The 1997 biographical film about Tejano singer Selena starring Jennifer Lopez is Selena.
Written and directed by Gregory Nava, Selena dramatizes the life and career of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Mexican American singer who became one of Tejano music’s biggest stars. Jennifer Lopez plays Selena from her teenage years through her international success, with Edward James Olmos portraying her father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla Jr.
The film follows Selena’s development from performing with her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, to winning major Tejano awards and crossing into the broader Latin and American music markets. It also portrays her marriage to guitarist Chris Pérez and the events leading to her 1995 murder by Yolanda Saldívar.
Selena was Lopez’s breakthrough film role and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. It is sometimes confused with La Bamba, the 1987 biopic about rock-and-roll musician Ritchie Valens, or The Runaways, which concerns the 1970s rock band of the same name.