Noemí González on Portraying One of Selena Quintanilla’s Biggest Supporters [Interview]

Tejano music superstar and rising mainstream pop star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was tragically shot to death on March 31, 1995, at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was weeks before the singer’s 24th birthday and mere days before her wedding anniversary with her husband Chris Pérez. 

Selena was in the middle of recording her first official English language album when her life was cut short — a life-long dream that she did get to live, if not see to completion. 

After her untimely death, the Quintanilla family vowed to keep fulfilling Selena’s dreams for her. Because of that vow, people who had never heard of Tejano music fell in love with Selena and her music via the Dreaming of You album released posthumously in 1995.

Selena’s story and spirit even helped launch the career of a young actress named Jennifer Lopez further into the spotlight. A young Lopez played the singer in the 1997 biopic Selena — an instantly beloved film made with the blessing of the Quintanilla family. 

Now, the family is teaming up with Netflix to give us a more in-depth look at Selena’s life in Selena: The Series.

I spoke with Noemí González — who plays Selena’s sister (and drummer) Suzette Quintanilla in the show — about what it was like to play Suzette (who executive produces the series), building an authentic sisterly bond with Christian Serratos (who plays Selena), and a moment she felt most connected to the late singer while filming.

González has been a fan of Selena, her band, and the Quintanilla family since she was a child watching shows like Siempre El Domingo with her mother. While there is an innate pressure in portraying someone you’ve long admired on-screen, González was careful not to let that affect her performance.

“I had to cut that pressure and try to channel it to my work as much as possible so that I wouldn’t trip over that,” she said. 

What better way is there to channel stress than playing drums? Lucky for González, that was part of her job description. She’s not just mimicking drumming motions, either. 

González was able to spend two hours a week with a Selena Y Los Dinos music consultant and also had a private drumming instructor to learn how to play songs from Selena’s music catalog. She said at one point, Netflix gave her a list of about 50 to learn — and it wasn’t easy. 

But the struggle was well worth it for González. “It really taught me a lot about myself and it really shaped the way that I develop and form Suzette’s character as well,” she shared.

Suzette’s struggle to learn the drums is well-documented in Selena: The Series and González did not have to reach too far to understand young Suzette’s frustrations. “I mean, Suzette obviously is an amazing drummer but we definitely had a journey of resistance in the beginning. I think both of us have that in common.” 

The small-screen adaptation of Selena’s story splits focus nearly equally on all of the Quintanilla siblings, and the prize at the end of Suzette’s climb in part one is self-worth. 

She begins to see hers in a scene on Selena: The Series Season 1 Episode 3, “…And The Winner Is” when a fan at a show in Mexico named Gabby (Nancy Talamantes) tracks her down to ask for her autograph.

Suzette automatically turns to find Selena, and when she learns that Gabby is looking for her instead, Suzette is so moved she gives the young woman her drumsticks. 

Selena: The Series was filmed on location in Mexico and Mexican fans gave González a taste of how powerful the scene would be when she and Talamantes were filming. 

“I just remember there was a crowd that grew because they could feel the intensity and the beauty of this moment,” she recalled. “When I looked up on the final take, I saw a whole crowd trying to watch on the monitors while I have this first-time moment with a fan. So, that was really, really incredible to know that I wasn’t just feeling it in the scene, we were feeling it in that plaza — all of us.” 

Filming that scene also helped González understand, as much as she could, what life on the road must have been like for Selena. She shared that she got a true “after-performance buzz.” 

“It just felt empowering to represent female musicians — female drummers specifically — and honor the fact that Suzette had a huge part in that [history] whether she knew it or not.” 

More often than not, Suzette doesn’t understand how valuable she is to Selena and needs to be reminded. But Selena could not have risen to the heights that she did before her untimely death without the same support in return. 

“When we think of Selena, she makes it look effortless, you know? She’s just amazing. But she’s human,” González noted.

“So it’s really beautiful to see the complex nature of when you’re an artist and when you’re a star — it’s not always glamour. It’s not always fabulous and sometimes you need support from family or friends to be with you when you’re pitching your album looks, or be with you when you’re changing your hair color and you’re second-guessing yourself.” 

González is honored to play one of Selena’s supportive counterparts. “I think it’s really beautiful that they are showing that side of Selena that is very pensive…That is radiant,” she explained. “What’s behind-the-scenes that gets her to be that radiant?” 

Other than her own spirit and talent, the answer is her family. “They’re like a net all around her ready to pelt her back up into the air whenever she needs it.” 

González told me that she forged a strong bond with Serratos in Mexico where they shared tacos, tequila, and their acting goals and dreams with each other. It’s similar to how Selena used to share with Suzette her dreams of going into fashion design and opening up a boutique.

But filming Selena: The Series was difficult at times because when the global pandemic happened, production shut down for everyone’s safety.

González said she hopes fans will enjoy the series with a clean slate as far as expectations go, knowing how much work went into it for the cast and crew, who were forced to isolate in Mexico away from their families. 

“We really gave it our all, every single individual that was a part of this,” she said. “Only 400 people can say they had this experience during the global pandemic — being attached to an amazing empowering story of being a light when the going gets rough.”

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Selena: The Series is available to stream on Netflix right now. 

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