'Selena' series stars on why they hope Selena Quintanilla is proud of new Netflix show
The rising musician was shot and killed in 1995 at just 23 years old
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Selena: The Series" on Netflix is all about family.
The show not only explores the late singer's rise to fame from performing at small local gigs to becoming one of the most successful female Latin artists of all time but also how her family dynamic shaped her as a person and artist.
The Quintanilla family were her band, and together they took over the Tejano music scene before the young star was shot and killed in 1995 at just 23 years old.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I think it's a family drama with the background of music," Seidy López, who plays Marcella Quintanilla (Selena's mother), told Fox News. "We were fortunate with this series, that we do have the opportunity to tell you more of her history, more of the behind the scenes events that happened during the during the course of her career and her life."
Noemí Gonzalez, who plays Selena's sister and drummer, Suzette, said she hopes the show "gives back" to Selena. The pressure of the role wasn't lost on Gonzalez.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Noemí Gonzalez as Suzette Quintanilla (Cesar Fuentes Cervantes/NETFLIX © 2020)
"It really mattered to me," she told Fox. In fact, Gonzalez learned the drums for the part and has been a fan of Selena's music all her life.
"I lost a sibling like [the family did], so I grieved with them," she said. "I had a strong connection to this family."
Ricardo Chavira, who plays Selena's father and the band's manager Abraham, described how the series follows the entire family on their journey.
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"You really get a very intimate look into the Quintanilla family with fully realized members of that family," he explained to Fox. "[The show depicts] how this family worked together to succeed together and make sure Selena had the success that she did."
Gabriel Chavarria, who plays Selena's brother A.B. and the band's guitarist, didn't know much about the real-life person until he researched the role.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(L to R) Gabriel Chavarria as A.B. Quintanilla and Ricardo Chavira as Abraham Quintantilla. (NETFLIX © 2020)
Charvirra learned to play guitar and realized the A.B. wrote many of the band's top hit songs. "Learning about those things elevated the passion [for the role]," he told Fox.
The cast members also shared what they would ask Selena specifically about if she were alive today.
"[I would ask if] I was doing the absolute best job in the portrayal of the earlier years ... because there's so much of what happens there in the struggle and the sacrifice that informs everything that happens to her down the road and, well, not just her, for the whole family," Chavira said.
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López added, "I would want to make sure that she knows that we did it with love and that we honor her and that we value the story."
"Selena: The Series" Part 1 is available to stream on Netflix Friday, Dec. 4.
Fox News' Ashley Dvorkin contributed to this report.