Saoirse Ronan and Selena Gomez on EMILIA PEREZ, THE OUTRUN and BLITZ for VARIETY Magazine

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In a new conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors issue, Selena Gomez and Saoirse Ronan discuss the future of Gomez’s music career, what it was like for Gomez growing up with a young mother, “The Outrun,” “Emilia Pérez,” and more.

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Gomez on the future of her music career: “I love storytelling, and my music career is separate. However, I don’t see that being a forever thing…I’ll always have music in my life because my partner’s a musician, and I love having moments to do it for fun. It can be a little vulnerable when you’re putting yourself out there versus escaping into a character…I definitely think my strong suit is probably acting. But one thing I’m proud of in music is being able to tell a story—my favorite songs are mostly ballads, and they’re very transparent and honest. But I think I might be a little too old for the pop-star life. I’m genuinely so happy to just be in this new era of my life, because in a lot of ways, it’s just the beginning.”

Gomez on growing up with a young mother: “My mom had me when she was 16. I do feel that we grew up together, and that’s a different perspective than someone who would wait until they’re older to have a child. I am so grateful that we were there for each other. It felt very ‘Gilmore Girls’…My mom was fantastic. She would never put me in a room by myself; she was very aware of things that I didn’t know. For example, if I had to go to a premiere and I was 16, she’d say, ‘You can’t go to the after-party. You can have fun, and then you’re going to go home.’ Little things that helped my sanity, if you will.”

Ronan on her personal connection to “The Outrun,” in which she portrays a woman recovering from alcohol addiction: “The reason I wanted to do it is because, like everyone, I’ve been affected by addiction. I’ve watched loved ones suffer from alcoholism; it was this monster in the corner of the room that I hadn’t dealt with. I was finally ready to crack that open, so there was a lot of raw emotion and finding the best way to use that.”

Gomez on relating to her character in “Emilia Pérez”: “…I related to the lyrics—this being trapped, if you will. My character, Jessi, is trapped in her own world, and she’s had everything that she’s wanted. And then she loses her partner and rediscovers herself and wants to find love and have a new life. I found that to be very therapeutic.”

Gomez on her shyness: “I think you can tell, now that we’ve hung out, that I’m still a bit awkward. So I never like to bother people. Ariana [Grande] was in the other room, and I was like, ‘I’d love to go say hi, but I don’t want to bother her,’ because I know how life can be. I think that can step in the way of me getting to know people, and that’s something I should work on a little bit.”

Ronan on singing in “Blitz”: “It is the most vulnerable feeling to get up on a stage—even if it’s a makeshift stage in a fake munitions factory—and perform for people. The idea of singing in front of people has always been really exposing. I don’t think people realize how special it is to have that extra je ne sais quoi that makes you unique and special.”

[Photo Credit: Alexi Lubomirski for Variety Magazine]

• Alexi Lubomirski
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• Saoirse Ronan
• Selena Gomez
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