Selena Gomez's Resemblance to Linda Ronstadt Discovered Prior to Biopic Role

Selena Gomez and Linda Ronstadt. Getty Images (2)

Selena Gomez, aged 31, will portray the iconic singer Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic that has been in development for years. The film is currently in preproduction and will be produced by Linda Ronstadt's manager, John Boylan, and James Keach, who also produced the 2019 documentary on Linda Ronstadt. This information was reported on Wednesday, January 10, by Variety.

Linda Ronstadt fans may have been surprised by the casting news, but Selena Gomez has openly expressed her admiration for the "You're No Good" singer before. During a September 2015 interview with Ryan Seacrest, Gomez mentioned how Ronstadt, 77, served as an inspiration for her album Revival. She explained, "It kind of reminds me a little of Linda Ronstadt, '70s vibe. I always used to get told that I looked like her and I started listening to her music because of that." At that time, the former Disney Channel star also revealed that her favorite track by Ronstadt was the 1974 song "When Will I Be Loved."

Gomez's fans, known as Selenators, expressed their excitement on social media after the casting announcement. One fan posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) comparing Gomez and Ronstadt's likeness, captioned with, "Selena Gomez will portray Linda Ronstadt in her upcoming biopic, and we are so here for it." Another fan shared a photo of a young Ronstadt, commenting, "She resembles Selena Gomez more than Selena Gomez resembles herself."

Many fans expressed their enthusiasm for Gomez's casting, describing her as a "fantastic choice" and "perfect" for the role. They also voiced their hopes that her portrayal of Ronstadt could generate awards buzz.

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A fan tweeted on Wednesday, "Selena is finally coming for her Oscars," while another user wrote, "Oscar nominee Selena Gomez sounds so good." Steve Martin, Gomez’s costar in "Only Murders in the Building," also congratulated her on her next big gig, captioning an article about the biopic with, "This should be outstanding."

Many people are thrilled to see Gomez portray Ronstadt in a movie, but there are also some who are not happy about it. One user commented, "Just listened to the first song on the Linda Ronstadt Essentials playlist... good luck, Selena, this will not be easy for you!" Another skeptic asked, "Who's gonna sing?"

It’s still unclear whether Gomez will sing in the film, but some fans are hoping that Ronstadt's actual voice will be used instead. "As long as Linda’s actual vocals are used," one social media user tweeted in response to the casting. "Selena just doesn’t have the chops to match her vocally."

Another person said that Gomez may resemble Ronstadt but noted, “That’s where the comparison stops.”

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Ronstadt has not made any public comments on the casting, but TMZ reported on Wednesday that the 11-time Grammy winner apparently endorsed Gomez's casting. The outlet also stated that they had met at Ronstadt's home a few months ago.

On Tuesday, January 9, Gomez hinted at her new role by sharing a picture of herself reading Ronstadt’s 2013 book, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, on her Instagram Story. The following day, she announced she would be taking a break from social media to focus on "what really matters," but later returned to the platform to share a video of herself cooking with Gordon Ramsay.