Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making Of “Selena”
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez ultimately got the role at the approval of Selena’s family members, including Selena’s father who liked her immediately. In addition, Lopez had worked director Gregory Nava on another movie. And while the family approved, once the announcement had been made that Jennifer would be playing the role, there was immediate backlash. Selena fans were upset that the a New York born Puerto Rican-American actress would be playing a Texas born and raised Mexican-American. Jennifer Lopez said that she’d heard of the criticism but focused on the support she received from people in Selena’s hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. Initial critics of the casting eventually came back and admitted that J-Lo was the right choice. She was too good to deny.
