Selena Gomez Reflects on “Frustrating” Fight to Be Taken Seriously

Who says Selena Gomez isn’t a talented actress?

Yes, she made a name for herself with the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place, but there’s so much more to her than people think. “I felt like it was very difficult for people to take me seriously,” she said on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast on June 13. “I have slowly pushed through that, and I’m really glad, but it was very frustrating. I felt like a joke, you know?”

The Rare Beauty founder noted that she has ambitions to work with directors like Fight Club‘s David Fincher and American Hustle‘s David O’Russell, “who will push me to the edge to go and fight for something.” She added, “That’s the kind of acting that I crave to do more than anything.”

But Finch and O’Russell will have to wait their turn to work with Gomez, who recently wrapped filming on season two of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Buildings, as well as her HBO Max series Selena + Chef. Plus, she’s working on a new album. So yeah, her schedule is a bit full right now.