Selena Gomez would simply tell her younger self to slow down.
The 32-year-old shared her advice to that little girl just starting out in the entertainment industry while celebrating the release of her new critically acclaimed film, Emilia Pérez.
“I would tell her to just calm down, everything’s going to be fine on the other side,” Gomez exclusively told E! News at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 30. “It’s a bit overwhelming being in this industry for so long.” (For more with Selena, tune into E! News tonight Oct. 1 at 11 p.m.)
Gomez, who got her start on Barney & Friends at the age of 10, went on to become a household name thanks to her work on the Disney Channel and later as a pop star with hits like “Can’t Keep My Hands to Myself” and “The Heart Wants What It Wants.”
But these days, the Only Murders in the Building star—who has long been vocal about her mental health—feels content, noting, “I’m very grateful that I’m in a much more stable place.”
One milestone she’s celebrating is her role in Emilia Pérez, a new musical crime comedy costarring Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofía Gascón which has already received awards show buzz. Gomez and the rest of the female leads took home the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.
“I just don’t know if it’s real. I’m even shaking in my voice,” Gomez admitted to E! News when asked about Oscar chatter surrounding the film. “I’m grateful. I think this movie hits all different cylinders. It’s very fun. It’s very passionate, and it’s about four women, really, and their journey. And it’s been a blessing, so to just be in that category, it’s an honor.”
And while she noted that the project has inspired her musically, Gomez added, “I’m not sure when I’m gonna get back in the lab, if you will. But I am enjoying the acting side.”
— Reporting by Ashley Bellman
To look back at Selena's transformation through the years, read on.