All about Christian Serratos, who stars as Selena Quintanilla in new Netflix series

More than 25 years have passed since iconic Chicana singer and crossover artist Selena Quintanilla was murdered in 1995, and she's arguably more well-known and appreciated than ever. The 1990s are back in a big way and Selena's story and her music are being rediscovered by many, which has prompted the development of a number of projects about Selena over the past several years. In fact, the long-awaited Netflix biographical series titled Selena: The Series debuted on December 4, and the public is more curious than ever about Christian Serratos, the little-known actress starring as the legendary Latina songstress.

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The 30-year-old actress has worked in Hollywood for quite some time, dating back to her childhood, but has maintained a relatively private existence until now. Playing Selena has arguably been her most visible role, even though she's played a supporting role on the hit show The Walking Dead for the past six years. So what exactly do we know about the stunning actress? Keep reading to find out.

Christian was born in California.

Christian was born in Pasadena, California, on September 21, 1990, to a Mexican American mother and an Italian American father. Her parents, raised her in Burbank, California, so she's definitely a Cali girl through-and-through.

Her parents worked in the industry ... sort of.

Well sort of, her mom is a jewelry designer and public relations agent (though not for celebs) and her dad is a set construction worker. They got her into modeling when she was 7, when she signed with the Ford Modeling Agency.

She almost went to the Olympics.

Christian started figure skating when she was just 3 years old, and was apparently quite good. "My coaches were talking about the Olympics and it was really crazy. Now, I just do it for fun," she once said.

She loves Disney.

Christian grew up near Disneyland California, and is still a huge Disney fan. She still visits the park regularly and posts about it on her Instagram. We could totally imagine her playing a Disney princess or even a fierce villain in a live-action Disney flick.

But she worked for the competition.

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Nickelodeon

Even though Christian is definitely a Disney girl and sports her Minnie ears often, she got a gig as a series regular on competitor Nickelodeon's show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide playing Suzie Crabgrass back in 2004.

Then there was 'Twilight.'

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AMC

Believe it or not, it's been a dozen years since the first Twilight film premiered, which might explain why a lot of people don't recognize Christian from the film franchise. She played Angela Weber in all three of the movies, earning herself a Young Artists Award for the supporting role.

You probably recognize her from 'The Walking Dead.'

Most grown folks probably recognize Christian from her recurring role on AMC's hit show The Walking Dead though. She stars as the almost eerily quiet but sexy badass, Rosita Espinosa from the shows fourth season (2014) through the present. We know she'll appear on the show through its 10th season which will premiere in 2021.

She's made a couple of those lists of pretty people.

Anyone with eyes can see how gorgeous Christian is, but during her Twilight era, she actually made both People's 100 Most Beautiful People list and the Maxim Hot 100 list, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

She's married to a rock star.

Christian—who honestly looks far too young to be married even though she's not—is a married woman. Her husband of six years is Danish rock star David Boyd, who's lead vocalist for the alt-rock band New Politics.

Oh and she's also a mamá.

That's right, she and her husband David share a precious 3-year-old daughter named Wolfgang. Christian openly breastfed her daughter, often posting breastfeeding selfies on Instagram and clapping back at critics. "This is my body and my page. So I will post what I want, when I want. Those who disapprove can suck my left tit," she once posted.

Christian is an animal activist.

Christian, who owns poodles, is an animal activist. She has worked with PETA for years, even posing for their often controversial campaigns. That also means, she's a vegan. "Your body shouldn't be a graveyard. Factory farms are hell for animals, and their death is slow and painful. Help animals by not eating them," she said.

She's not ashamed of her body or her femininity.

Christian is evidently quite comfortable in her own skin. She posed in a sexy lingerie shoot for FHM in 2010, and often posts sexy, but empowering selfies on her Instagram. She just exudes confidence, no matter what.

She's been vocal about police brutality.

Despite the fact that she's known for carrying (and often using) a big gun on The Walking Dead, throughout 2020, Christian has used her social media platform to speak out against police brutality and gun violence on various occasions.

She took over her look for 'Selena: The Series.'

Christina apparently cut her own bangs before filming Selena: The Series just like the Tejana icon herself did. She also told the Los Angeles Times that she did her own makeup for the show. "But every time I did my makeup on set, it made me feel so much more like her. That started off my day in character, going to work and doing my makeup," she said.

Selena is her idol.

Like many Latinas, Christian has always been a fan of Selena.

"I've always looked up to and really admired her, but I never thought I would have the opportunity to play her," she told People. "It was really intimidating to audition and to play her, but I felt prepared in life to accomplish what I think we did on this show," she said.