“I Was at My Wits’ End,” Selena Gomez Revealed Her Early Roles Experience

Selena Gomez may be one of today’s biggest global stars, but her path to success wasn’t as effortless as it sometimes looks. Before she became a household name as Alex Russo on Disney Channel’s hit series Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez almost had an entirely different path within the Disney universe. She filmed pilots for two spinoffs of popular shows — one connected to Lizzie McGuire, where she was set to play a younger sister character, and another tied to The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Neither of the pilots made it to air, but those early experiences brought Gomez closer to the role that would define her career and launch her into stardom.

Selena Gomez reflected on her rise to fame in a new interview.

In a recent interview on Jake Shane’s “Therapuss” podcast, Selena Gomez opened up about her journey to fame, which started with her role on Barney & Friends.

She revealed that before landing her breakthrough part as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place, she had actually filmed pilots for not one, but two different Disney Channel spinoffs. The first was a spinoff of Lizzie McGuire, where she was set to play the younger sister, and the other was a spinoff of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Neither of these pilots was picked up.

Selena revealed how rejection shaped her resilience.

Gomez shared, “I was on three pilots for the Disney Channel. One was the spinoff of Lizzie McGuire, one was the spinoff of The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, and the last one was Wizards. So all of them didn’t get picked up, and I was just kind of at my wits’ end, but not in a bad way. I just thought, ’Okay, well, this isn’t going to work out.’”

Although the failed pilots were devastating at the time, Gomez shared that those experiences taught her to handle rejection early in her career. She admitted that it helped her build a thicker skin and prepared her for the ups and downs of Hollywood.

Selena compared Disney Channel to a “biggest high school”.

Reflecting on her Disney years, Gomez described the environment as both rewarding and demanding. She compared it to boot camp for young actors, where schedules were grueling, expectations were high, and mistakes were rarely forgiven. Still, she admitted she wouldn’t trade the experience, because it gave her lifelong discipline and friendships.

“I went to the biggest high school in the world, which is the Disney Channel,” Selena revealed thoughts about her early days as a kid actress.

Difficulties were the starting points for Selena’s worldwide recognition.

Gomez criticized the intense focus on child stars, stating that it’s unfair to dissect their lives as they’re still figuring out who they are. She believes this constant pressure prevents them from growing up in a “healthy” way and makes them feel every mistake is highlighted.

Now an executive producer on the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Gomez is using her experience to mentor the new cast. She shared that she encourages them to prioritize their lives outside of acting.

Gomez stressed the importance of having a balance between a normal life and the pursuit of a career, a balance she felt she sometimes lacked herself. She concluded by saying she has stopped trying to impress people, a major step in her journey.

What felt like failure at the time turned out to be the turning point that launched her career. Today, Selena uses those hard-learned lessons to guide and mentor younger talent. Her story is a reminder that sometimes the doors that close are just clearing the way for the ones that change everything.