15 Things You Might Not Know About the Selena Movie

Updated on 4/1/2018 at 11:40 PM

Selena Quintanilla's biopic premiered in March 1997 (just two years after her untimely death) and though 21 years have passed, the film remains a favorite among fans of the Tejana singer.

As someone who has probably seen Selena more than a few times, you know what scenes in the movie happened in real life. And you're definitely aware that the film marked Jennifer Lopez's first big role in Hollywood, catapulting her into stardom. But did you know who else was in the running to play the late Tejana singer? Or what Jennifer did to make sure she emulated Selena perfectly? We are about to blow your mind with some facts you might now have known about the movie.

Jennifer Lopez Beat Out Salma Hayek For the Role . . . Kind Of

Salma turned down the role for "dignity" reasons because she said she didn't know how to "gain success from the death of a person."

Jennifer Lopez Became the Highest Paid Latina in Hollywood History Because of the Movie

She made a whopping $1 million dollars for the movie.

The Director, Gregory Nava, Had to Fight to Have a Latina Play Selena

Warner Bros., the studio behind the movie, wanted a Caucasian actress to play her.

People Weren’t Happy Jennifer Lopez Got the Role

Latino advocacy groups reportedly weren't OK with the Puerto Rican-American portraying the late Mexican-American singer.

It Was Important for Jennifer Lopez to Emulate Selena as Much as Possible

J Lo actually lived with Selena's sister, Suzette Quintanilla, for four months, so she could learn more about the life of the late Tejana singer.

If It Wasn’t For Selena, J Lo Wouldn’t Have Been a Singer

Jennifer has openly said that playing Selena inspired her to become a musician.

Jennifer Only Sang Three Words in the Entire Movie

Selena's vocals were used throughout the film. Jennifer only sang the words "Como La Flor" when she started the slow version of the hit song in one of the movie's main scenes.

Selena’s Father Didn’t Know How Chris Perez Proposed

It wasn't until Abraham Quintanilla read the script for the movie that he knew how his son-in-law proposed to his daughter.

Jon Seda Didn’t Know How to Play the Guitar

When we see Jon, as Chris, rocking out during his audition, we don't see him — those were actually Chris Perez's hands playing the guitar.

Constance Marie Was Only Four Years Older Than Jennifer Lopez

Constance was playing Marcella Quintanilla, Selena's mom, and she would spend four hours getting her makeup done so she could look older.

The Scene of Selena’s Last Concert at Houston Astrodome Wasn’t Actually Filmed There

For the scene, the director brought in 35,000 extras, and it was actually filmed at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Abraham Quintanilla Didn’t Want Selena’s Murder in the Movie

The director insisted, because it was the dramatic ending the movie needed.

Abraham Quintanilla Originally Wanted Someone Else to Play Him

Selena's father wanted Rubén Blades to play him in the movie, but he couldn't because he was working on another movie.

Edward James Olmos Had to Pack on the Pounds For the Role

The actor had to gain a 50 pounds before he took on the role of Abraham.

Production For the Movie Started Shortly After Selena’s Death

The "Como La Flor" singer died in March 1995, and almost exactly two years later, the movie was released.