"A Triple Threat in Double Trouble"

With Miley Cyrus having reached adulthood, Selena Gomez has become the de-facto top successor as Disney’s most popular teen idol. After doing a recurring role on Cyrus’s Hannah Montana, she quickly rose to fame as teenage wizard Alex on the Disney Channel’s current hit kids sitcom Wizards Of Waverly Place.

Gomez has also branched out into movie roles in the direct-to-video Another Cinderella Story, the Disney Channel movie Princess Protection Program, and the film version of Beverly Clearly’s classic children’s book Ramona And Beezus. Like many Disney teen idols, she’s also branched out into music as well with her band The Scene, gaining success on not only the pop charts, but unexpectedly enough for a Disney teen idol, in dance clubs as well.

Now the 18 year-old hopes to further her film career in a dual role in the romantic comedy Monte Carlo.The first is American, Grace Bennett, who travels to Paris with her soon-to-be stepsister and her friend, played respectively by Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy. The second is spoiled British heiress Cordelia Winthrop Scott, whose identity Grace steals in order for the three of them to have the ultimate dream vacation. She talks about the experience of playing two different characters.

“It was really fun,” Gomez says, “I was really nervous because Cordelia was a totally different character for me. She was completely evil and I had to have an accent, so I was a little nervous, but I had a pretty good time.”

It was asked of Gomez whether she worked with a dialect coach to perfect Cordelia’s British accent.

“I did,” Selena replies, “I worked with a coach for two weeks before the film.”

Selena was asked how the role of her American character was named Grace.

“I did not pick the name, but I thought it was very sweet,” Gomez answers, “I thought it was kind of nice because Tom Bezucha had a lot of Grace Kelly influences and a lot of older films and it’s kind

"A Triple Threat in Double Trouble"

of nice that I have that name and it’s a very pretty name.”

Gomez was then asked if she modeled her British character Cordelia on anybody in particular.

“No, I really wanted to make her special,” Selena says.

Selena shared her most fun experience of shooting on location in Monte Carlo.

“We went to a sushi place and we got to stay at the actual hotel that you see in the movie, which was really fancy pants,” Gomez says, “It was nice.”

Gomez shared her experience with working with two of her co-stars, veteran actresses Andie MacDowell and Catherine Tate

“Well, Andie MacDowell was really funny, so funny, and very sweet,” Selena says of them, “They both had a lot of wisdom and really carried themselves with a lot of class is really nice.”

Selena also shared what her favorite scene in Monte Carlo was.

“My favorite scene in the movie would maybe be the end,” Gomez recalls, “When I’m saying goodbye to Leighton [Meester] because our characters go through this huge arc, so it’s really nice to see us bond at the end.”

“And there’s another scene that I like where I’m with Katie [Cassidy] on the bed and we’re kind of talking about our feelings and what we’re going through,” she adds, “I think it’s really sweet and Katie does a great job.”

The film is loosely based on the book Headhunters by Jules Bass. Gomez was asked to share what her favorite book was at the moment.

“I’m currently re-reading Thirteen Reasons Why again,” Selena reveals, “So I’m kind of in that book right now.”

It was commented on how fairly upbeat the tone of the film is.

“That was all Tom,” Gomez says, “Tom Bezucha directed the film and wanted it to be really beautiful and not very bright, but just uplifting and he did a very good job with it.”

Gomez was also asked to comment on the style of clothing she wears as Grace and Cordelia.

“Grace’s wardrobe was very Texan and very simple,

"A Triple Threat in Double Trouble"

but very pretty,” Selena says of it, “Cordelia’s was very intense. She wore really amazing dresses and jackets and glasses and purses and earrings. And it was really fun to create that whole vibe because she wasn’t the kind of heiress that I thought she was going to be. She was very high fashion.”

Selena also was asked about her own taste in clothes.

“My personal clothes are just kind of simple and I like classic things,” Gomez says.

Selena talked about the difference between working on a TV series and working on a film.

“For me, I worked on a sitcom, so we had four cameras and an audience, so my hours maybe were ten hours a day,” she says, “And I enjoyed that. It was actually easy and I was very comfortable. On film, we worked on like night shoots until 6:00 and fourteen hour days, but the reward was having to be on these beautiful locations and meet awesome people and work with great people. It was fun.”

“And I think, for me, the real big difference is I’ve done the same character for the last five years, so it’s really rewarding because you get to go through an entire life with the character,” Gomez continues, “But with a movie, you get to choose everything you do because you know the beginning through the end. There is an entire arc and you can really be careful with your choices and you go and you’re done.”

Gomez was asked if she had any memorable summer adventures that inspired her in doing the one that her character engages in Monte Carlo

“For me, it would probably have to be this movie,” Selena answers, “I was 17 when I shot the film, I’ll be 19 in less than a month, and I got to live in Budapest for six weeks and I got to go to Paris and Monte Carlo for two weeks and work with Katie and Leighton, which was awesome.

"A Triple Threat in Double Trouble"

So, for me, that whole experience was really life changing. I learned so much on this film, so I would say that was one of the best summers.”

The film opens up with a graduation scene. Selena was asked about her own high school experience and whether or not it was a normal one, as well as any advice she had for kids going back to school in the fall.

“Oh, man, I went to school until 8th grade, so it was middle school for me,” Gomez recalls, “I was not ever the popular kid. I kind of sat in the back. I had two friends. My cousin was the captain of the cheerleading team, so nobody picked on me because she was the most popular, so she was always very protective of me.”

“My advice though is it’s so hard to not give in what all the trends are and what people are saying,” she adds, “It’s so hard to do that, but ultimately, I’m so happy. I’d much rather be the oddball out than kind of create something of myself that I’m not proud of. I don’t know if that’s advice, but I hope that they stay who they are.”

Gomez says that for her, she has already accomplished so many of her dreams already in her 18 years.

“My dream is to just do what I love, so I guess the outcome has been really surprising and wonderful for me,” Selena says.