Selena Gomez was frightened to star in the movie adaptation of ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ because of the book’s "cult following".
The 24-year-old actress serves as an executive producer on the TV series based on the novel by Jay Asher and Selena – who was originally attached to star as Hannah in a film adaptation of the book – admitted she couldn’t face the pressure of making the movie back in 2011.
She shared: "A book is frightening for me because I know the cult following it has, which is the reason why I didn’t want to be in it. Originally, my mom and I found the project because I wanted it to be a transition piece.
"From that point on, a lot of people wanted to make it something that it wasn’t. It can teeter on the line of being a little too preachy."
However, Selena was still eager to be involved with an on-screen adaptation of the book – which eventually led her to become an executive producer on the TV series.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: "Jay knew that my mom [executive producer Mandy Teefey] and I would be behind it for years, no matter how long it took to take it to that place."
Meanwhile, Selena recently claimed that her youthful looks have stunted her acting career.
The brunette beauty is one of the most recognisable women in the world – but Selena thinks her innocent appearance makes it tough for her to secure more mature on-screen roles.
She shared: "I could do any tomboy/teen princess movie in the world if I wanted to. I could do those for years. But I want to be a part of projects that have value, that really matter. And it’s really hard to do that.
"Sometimes I feel defeated. I’ll audition for a part that I feel very passionate about, meet with people, tell them I’m willing to go places. I think they think I won’t go there."
Selena Gomez admits to being frightened by ‘cult following’
