Getting deep into a character is an essential part of an actor's job. But, the task gets tougher if a real-life person is to be portrayed on screen. 

A biographical drama limits an actor's prospect for improvisation. Instead, it focuses on the imitation of several characteristics of the original person – be it their body language, talking styles, facial expressions, and such. As a result, many of the stars who get appointed to play biopic roles are usually scrutinized and even blamed for microscopic human flaws and errors that originate with their portrayals.

Not only that, "fans expect the performing actor to not only give justice to the historical significance of the role but somehow take ownership of the whole production team and casts if anything goes wrong with the project." 

Hence, the objective of this article is to analyze if the cast members of the upcoming Netflix TV biopic, Selena: The Series have any resemblance to the real-life personalities they are portraying.   

Who Was Selena Quintanilla? How Did She Die? 

Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, with Mexican and Native American heritage. At the age of 10, she started singing in her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, collaborating with her sister Suzette Quintanilla and brother A.B. Quintanilla.

Within a decade, she gained massive fanbase in the Latino community and played a key role in promoting Tejano music to the English speakers. She was dubbed as "Mexican Madonna" and often dragged into controversy for her sassy personality, fierceness, individuality, rousing stage-dance choices, and skintight clothing that many dubbed "immodest."

In 1994, Quintanilla's album Entre a Mi Mundo won the Best Mexican-American album at the 36th Grammy awards. With the award, she became the first-ever female Tejano artist to win in the category. 

On March 31 of the next year, Quintanilla died of a gunshot in a hotel room. The culprit was none other than the manager of her boutiques, Yolanda Saldivar—who took her employer's life after she was alleged of embezzling funds that belonged to Quintanilla's fan club that she had founded.

Madison Taylor Baez as Young Selena Quintanilla

Madison Taylor stars as young Selena Quintanilla in 2020's Selena: The Cast (Photo: Instagram/Emaze)

Madison Taylor Baez is a nine-year-old singer-actress from Orange County, South California. To date, she has been a part of a short movie titled The Tooth Racket (2019) and has also appeared in the children's show, Kids Say The Darndest Thing. 

Baez is half-Asian with Filipino and Hispanic heritage, whereas Quintanilla belonged to Mexican and Native American ethnicity.

Christian Serratos As Grown-Up Selena Quintanilla

Twilight actress Christian Serratos appears as Selena in Selena: The Series (Photo: Instagram/YouTube)

Christian Serratos and Selena Quintanilla's are relative of the same height. Serratos stands at the (height of 5' 57'' inches and whereas Selena was of 5'5". 

Further, the 96 Minutes actress is also half-Mexican with Latin heritage like her onscreen character, Selena Quintanilla, and the plus point for her is that she can sing. 

However, the major differences between Quintanilla and Serratos have to do with their body orientation and their different individual life dimensions. Quintanilla had a pear-shaped body and broader face in comparison to Serrato's slim banana-shaped body and slender face.

Furthermore, the deceased singer was an international music and fashion icon of her time. She was married early and died at the age of 23. On the other hand, Serratos though enjoying a fair share of popularity in a short period of time isn't the biggest and worldwide icon that Selena was. To put it in the context, Serratos, who has a daughter with a long-time-boyfriend, has less drama and controversies in her life as compared to the famous 90's singer.

Still, there's too much in Serrato's plate to get excited. Similar to Selena, she has hit the home ground with her passion. From the age of 3 to ten years forward, she was active in competitive skating. In between that period, she also managed to sign a modeling deal with the Ford modeling agency. 

In 2004, she graced the screen appearing on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide produced by Nickelodeon and collaborated with the show in the upcoming seasons. From her first debut in the show to date, she has won the Best Supporting Actress (for Angela Weber in the movie Twilight, 2008) and proven her acting prowess on The Walking Dead as Rosita Espinosa. 

In addition to professional acting, Serratos is also not afraid to wear tight-fitting and revealing dresses just like Quintanilla. After all, Serratos was pronounced as Maxim's Hot 100 personality. She is equal in terms of fashion sense, if not more than Quintanilla.

Of course, Serratos' singing is not at the level of  the Quintanilla, but she sure can sing in tune,

Seidy Lopez as Marcella Samora

Seidy Lopez is playing Selena's mother Marcella Samora (Photo: IMDb/Glamour Fame)

Mexican-American actress Seidy Lopez has been a part of movies such as Training Day (2001), My Family (1995), Soaked in Bleach (2015), and so on. Also, she also featured in the 1997 biographical movie Selena as a character named Deborah.

Now, she is portraying Selena Quintanilla's mother Marcella Samora in the series. 

Ricardo Chavira as Abraham Quintanilla Jr.

Ricardo Chavira now (left) vs Abraham Quintanilla Jr in the 90s (Photo: Instagram/Pinterest)

American actor Ricardo Chavira is known for Welcome to the Family, Desperate Housewives, and Piranha 3D. On Selena: The Series, he will appear as Selena Quintanilla's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, who is in his 80's now but was in his mid-fifties when his daughter was killed. 

Chavira, in his late 40's, looks much younger than Abraham Quintanilla Jr's character in the story plot. Additionally, he appears much slender than Quintanilla Jr., who is recognized for his chubby looks. 

Noemi Gonzalez as Suzette Quintanilla

Noemi Gonzalez as compared to Selena's sister Suzette Quintanilla (Photo: Instagram/Pinterest)

Noemi Gonzalez will be playing the older sister of Selena Quintanilla (born 1967) in the upcoming Netflix show. The actress is famous for her roles in The Good Nanny and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.

Interestingly, Gonzalez will 27 as of June 2020 and the older Quintanilla sister had similar age when her sister was killed in 1994.   

Gabriel Chavarria as A.B. Quintanilla III

Gabriel Chavarria vs. his real-life counterpart A.B. Quintanilla III (Photo: Instagram/Pinterest)

Gabrial Chavarria is set to play Selena Quintanilla's brother A.B. Quintanilla, who is a famous singer and record producer. On the other hand, Chavarria is known for The Purge, Lowriders, and Freedom Riders. 

Looks-wise, Chavarria, and Quantinilla are different. Time will tell how well they may adapt to their characters. 

Jesse Posey as Chris Perez

Jesse Posey appears as Chris Perez for the Netflix original series (Photo: IMDb/Pinterest)

The younger sibling of Teen Wolf actor Tyler Posey, Jesse Posey, will be attempting to make an impactful breakthrough in his career as Selena Quintanilla's husband, Chris Perez, who is an American guitarist. Up until now, Posey has played lesser-known roles in Stitchers (2017) and Patients (2018). 

Back in April 2020, it turned out that Perez was not aware of the casting of Tyler Posey. He shared a dressing room photo of Posey as himself to notify his concerns. Perez claimed that he had never met the actor but intended to do so.

What is the Release Date of 'Selena: The Series?' Will Christain Serratos Sing in the Biopic?

The Netflix biopic series based on the life of deceased Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla is planning to release its "Part 1" in 2021. California native Christian Serratos will be portraying Quintanilla, whereas other stars such as Madison Taylor, Seidy Lopez, Ricardo Chavera, and Noemi Gonzalez have been selected as cast members.

At the moment, there haven't been official confirmation, interviews, or news about whether or not Serratos will voice the songs in the series.