Did Selena Quintanilla's Family Choose The Cast Of 'Selena'?
Decades after Selena Quintanilla's passing, fans still haven't forgotten her. Of course, neither has her family.
Selena left behind not just her husband, but also her parents and two siblings. Selena's older brother, A.B., and her sister, Suzette, have been heavily involved in keeping Selena's memory alive.
But it's their father, Abraham Quintanilla Junior, who has worked closely with filmmakers and producers to create content about Selena and her life. He's credited as an executive producer on the 'Selena' film (with Jennifer Lopez portraying the late singer), and he didn't stop there.
Which has fans wondering: was the Quintanilla family involved in selecting the cast of 'Selena' the series?
Was Selena's Family Involved In 'Selena' The Series?
Looking at the lineup for 'Selena: The Series,' it's easy to see that Selena's sister Suzette was involved in the show. She has an executive producer credit, though that doesn't indicate just how heavily she contributed to the series.
There's also no indication of who cast the characters on the show, though fans seem to think that Christian Serratos is the perfect fit. It makes sense, especially because Christian confirmed how committed (yet nervous) she was about portraying the iconic songstress.
She knew she had to get it right but was that more about honoring Selena's legacy, or impressing her family?
Christian Serratos Didn't Meet The Quintanillas Before Filming
In an interview where Serratos discussed her apprehensions about filming 'Selena: The Series,' she admitted that most of her preparation for her audition and, later, the role itself, was self-led.
Serratos studied old home movies and other footage of Selena Quintanilla, rather than focusing on other actresses' interpretations of her (as in J Lo's 'Selena').
And though some detractors called out Netflix for its apparent mistreatment of both Selena's memory and her family, most fans were thrilled at Christian's interpretation.
Plus, it seems that although they didn't meet prior to the show starting, the Quintanilla family gave its "approval" for Christian to be cast.
After she wrapped filming on the series, only then did Christian meet Suzette Quintanilla virtually, she explained.
But as Suzette told an interviewer later, the most important thing to her wasn't that the actress looked like Selena; it was more about "being able to tell the story" of the family's lives.
Clearly, a team was behind the casting of Serratos, but Suzette, as an executive producer, was able to have the final say. Based on what information, no one really knows.
But what about the '90s-era commemoration of Selena's life? It turns out her family was much more involved in that project.
Who Cast Jennifer Lopez In 'Selena'?
Looking back, no one would have guessed that Jennifer Lopez could have portrayed Selena Quintanilla-Perez, mostly because of her distinctive looks.
But play Selena she did, and for many modern fans, watching J Lo on the small screen is the closest they've come to understanding the real Selena Quintanilla's impact on her fans decades ago.
The thing is, deciding to cast Jennifer Lopez wasn't a decision that came easily. At least, not for Selena's father Abraham.
Abraham Quintanilla Didn't Want Jennifer Lopez
In an interview, an original candidate for the Selena role elaborated on the experience of auditioning and, prior to that, doing the same research that Christian Serratos would later do.
Ultimately, after one round of auditions, seven final candidates -- including Jennifer Lopez -- were brought in to audition a final time.
Remezcla elaborated that Abraham Quintanilla was given a vote in casting, and also detailed how he was involved in auditions from day one.
However, though Abraham leaned toward a "greener" actress who looked more like Selena, the casting director, Roger Mussenden, said J Lo was the favorite all along.
The main reasons? She could already sing, dance, and act, so all they needed was some makeup and the right costume to help her really channel Selena.
Jennifer Lopez Was The Top Pick For Playing Selena
While Abraham Quintanilla kept saying he wanted another actress, he admitted that another producer told him they weren't there to "teach someone to act," so it was sort of easier to go with Jennifer Lopez.
As fans know, the end result was pretty impressive, and the original 'Selena' film was a hit, with the Quintanilla family and fans.
While other people (professionals, mostly) influenced the casting decisions for both 'Selena' and 'Selena: The Series,' the family definitely had an influence on the outcome of both projects.
In fact, they seem purposeful about their involvement in anything involving Selena's likeness, and that's one reason why her estate's value has continued to grow despite her passing.
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