Jennifer Lopez honors Selena Quintanilla on the 23rd anniversary of her groundbreaking biopic: ‘I was so lucky to be chosen to play her’
Jennifer Lopez paid tribute to the singer who inspired her on Saturday.
The 50-year-old actress and singer posted a loving video in honor of Mexican–American singer Selena Qintanilla days ahead of the 25th anniversary of her murder.
The clip prominently features Jennifer’s role in the 1997 biopic Selena, the movie made her a star and forever cemented the singer’s legacy.
Jennifer Lopez posted a loving video in honor of Mexican–American singer Selena Qintanilla days ahead of the 25th anniversary of her murder
It mixes archival interviews of the Hustlers star with recent footage of her emotionally remembering the woman she portrayed, as well as snippets of the real Selena performing to boisterous crowds.
‘Join me today in #CelebratingSelena.,’ she wrote. ‘I can’t believe it’s been 23 years since this incredible movie came out and 25 years since her passing.
‘Selena was such an inspiration to me and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her. As an artist, this movie truly was an experience I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.’
Putting on a show: Footage of the Hustlers star was interspersed with concert footage of Selena performing to boisterous crowds
Tearing up: The video archival interviews of Jennifer with recent footage of her emotionally remembering the woman she portrayed
The If You Had My Love singer concluded by inviting her 117 million followers to share their thoughts on the film and Selena.
In the video, she describes her process in the early days of film to embody the Queen of Tejano music.
‘I just go right back to the beginning of the movie in the first day of shooting and really trying to find the essence of who she was,’ Jennifer said.
‘Selena was such an inspiration to me and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her. As an artist, this movie truly was an experience I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.’ JLo said
Coming soon: Selena’s life story will be told for a new generation in the upcoming Netflix series of the same name
‘She was an artist and she was singing from the time she was nine years old, maybe younger. Learning how she sang, all her mannerisms, how she danced, studying the tape of her became really important.’
In addition to J-Lo’s star-making turn, the film featured Edward James Olmos as her father Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who was a producer on the film.
After becoming a Latin music sensation, Selena’s life was cut tragically short on March 31, 1995, when she was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar.
Uncanny resemblance: ‘She was an artist and she was singing from the time she was nine years old, maybe younger. Learning how she sang, all her mannerisms, how she danced, studying the tape of her became really important,’ she said in an older interview
Saldivar had previously run one of Selena’s fan clubs and managed her clothing stores, until she was fired for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars.
Selena’s life story will be told for a new generation in the upcoming Netflix series of the same name.
The two-part series will air its first episodes later this year, and will star The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos as the eponymous singer, while Desperate Housewives’ Ricardo Chavira will play her father.
Tragic: After becoming a Latin music sensation, Selena’s life was cut tragically short on March 31, 1995, when she was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar
Big break: Selena was Jennifer’s first major leading role, and it instantly propelled her to stardom