We were excited for the opportunity to speak with Selena Gomez, 17, and Joey King, 10, about their starring roles in the upcoming family flick “Ramona and Beezus.” If you haven’t seen the adorable trailer yet, the movie is based on Beverly Cleary’s best-selling books about an adventurous little girl named Ramona and her big sister Beezus. We were so impressed by the maturity level and insightfulness of both Selena and Joey. Once you read some of their comments below, you’ll fall in love with them just like we did!
Working with BIG Stars
Aside from the two talented girls, the movie is filled with big actors, including John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel, and Sandra Oh. We asked the little ladies if they were intimidated working with such a well-known cast of actors. Joey says, “no way, they were all so nice and so much fun to be around!” Selena adds, “and they were so much more experienced than us so they were able to teach us a lot!”
Staying Out of Bad Press
We asked Selena how she manages to successfully stay out of all the bad media press that seems to surround other stars her age, like Miley Cyrus. Here’s what she had to say: “It’s unfortunate how the media spins things, but teens are the easiest target. We’re growing up and everyone makes mistakes and learns from those mistakes. This is how everybody gets to be who they are. But, at the same time, it’s a part of the job. I, however, am probably one of the most boring teens you’ll ever meet. My mom is my best friend and I’m all about chilling on the couch.”
Staying Grounded in a Crazy Business
We were amazed at how wonderfully down to earth the girls were, so we asked them how they managed to stay so grounded despite the chaos of being Hollywood actresses. Precocious Joey credits her mom and dad, adding, “you can’t get a big head. You have to always stay humble. Selena is humble and that’s what I learned from her.” Precious! Selena shares that sentiment, saying “it’s important to surround yourself with good people. My mom taught me that it’s all about the people who you hang around with. Luckily, I have an incredible family and great friends. My mom always tells me that my career is a privilege and I totally believe it is. And, I know that if I misbehave, she’s still my mom and could take it away from me in a second!”
The Importance of Family
The girls hoped families would go and see “Ramona and Beezus” together as a bonding experience. Joey says, “I hope people walk out of the theater loving their families more!” Selena responds, “Like Joey said, at the end of the day, you will always have your family. I hope this movie also encourages kids to strengthen their relationship with their siblings and communicate with each other better, even though they can get annoying sometimes.”
“My Mom is My Best Friend”
We were impressed to hear that Selena is best friends with her mom, so we asked her to elaborate on their special bond. “My mom is always honest with me. She is always open to sharing her stories and lessons that she has learned, especially as I am going through the same types of feelings and experiences that she did when she was younger. Like, I just graduated from high school and hope to go to culinary school in a few years, so I always ask her questions about college. She went through the same things I went through. I also make her come with me everywhere, like on set, because she makes me feel like I’m at home.”
Such Fun Girls!
The girls were fun to talk to. It was refreshing to hear such down to earth sentiments from the wildly famous Selena Gomez and newcomer Joey King. We loved that the girls prioritize family and always make a point to surround themselves with good people. Here at ModernMom, we enjoyed hearing that a teenage daughter can think of her mom as her best friend! It gave us a little bit of hope…
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