Selena The Series Star Gabriel Chavarria Covers FAULT Magazine

Gabriel Chavarria X FAULT Magazine

Photographer/Creative Director: Raen Badua | Exclusive Artists

Stylist: Brand Williams

Grooming: Marissa Machado | Art Department using V76

Photo Assistant: Jojo Reyes

Style Assistant: Dominic Cheatam

While you might think you know the ‘Selena’ story from previous movies, documentaries or popular culture from the era, Netflix’s new ‘Selena The Series’ offers a wholly unique take on the late singers rise to superstardom.

The new series offers us a glimpse into the world of the Quintanilla family like never before, as we see the family chase the American dream and all the hardships which came along with it.

Gabriel Chavarria plays the role of Selena’s brother, A.B. Quintanilla III on the show – despite being part of creating so many Selena hits, this is the first time we’ve seen a project really dive into his character. We caught up with Gabriel Chavarria to discuss the weight of a project as momentous as Selena The Series and find out more about his process, ambitions and of course, his FAULTs.

With the Quintanilla so close to the project, did you ever feel added pressure to do the story justice?

Gabriel Chavarria: I wouldn’t say pressure; for me, it was just more of an honour that we were chosen as the best actors to tell this story. Selena The Series was such a big deal that so many people had opinions before we even started shooting. It’s a very intimate story, and very close to the family, so I felt really honoured to be chosen.

We often see conversations about the under-representation of positive LatinX stories on TV – while filming could you feel how momentous a project this would be?

Gabriel Chavarria: Absolutely. I’ve always been trying to boost the message that we are underrepresented in Hollywood. Every opportunity we do get is important because there are not many stories being told, even though we have tons of them that need to be. Selena is a positive story about this Mexican American family that made it and came out on top. It’s great to be a part of that, and there’s a lot more talent out there. We need to write, we need to create, we need to direct, we need to act, we need to do it all, and we’re ready to.

You’re passionate about music, is that a personal escape for you or are you working on something more concrete?

Gabriel Chavarria: I’d say it’s a little bit of both. I’ve always had a passion for music as have my brothers. I think for me it would probably be more of a single here, a single there type of thing because every time I try to make music I end up having to pack my bags and go away for filming. So it’s always been a little bit of a struggle, but I think when the timing is right, I’ll be releasing some.

You’ve been really busy your whole career, have you taken the time to stop and realise your success?

Gabriel Chavarria: It’s definitely go, go, go sometimes, but I actually took my first vacation ever this year. I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with my girlfriend. It’s funny. I didn’t even want to go because I was so focused on work, but when we went, I realised how important it was for my body and mind just to stop and reflect.

I’ve been really blessed. I love what I do. I do it with a passion, and it’s an amazing journey, but it’s important to take a step back and enjoy everything for a second.

What would you say has been the most challenging aspect of your acting journey?

Gabriel Chavarria: Finding roles which stretch my range a little further but I think it’s coming. Every project is different, and every opportunity that I’ve had is different. I love to learn, and learning from my mistakes is really important for me.
I want to keep growing.

No two of your projects are the same, is that by design or just a coincidence?

Gabriel Chavarria: A bit of both, but it’s more by design now. Selena The Series was really exciting for me because I have a big family and I have a lot of nieces and nephews who can watch it. The younger relatives couldn’t watch me in The Purge because of the violence, so this one was great for me.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself this year?

Gabriel Chavarria: I realised this year that I have suffered from a little bit of anxiety and my mind works non-stop sometimes. I’m learning to pause for a second and let God, or the universe do its thing. I need to let go and trust everything is gonna fall into place when it needs to. I can’t control everything and need to just accept that and be grateful.

So much of being an actor is failing, is that something you’ve always handled well or was it a tough lesson?

Gabriel Chavarria: I come from a sports background, my dad and uncles played professional soccer, so the competitive drive has always been in me, so I think that’s what kept me going – wanting to succeed. Getting no after no, I took it as “I lost in today’s game, but I’ll play again tomorrow.” It takes sacrifice and a lot of failures, but you can’t make it to the top without, without learning and making mistakes.

What do you want your career to say about you the person?

Gabriel Chavarria: That I was versatile, I look up to 50 Cent he came up as a rapper and then he started doing some acting and then now he’s executive producing. I want to be like that, I’ve got so many things I want to do, but all in due time.

What is your FAULT?

Gabriel Chavarria: Trying to control everything and being afraid of making mistakes. No one is perfect, and that’s what makes us perfect.