Selena Gomez is set to portray the 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic.
Ronstadt confirmed the news on her social media profiles on Wednesday, January 10 “It all started with a simple dream ” she wrote in a post sharing Variety’s article announcing the casting. She also posted the link to Rolling Stone’s reporting, accompanied by three beating heart emojis.
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Prior to the announcement, Gomez teased her upcoming role of playing the prolific Mexican American singer by posting a photo of Ronstadt’s 2013 memoir, “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir,” on Instagram.
Rolling Stone was first to reveal this casting news for the film, which is reportedly in pre-production. The project is being produced by Ronstadt’s manager, John Boylan, and James Keach, who directed the 2022 documentary short Linda and the Mockingbirds and produced a 2019 documentary about the singer’s life, titled Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice. The latter title won best music film at the 2021 Grammys.
Ronstadt is a country, rock ‘n’ roll and Latin music legend, with her 1970s albums “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Simple Dreams” reaching critical and commercial success and showcasing her versatility across genres. Throughout her career she has won 11 Grammys, and she was honored by both the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy with Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2011, the star announced her retirement, later revealing she is no longer able to sing due to her progressive supranuclear palsy, which was originally mistaken for Parkinson’s.
Ronstadt and Gomez are both of Mexican descent. The latter has been nominated twice for a Golden Globe for her performance on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which she executive produces and stars in alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short. Gomez broke out as an actor on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place and achieved success as a music artist with hits including “Lose You to Love Me” and “Love You Like a Love Song.”
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