Selena Gomez is the dark-eyed teen star of the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place. Selena Gomez was a kiddie regular on the TV show Barney and Friends (along with Demi Lovato) from 2001-03 before being pulled into the Disney orbit of teen stars, where she took her place as a lesser planet. She made guest appearances on the Disney shows The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2006) and Hanna Montana (2007, with Miley Cyrus). In 2007 Disney gave Gomez her own show, Wizards of Waverly Place, a lighthearted sitcom about a family whose three kids are magic-wielding wizards. Along with her TV roles, Gomez is known for being a steady pal to her fellow Barney star Lovato; the two of them post videos on YouTube and are often seen together off-camera. Selena Gomez starred in the 2009 TV movie Princess Protection Program, and that same year released her debut album, Kiss & Tell.

Extra credit: Selena Gomez is reportedly named after the Mexican Tejano music star Selena. Gomez was not quite three when Selena died in 1995... Selena Gomez is 5'5" tall, according to the Internet Movie Database... Gomez dated singer Nick Jonas in an on-again, off-again way from 2007-2010. She attended the 2011 Oscars with Justin Bieber... Selena Gomez was born in New York but spent most of her youth in Grand Prairie, Texas.