Why Selena Gomez passed up the chance to play Hannah in ‘13 Reasons Why’

Selena Gomez

NEW YORK—“Their story isn’t over. Season 2 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming,” confirmed executive producer Selena Gomez on May 7 on Instagram. The series is indeed set to debut in 2018, but its fans are already on tenterhooks as they wait for updates about how lead characters Hannah (Katherine Langford) and Clay’s (Dylan Minnette) “expanded and re-examined” story would play out in the the show’s latest installment.

Inspired by Jay Asher’s award-winning 2007 novel, the show tells the cautionary tale of teenager Hannah Baker and how her suicide leaves her parents and schoolmates at Liberty High shaken after she leaves behind cassette tapes that explain her shocking decision.

In a Netflix event in New York early this year, Selena confirmed that she was supposed to play Hannah in an early big-screen version of the novel. She liked the book so much that she was determined not to have it end up on a shelf.
The 24-year-old pop star then explained to the panel why she decided to pass up the chance to portray the coveted role and ended up producing the show, instead.

“My mom found the book at Barnes and Nobles. I was doing my TV series (‘Wizards of Waverly Place’) then. I was about 16 or 17, so playing Hannah at the time would have made sense. I read the book and thought it was something my fans and I could relate to. I constantly see [the authentic situations it depicts] from kids who tell me what they go through and how they feel about it.

Dylan Minnette (left) and Katherine Langford —NETFLIX

“As the project went on, I couldn’t picture anybody else playing Hannah but Katherine, especially after I watched her onscreen. She is simply captivating. It worked out the way it was supposed to, and [even if I didn’t end up playing the troubled character] I’m glad I still got to watch the project come to life.

“It works better as a series. The people behind the show wanted to make it a ‘little younger.’ I know it was geared toward young adults, but once we met with Netflix and [showrunner] Brian Yorkey, then (director) Tom McCarthy later, I was OK with it.”

When asked if, as a famous teen star, she had dark moments like Hannah, Selena replied, “My high school experience may have been a little amplified, so I wouldn’t say it was worse, but [all the attention] definitely made it harder.

“To be frank, I was actually going through a difficult time when they started production. So, I went away for 90 days and met a lot of kids who talked about many of the issues that the show’s characters continually hurdle. I had to deal with them on a different scale.

“Whether it was just kids or growing up in the ‘biggest high school in the world’—which was the Disney Channel—it also involved adults who had the audacity to tell me how I should live my life.

“It was a very confusing time for me. I had no idea who I was going to be, or what I was going to become. That was what made this show hit very close to home—and why I wanted to make sure I was still going to be a part of this project in any capacity, even though I knew no one would take it away from me and my mom (coproducer Mandy Teefey).
“It hit an important part of me. We’re not going to post things, like ‘Be empowered,’ because that isn’t what kids these days want to see.

“Unfortunately, kids don’t care. So, they have to see something that’s going to shake them. I want them to understand [the issues]. I’d do anything to have a good influence on this generation—and that isn’t easy. So, yes, I can relate to [the story], definitely.

“I was there during the taping of the last episode, and I was a mess just seeing it all come to life—because I’ve experienced [similar situations] myself.”

Does Selena think her popularity would help push the series—or its message—even more?

“I sure hope so,” she quipped. “Whether I like it or not, I have forged a connection with a lot of people who have watched me grow up before their very eyes. [That bond] makes me feel like I’m always in a conversation with my fans—and that’s great, because I don’t want to be perceived as someone unapproachable. I never, ever want to seem like I have it all.

“So, in my meet-and-greet with fans, I feel gratified that they trust me with their stories. They understand that I’m honest with them—and whether I like it or not, people have seen a lot of my mistakes, and I had to use that as a good thing and turn [those mistakes] into something positive.

“It’s hard right now. I can’t stand social media, I can’t stand what people are looking at. I can’t stand what they think is reality. And this series is as real as it could possibly get!”

Following its March 31 premiere on Netflix, the critically acclaimed series became a deeply polarizing conversation piece that attracted both avid supporters and naysayers.

Its admirers commend the show for its relevance and impressive production values, while its bashers put it to task for “romanticizing rape, bullying and suicide.”

As reported by Variety, it quickly became the most discussed show in social media, generating 11 million tweets—and counting—barely a month after it began streaming.