouTube videos together for the world to see.

Although most of the roles played by Selena Gomez up to this point have been less than a leading lady, they have certainly put her in the forefront with fans. She has enjoyed guest appearances on shows like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, where she played Gwen. She also had a small part in the movie Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, where she played a girl at a water park. But the most fun had to be when Gomez played the part of Mikayla on the hit series Hannah Montana. In this guest appearance, Selena played a girl who had a rivalry going on with the shows star Miley Cyrus. Totally opposite their characters, the girls hit it off in real life and are part of a close knit group of friends today.

The Disney show in which Selena Gomez now stars is The Wizards of Waverly Place. THIS is the launching pad that has made her a household name. In the show, Selena plays Alex Russo, one of three siblings with wizardly powers. The Wizards premiered on the Disney Channel in October of 2007 to almost 6 million viewers. In it, the three siblings live on Waverly Place in Manhattan with their father and mother. The trio is not allowed to use their powers without supervision.

According to the premise of the show, only one of the three kids will retain their powers once they reach adulthood. The determining factor in who gets to keep their powers depends on a magic competition each will participate in. Alex, Gomez’s character, is the one who finds herself in trouble and branches out to use her magic even when she is not supposed to. While she is learning lessons the hard way, girls all across the country are learning with her.

While this show is still very new, Selena Gomez has opened herself up to many other projects as well. Most recently, she has starred in the film Princess Protection Program. The movie is set to air on June 26, 2009. The film also stars Gomez’s BFF Demi Lovato. With the beginnings she has experienced, the future looks very bright for this budding actress!