Kidzworld just got off the cell with Selena Gomez of Wizards of Waverly Place! Her new film Ramona and Beezus, based on the popular novels by Beverly Cleary, hits theaters July 23, 2010.
Selena has been insisting that she's single now and told us she'll celebrate her upcoming 18th birthday by having a homey barbeque with pals. The talented brunette has also just wrapped her feature film Monte Carlo, in which she co-stars with Leighton Meester of [kwlink 9287]Gossip Girl[/kwlink], Katie Cassidy and Glee's Cory Monteith, and she spills some set secrets and talks about her new music video. But first, Beezus!
Kidzworld: Hutch Dano of Zeke and Luther plays your boyfriend Henry in the movie. Had you worked with him before? Did you get to have a say in his casting?
Selena: He actually auditioned for my show [Wizards] a couple of times. He's friends with Jennifer [Stone] so he would come on my set and hang out. So, when he got the part, he texted me and was like 'hey, I got the part' and I was like 'Oh my gosh. I'm so stoked'. So, I really had a great time with him. It was nice to have someone I knew and was comfortable with.
Kidzworld: Ramona, age nine, has a big imagination and doesn't live life by the book. Were you like that at her age and, if so, are you still?
Selena: Yes, absolutely. I mean I am still a kid but not completely. I love being silly and enjoying the fact that I don't have
responsibilities in my home. I definitely feel like I can be a kid.
Kidzworld: For kids who haven't read the books or seen the film yet, why is your character named Beezus? Such a weird name.
Selena: When she was little, she couldn't say Beatrice so it became Beezus.
Kidzworld: Makes sense. Was the water fight in the movie (guys vs. girls) as much fun as it looked or did you just have to dry off, then get wet and shoot it over and over?
Selena: We didn't have to get dry and reshoot. We did it at the end of the day and everybody was so competitive. We were genuinely fighting so it was really fun. It was cold in Vancouver at the time. It was still early spring and we were kind of freezing. I'm surprised nobody got sick.
Kidzworld: Who won?
Selena: I think Josh [Duhamel's] side won because he was completely
overboard with it. Guys are just way more competitive.
Kidzworld: How are you like your character Beezus and how are you very
different from her?
Selena: I'm responsible in that I have my job and I'm professional as best I can be on set but I think I'm more like Ramona in the sense of being a little bit free. Beezus is a little too self-involved I think. She's constantly wanting to please everyone around her and she should embrace herself a little bit more.
Kidzworld: Was Joey King, who plays your little sister Ramona, familiar with your work on "Wizards" and your music when she first met you?
Selena: Yeah, she was a fan of my show, which is a compliment, but she never once let (being a fan) get in the way which was really nice because I was there to do my job. I instantly clicked with her and she was a pleasure to work with. She's become one of my best friends now.
Kidzworld: You don't have a little sis in real life but, after making
this film, what advice would you give to kids and teens who have a
little sister or brother who is driving them crazy?
Selena: I'd say that every person is different and I think that you
should embrace the good side. At the beginning of the movie, (Ramona and
Beezus) focus on all the negative parts of each other. Older sisters
usually hate the fact that 'they're in my room' or 'they're stealing
this or that'. You should just look at all the great things like how
Beezus learned to be a little more free and Ramona, a little bit more
responsible. So, it's just about bringing out the best in each other.
Kidzworld: The movie is purposely trying to be timeless by not having
everyone using a lot of modern technology. Nobody is texting or
e-mailing. It has a retro feel. Was that refreshing for you or just kind
of weird?
Selena: It was refreshing, absolutely. I was not wearing the "in,"
trendy clothes. I was wearing comfortable clothes; things that normal
15-year-old girls would wear. I didn't have a cell phone, no i-pod and
it was so refreshing to be a part of that world.
Kidzworld: Who in the cast was the biggest prankster and what did they
pull on everyone?
Selena: John Corbett (who plays her dad in the film) and the lovely
thing he wanted to constantly do was to throw us off. So in the middle
of a scene, if it was my coverage (camera on her) he would lift up his
shirt and be like 'look at my six pack!' or he'd throw things at us
which was good because they got great reaction shots from me and Joey on
that.
Kidzworld: Your Round and Round video shows you as a much more grown
up, sophisticated La Femme Nikita spy girl. Did you purposely want to
look less like a teen and more like a "woman" in that one? I really
enjoyed it.
Selena: Oh, thank you! It's really just kind of joking around. It's
supposed to be a '60's theme so it's supposed to be funny and we're
trying so hard to be serious but it was really fun to dress up like
that. Those heels (very high Louboutin pumps) were not fun to run around
in, though.
Kidzworld: On the Ramona and Beezus soundtrack is "Live Like There's
No Tomorrow". Did you select that one or write it?
Selena: They wanted to do a song for the movie and I didn't have time to
go into the studio to write one. I picked that song because I thought it
had the exact message of this movie. The family was in a tough, sticky
financial situation and lived every single day to the fullest because we
knew that it was going to be taken away from us. We were moving and
going into a whole different world so I think that's a great message.
Each single day should be a blessing.
Kidzworld: You just wrapped your movie Monte Carlo. Was that a great
adventure with Leighton (Meester) and Katie (Cassidy)? Did you have a
favorite location?
Selena: I think we all liked Paris but we also liked Monte Carlo because
where we went was just a bonding experience for us. I really learned a
lot from them and they were extremely encouraging and great and
wonderful people. There were lots of dinners and girl-talking and ice
cream.
Kidzworld: Will there be a "Wizards" TV movie sequel?
Selena: Yes there will be. We don't know what the story is yet. We're
focusing now on going back to work on Season 4 and I think, at the
moment, they're coming up with a strong concept for the second movie. We
want it to be a good, strong movie that wraps the season up but also
leaves room for the imagination and the mystery of more. So, we're
hoping it's going to be bigger and better.
Lynn Barker, an editor and entertainment journalist for several websites, magazines and newspapers, has been active in the entertainment industry for many years.
Have Your Say
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