Selena Gomez took a 'wonderful' break from social media: 'I've learned to have a balance with it'
Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg are checking out of "Hotel Transylvania."
The hit animated franchise – whose first three films have earned nearly $1.4 billion worldwide since 2012 – is closing its doors with "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" (streaming Friday on Amazon Prime). Billed as "the final chapter," the comedy follows married couple Johnny (Samberg), a human, and Mavis (Gomez), Count Dracula's daughter, as they're set to inherit the titular resort for monsters. But after an invention gone haywire changes Johnny into a dragon and ghouls into people, the duo must race to find a cure before their transformations become permanent.
Mavis and Johnny "are a good onscreen couple. Relationship goals – that's what you wanted me to say, right?" jokes Samberg, 43, whose NBC sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" finished its eight-season run last year.
For Gomez, 29, who stars in Hulu comedy "Only Murders in the Building," saying goodbye to these films is "so weird. Especially for me, in my 20s and now going on to 30s, it's really interesting to have grown up with this character. It's been such a delight."
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The actors talk to USA TODAY about their friendship and more:
Question: The two of you met while promoting the first movie. What did you initially bond over?
Selena Gomez: Andy was really sweet. I was a little pipsqueak back then and he was making me laugh. And when weird questions would come up, he would deflect and it was very nice. I remember feeling very comfortable, like, "This is fun."
Andy Samberg: It's interesting doing press with Selena. She gets a whole other variety of questions than I get – it's been fascinating for me to see. She deals with it very gracefully, but man, I wouldn't trade.
Q: In "Transformania," Johnny feels that he needs to change himself in order to be accepted. Is that something either of you could relate to in your own lives?
Gomez: Guilty. Maybe it's because of social media and the pressure. I definitely have felt like maybe I wasn't good enough or I should look a certain way. I had a hard time, but it's actually been four years for me without social media on my phone besides TikTok. So it's been wonderful. I still post and do what I do, but I've learned to have a balance with it and not let it consume me.
Samberg: Everyone has (felt that way) at one point or another, it's just human nature. Especially when you're a kid and a teenager, you're trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in the world, and it's really easy to believe what other people tell you about yourself. But I certainly never thought I needed to change myself into a Godzilla monster.
Q: Andy, has your daughter watched these films yet? (Samberg has a 4-year-old with his wife, musician Joanna Newsom.)
Samberg: She's still a little too young, but I'm feeling really confident knowing I have four in the hopper. I actually made a choice to stop watching all the animated stuff over the last four years so that I would have it saved up to watch for the first time when she does start, so we can do it together.
Gomez: Oooh, that's so sweet.
Q: What are some movies that you're most excited to show her?
Samberg: Dude, I haven't seen "Moana" or "Coco" or "Encanto." Those are the ones where I'm like, "Oh, my God, I can't wait to see these movies. I've been waiting for four years!" (Laughs.) It's going to be exciting. I was talking to my wife the other day about how I can't wait to watch "E.T." with her. Stuff like that where we're both like, "Oh, we're going to cry!"
Q: Selena, congratulations on your first Grammy nomination (for Spanish-language EP "Revelación," nominated for best Latin pop album). How did it feel to be recognized for music that is so personal to you?
Gomez: I cried. (Laughs.) I was very excited. It's wonderful, I did not expect that at all. This is something I worked really hard on – honestly, probably harder than any other album because I wanted to make sure that with it being Spanish that it's authentic, it sounds real, it's emotional and beautiful and poetic, which is what I love about Spanish music. I wanted it to be all of that, but it's really difficult not being completely fluent in the language. So there were times where it was really, really hard and I'm so proud of everyone that got to be a part of it.
Q: You hinted in Vogue last year about potentially retiring from music. Could you still see that happening?
Gomez: I think I just said it wrong. The idea of retirement for me isn't that I would leave forever, it is that I do see myself taking a significant break from music. Not personally – I think I'll always be creating and doing music and hopefully maybe even do some side projects with people. I just want to maybe take a step back, but I'm not doing that anytime soon.
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Q: You both have food shows streaming right now ("Selena + Chef" on HBO Max, hosted by Gomez, and "Baking It" on Peacock, co-hosted by Samberg). How do you think you'd fare as a "Baking It" contestant, Selena?
Gomez: I'm horrible at baking. I don't know what to do, I just don't. The concept is crazy. I love cooking so that I can just throw things together. I'm not a great cook, either, but it's still fun.
Samberg: You'd be a good host, that's all I do. I've probably baked 10 times in my life and I've enjoyed all 10 immensely. I wouldn't say I'm a professional baker – more like a 10 times type.
Q: Speaking of crossovers – Andy, would you ever consider guesting on "Only Murders in the Building" Season 2?
Samberg: Of course I'm interested, are you kidding? I already want to hang more with Selena, and Steve Martin and Martin Short are two of my absolute, all-time comedy heroes. That show is fantastic, so I'll do anything with any of them.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Hotel Transylvania': Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg talk 'sweet' bonding
