Almost 27 years later Selena hit theaters in March 1997, Jon Seda is still friends with Chris Perezwhich he portrayed in the biographical film.
'I'm still friends with Chris. Chris is just a great guitarist and he's still making his music. Look at his music, it's incredible,” Seda, 53, shared exclusively We weekly earlier this month while promoting the NBC drama's final season La Breawhich premiered on January 9.
Seda added that his experience was working Selena is “forever” in his heart and reflects on the “sad” reality of the project.
“It was obviously a sad time and it's a shame we had to make the film because she was obviously gone,” he said of the film's subject. Selena Quintanilla-Pérezknown mononymously as Selena.
In March 1995, Selena was shot dead at the age of 23 by her former fan club president and boutique manager, Yolanda Saldivar. Saldívar, now 63, was found guilty of first-degree murder in October 1995. She is currently serving a life sentence in a Texas prison and will be eligible for parole in March 2025.
At the time of her death, Selena was married to Pérez, now 54. The duo married in 1992, three years after Pérez joined Selena's band, Selena y Los Dinos.
In SelenaSeda played the opposite lead role Jennifer Lopezwho played the title role.
“She did a great job because Selena and I had a great time with her,” Seda said Us by Lopez, 54, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the late musical icon.
When Seda and Lopez shared the screen Selena, Lopez had yet to launch her wildly successful pop career. Her debut album, On the 6wasn't released until 1999.
“She wasn't J. Lo when I worked with her,” Seda said, referring to Lopez's common nickname. “She was Jenny and she still is. But I give her credit because she had goals and said she wanted to be where she is today. She envisioned it, she saw it and she worked hard. She worked hard to get there. She is definitely someone that many young women can look up to.”
Pérez, for his part, praised Lopez's performance as he live-tweeted about his first time watching Selena “in its entirety” in 2017. He noted that his “eyes were closed half the time” when he attended the film's premiere 20 years earlier.
“I'll tell you what…Jen did a fantastic job. Super proud. I won't watch the end of the film,” says Pérez wrote at the time.
He also responded to Seda's portrayal of him by tweeting, “Wow…I was HOT! LOL!!!!!!”