Selena Gomez had 'magical' time on Emilia Perez
Selena Gomez found making 'Emilia Perez' "magical" and "rewarding".
The 32-year-old singer-and-actress faced criticism for her accent and apparent difficulty with the dialogue in the Spanish-language film but she relished the challenge and praised the musical's director Jacques Audiard.
She told Billboard: 'I pushed myself into uncomfortable spaces which as an actress are the most rewarding.
"It was a magical time and working with [director] Jacques Audiard was one of my best experiences.'
The 'Only Murders in the Building' star won't rush into taking on another movie role because she wants to find the right "challenge".
And when it comes to her next acting gig, the Only Murders in the Building star is willing to be challenged again.
She said: 'I am taking my time to find the right role and director to work with next. Because I want it to be a challenge and unexpected.'
Selena previously defended her performance after Eugenio Derbez branded her scenes "indefensible".
Speaking on the 'Hablando de Cine' podcast, the 'Miracles from Heaven' star said: "Selena is indefensible. I was there [watching the movie] with people, and every time a scene came [with her in it], we looked at each other to say, 'Wow, what is this?'"
Podcast host Gaby Meza subsequently observed that Selena is a "very talented actress" and a "very good singer" but suggested the former Disney star had struggled performing in Spanish, describing the actress' efforts as "unconvincing" and "uncomfortable".
Gaby said: "Spanish is neither her primary nor secondary language nor fifth. And that's why I feel she doesn't know what she is saying, and if she doesn't know what she's saying, she can't give her acting any nuance … And that is why her performance is not only unconvincing but uncomfortable."
Eugenio then added: "I'm glad you're saying that because I was saying, 'I can't believe no one is talking about it?'"
Selena - who has Mexican and Italian ancestry - later took to TikTok to defend herself.
She commented: "I understand where you are coming from ... I'm sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn't take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie."
Eugenio later apologised for his "careless" remarks.
He wrote on TikTok: "I truly apologise for my careless comments - they are indefensible and go against everything I stand for.
'As Latinos, we should always support one another. There's no excuse. I was wrong, and I deeply admire your career and your kind heart.
''Emilia Pérez' deserves to be celebrated, not diminished by my thoughtless remarks. I'm walking away from this with an important lesson learned. While I understand if you cannot accept my apology, please know it comes from the heart. With all my love and admiration, Eugenio Derbez.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
29 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Aussie singles survive day one of being stranded together
One of the most extreme and radical dating experiences to hit TV has arrived. Stranded on Honeymoon Island sees 12 unlucky-in-love Aussie singles marry a complete stranger who they met at a speed-dating event just two weeks prior. After tying the knot, the six couples are dumped on a deserted island where they will spend 21 days in isolation — love will either bloom or dreams of a happy ending will come crashing down. On the first episode, we are first introduced to Byron, a 33-year-old electrician from Queensland who loves to surf and eat pizza with mates. He reveals he lost his mum at just 15 and has always distracted himself from the grief by being busy, but as a result of his packed schedule, his dating life got pushed to the side. Byron is paired with 28-year-old Melbourne performer Brie who describes herself as 'bubbly and crazy'. She has never had a serious boyfriend and has never been in love. Brie and Byron. Credit: Supplied When the couple reunite for the first time after the speed-dating event, both are equally happy about being paired with each other. Brie feels 'happy and relaxed' and Byron says he is one 'lucky guy'. The newlyweds begin to get on like a house fire thanks to Brie's quirky personality but she soon starts to become overwhelmed with the big life change. Commitment is one of her biggest fears and she usually runs away from men as soon as it begins to get serious — but you can't run from island life. She says she doesn't want to self-sabotage her relationship. During the episode, viewers are introduced to the second couple where they meet 30-year-old Queenslander, Amy, who is also looking to meet the love of her life. The 'outrageous and fun princess' has had a lot of bad luck when it comes to men and has become known on TikTok for sharing her horrid dating stories. After the speed dating event, she hoped to marry handsome AFL player Hayden, who wooed her over with his salmon pink suit jacket and man bun. However, she is immediately disappointed when she sees New Zealander Mike waiting for her at the altar. While the pair struggle through some cringy vows and seal their marriage with a quick kiss, Amy does admit that Mike seems fun and she wants to give him a chance. But once they are on the island, Mike's chance of winning over Amy starts to deplete as the two big personalities collide and a power struggle ensues. Both want to be the dominate one in the relationship and Mike doesn't understand why Amy won't let him 'be the man'. Next up is 46-year-old Chad who works in orthopaedics helping to save people's limbs before amputation is needed. His family life has complicated his dating experiences as he has spent a lot of time helping his mum care for his sister who has special needs. Chad said he is doing the experiment so there are no distractions stopping him from getting to know his potential love. Chad's lucky lady is Georgia who is over the moon to find out she is marrying him. While finding love is a first for Chad, it's not Georgia's first rodeo. She was once engaged for a planned destination wedding but her husband-to-be pulled out three days before their big day. 'It was a dagger to the heart,' Georgia said. 'I'm very scared to get married again but I want love and a Disney fairytale ending I didn't have last time.' Georgia is obsessed with Chad's tanned skin and dark features and is more than happy to be stranded with him The new couple seal their marriage with a kiss on the cheek. Georgia and Chad. Credit: Supplied With the marriages out of the way, night soon begins to fall on Honeymoon Island and sleeping arrangements between each pair needs to be sorted out. Each couple contemplates their first night as husband and wife and sleeping in the elements. The next day each couple is still trying to figure each other out and navigate living on a deserted island. Brie's commitment fears are in full swing and as soon as she hears the word wife, she 'wants to swim away'. But her struggle to be open with her emotions has left her withdrawn from Byron who starts to wonder if she's shutting down because of him. With 24 hours alone on the island now complete, the next stage of the experience soon arrives. Mysterious orange crates arrive in the water, with the couples sent out to retrieve and open them. A crate will be sent every week with each one containing surprises, tips and relationship tests. The first crate is an individual video message from the contestants' families back home, offering advice, warnings and support. The word from home brings a lot of comfort to Brie and Amy who have been feeling emotional. It's enough for Amy to finally get real and confront Mike for making her feel 'belittled and uncomfortable' following his controlling behaviour at times. 'It's nightmare island,' she said. With some questioning their decision to sign up, to others calling each other 'babe' on the first day, episode two is set to unpack more drama as we meet three more couples also hoping to fall in love. Watch Stranded On Honeymoon Island then answer the daily question for your chance to win a five night stay at the Berkeley River Lodge. CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE COMPETITION
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Zoe Saldana ate green apples to prepare for Elio voice role
Zoe Saldana ate lots of green apples before lending her voice to Elio. The 47-year-old actress voices the character of Olga Solis in the new Disney Pixar animated film and explained that she snacked on fruit to soften her voice before she worked on the project. Speaking to Collider, Zoe said: "This is definitely not the first animation that I've voiced, and I feel that I've gotten better at understanding what my voice needs, which is rest the day before and a lot of green apples the day of, because there's something about what green apples do to your palate. "It kind of softens your taste buds, that way you don't get a pasty sort of sound that, if you're in a booth, can be really loud." The Oscar-winning star also revealed that she requested to shoot the shouting scenes last so her voice was well-equipped for the emotional scenes. Saldana said: "Always ask to have all the screaming scenes or lines to be last, that way you get through all the dialogue, all the emotional scenes, and then you get to the ones where you're making a lot of noise." The Emilia Perez actress revealed that she "incorporated" a lot of her own qualities into Olga and explained that she loves the "natural passion" that goes into making animated movies because it's such a long process to get them to the big screen. She explained: "For this one, I jumped on board after so many of the components were already there, but we still had enough space for nuances and to improvise some things, so I was able to incorporate so much of who I am into Olga to make her feel authentically me, and I love that. "It hasn't happened in a long time. But usually I do like the process of it because it gives me the ability to get to know the animator more, to get to know the filmmaker more." The Avatar star continued: "This is a world where everybody who joins animation is because they have an innate desire, a natural passion to do it, because it is a time-consuming way of telling stories. "You write something 15 years before, and then you're finally getting to do it, and it takes you five years. And as time goes by, we're able to reduce that time to maybe two years or three years, but it's still a group of people that are coming together to put something together, and I really admire that whole process because it takes dedication, but it takes love." Zoe revealed that she "collapsed" shortly after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress earlier this year for her portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez. She said: "I collapsed right after. I lost my voice within an hour after I won the award. "I couldn't stand on those heels that I had. All I wanted to do was crawl in bed and maybe cry. I don't know why, I needed to cry. "Your body is running on pure adrenaline, so you know that your immune system is in optimal condition, but once you know you tell your body that it's over, then everything sort of collapses."
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Can this ugly elf make China cool again?
In China's campaign to win over hearts and minds worldwide, its latest weapon is a fanged, bunny-eared, arguably quite ugly plushie. The grinning fuzzy toy, called Labubu, is made by a Chinese company and has become a global craze. It has in recent months been toted by celebrities including Rihanna and David Beckham; set off brawls among competing shoppers in England; and prompted overnight stakeouts in Los Angeles. It has even shaped the travel itineraries of some devotees, who have planned trips to China around hopes of buying one there. Resale prices for the roughly $US30 ($46) figurine have run into the hundreds of dollars. 'I flew all the way to China just to visit the BIGGEST POP MART STORE IN THE WORLD,' read the caption on a TikTok video by one vlogger from the Philippines, Lianna Patricia Guillermo, referring to the company that makes Labubu. (Guillermo clarified in an interview that she had visited the store during a long layover in Shanghai.) The enthusiasm over Labubu may pass like any other viral trend. But it could also be another sign that China, which has struggled to build cultural cachet overseas amid long-standing concerns about its authoritarian politics, is starting to claim some victories. Loading Chinese state media outlets have sought to frame it that way. 'The furry, nine-toothed elf created by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart has become a benchmark for China's pop culture making inroads overseas,' said an article in People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece. Other Chinese products to find global followings include video games such as Black Myth: Wukong and affordable, well-made electric cars by BYD and other brands. DeepSeek, the Chinese AI model, has been adopted by tech companies overseas, including in the United States and Europe. Foreign travel bloggers have posted videos of themselves gushing about Shanghai's skyline and Chengdu's pandas. More niche offerings, like soapy Chinese period dramas, are finding audiences too. Patti Smith, the punk rock legend, has apparently left admiring comments on the Instagram account of a relatively unknown actor in one that recently debuted on Netflix. Polls also show changes in public opinion. An analysis published in May by Morning Consult showed that for the first time China's global standing surpassed that of the United States, including among American allies. Even in the United States, where views of China remain overwhelmingly negative, the share of Americans with an unfavorable opinion of China fell for the first time in five years in March, according to Pew. Younger Americans in particular are less hostile to China.
