It’s been 25 years since Jennifer Lopez portrayed Selena Quintanilla in the biopic movie based on the life of the “Queen of Tejano Music” herself.
Lopez, 52, took to Instagram to commemorate the anniversary of the movie Selena’s release. The film was originally released in 1997 by Warner Bros. and catapulted Lopez into her successful acting career.
The film, titled Selena, told the story of the singer’s early life and her tragic death at the age of 23. Jennifer Lopez stepped into Selena’s shoes and has often posted to her social media to recognize what an important role it was for her.
Jennifer Lopez posted throwback videos of herself during Selena release
To celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, the actress posted a series of photos and videos of her time working on the film. The first video was a clip from an interview with Oprah in which Lopez talked about her experience playing the Mexican-American singer.
When asked if the role was hard for Lopez to portray, she said it was “tough and nonstop.” Lopez would listen to her music and watch her videos all day to really feel connected to the singer.
Lopez said she wanted to know what made Selena “tick,” what made her happy, and what things were most important in her life.
“What a very special day… we’re celebrating 25 years of SELENA!” Lopez wrote in her caption. “Today we celebrate and honor Selena’s legacy and music. This movie means so much to me… Selena and her family mean so much to me, and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her. I’ll never forget this time in my life and it’s an honor as an artist to have been part of the magic that is this movie.”
Lopez said the film was a celebration of Selena’s life
Along with her interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, JLo also posted movie clips of herself singing Selena’s songs and a previous interview she did for E! News Rewind.
Lopez stated that she approached the role wholeheartedly and wanted to learn as much as she could about Selena. Along with an abundance of research, Lopez also understood that it wasn’t necessarily about looking like Selena – it was about “being” like her.
“She was just herself, and that was enough,” Lopez said. “And that’s what role models and that whole thing is all about.”
Although the movie was filmed only two years after Selena’s death, Lopez said the movie’s “core” was to celebrate the singer’s beautiful life and the impact she had on others.
“There was a huge loss, but the movie is not about that. It’s about the celebration of what her life was life and why she touched so many people and why she was an inspiration to so many people. It’s a happy movie, but then it has a sad ending.”
Selena movie will return to theaters this spring for 25th anniversary
According to Selena’s official Instagram, which is run and approved by the Quintanilla family, Selena The Movie will return to theaters on April 7th to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
“Rediscover the true story of one of America’s brightest stars that faded too soon,” the movie’s 25th-anniversary trailer stated.
“Rediscover a family’s story of dedication, perseverance and hope in breaking a male dominated music genre and taking the world by storm,” the caption stated.
As of now, locations and official dates have not yet been released.