Selena Gomez Reflects on Disney Channel Pilot Failures Before "Wizards" Success

In a recent interview, Selena Gomez opened up about her journey to stardom, recounting her early attempts to land a lead role on the Disney Channel. Prior to her breakout as Alex Russo on "Wizards of Waverly Place," Gomez had filmed pilots for spinoffs of two of the network's most popular shows: "Lizzie McGuire" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

However, none of these pilots were picked up, leaving Gomez feeling uncertain about her future. "I was just kind of at my wits' end, but not in a bad way," she said. "I just kind of thought, 'OK, well this is not going to work out.'"

But Gomez's fortunes changed in 2007 when, at age 15, she landed the role of Alex Russo on "Wizards." As she told the interviewer, "my whole life changed after that." Gomez described it as an "immediate feeling of, 'Oh, I achieved my dream' at that point in time."

While Gomez is proud of her Disney Channel roots, she also reflected on the challenges of growing up in the spotlight. The media scrutiny of her personal life was difficult to deal with, and Gomez now strives to protect the young actors on the "Wizards" reboot, encouraging them to "go and be a kid and do the things you want to do."

Overall, Gomez's journey serves as a testament to the ups and downs of child stardom, and her insights offer a valuable perspective on navigating fame at a young age.