Selena Gomez (America's teenage superstar)

Selena is only19 years old, but she has been in lots of films and TV shows. You might know her from the series Wizards of Waverly Place, or her two most recent films, Ramona and Beezus and Monte Carlo.

Early in her career, Selena played small roles. She started acting at age seven and was discovered by the Disney Channel in 2004, when she was 12 years old. She had a role in Hannah Montana, and journalists called her the next Miley Cyrus.

Love is always an important subject when Selena gives interviews! At the moment she is dating Justin Bieber. Fans have asked Selena if she plans to do a duet with Justin "I'm not sure," she says. "If it happens, it happens."

Explaining how she li ves with fame, Selena says: "I spent the first three years hiding and terrified of things like. "Now she says: "I'm enjoying being young and having fun, focusing on my fans and music."

Now Selena Gomez has a fantastic lifestyle and earns lots of money. But life wasn't always easy. When Selena was born, her mother was only 16 years old and Selena grew up as an only child. Thy had very little money.

Although Selena is famous for acting, she is a talented musician too. She sings on the sountracks of her films, and formed the group Selena Gomez and the Scene in 2009. Theyr single "Who Says" was a big hit in 2011.

Girlfirend are important to Selena. Her best friends are singers Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, and she adores Katy Perry, who gave her a song for her second album. Her other best friends are her pets: she has five dogs, Cip, Willy, fina, Wallace and Chazz. Selena adopted them from animal shelters. "I'm a huge animal lover" she says.

Outside of films and music, Selena supports many charities. In 2009, she became the youngest Unicef ambassador and went to Ghana to meet poor children who don't have access to clean water. She is also concerned about environment.

Many fans consider Selena to be a role model. she tries to set a good example to kids. "It's not something I aimed toward," she says. "But now... I do embrace it".

Education is one of Selen'as priorities. But it's not easy to combine school and a career when you're a child. LIke many other young stars, Selena did not go to school, she studied at home. She got her high school diploma in 2010.

Z, The final letter of Gomez, is a clue to Selena's Spanish origins. Her fahter is Mexican-American but Selena doesn't speak much Spanish. "I really need to learn my language", she says. "I practis but I can understand it better than I can s0peak it." That must be why, on the new album, she sings one song in spanish.