Who did Selena Gomez play in Dolittle? Singer's character in the movie explored

Selena Gomez's acting career has spanned over two decades and began when she was just 10, with Barney & Friends. Apart from playing on-screen roles, the Wizards Of Waverly Place alum has also been casted as a voice artist. The singer and actress voiced the character of a giraffe, Betsy, in the movie, Dolittle.

Released in January 2020 the film starring Robert Downey Jr. as Dr Dolittle is an adaptation of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, the 1920s children’s book by Hugh Lofting. Apart from Dolittle, Gomez is most popularly known for voicing Mavis Dracula in the Hotel Transylvania franchise from 2012 to 2022. The singer also voiced Selenia in the animated Arthur franchise and Helga in Horton Hears a Who!

Premiere of Universal Pictures' 'Dolittle' (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

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Selena Gomez voices this animal in the movie Dolittle

Premiere of Universal Pictures' 'Dolittle' (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Selena Gomez voiced Betsy, a friendly Maasai giraffe in Dolittle. The film revolves around the life of Dr. Dolittle played by Downey Jr, a physician who can speak to animals. Betsy is often seen volunteering for tasks in the movie and is considered one of the most selfless characters in the movie. Betsy is a warm-hearted yet brave animal and one of Dolittle's cherished friends.

The Wizards Of Waverly Place alum joined the team with along with Tom Holland (who voiced Jip, a loyal dog), Emma Thompson (voiced Polly, a blue and yellow macaw, and Dr Dolittle's most trusted advisor), John Cena (voiced Yoshi, a polar bear), Rami Malek (voiced Chee-Chee, a gorilla), and many others in the voice cast.

Along with the star-studded voice artists, Antonio Banderas (plays King Rassouli) and Michael Sheen (plays Dr. Blair Müdfly) portray live-action characters in the film. To celebrate the premiere, Gomez also took to her Instagram and captioned the picture saying,

"Had so much fun at the @dolittlemovie premiere this morning [flower and giraffe emoji] oh and I play a giraffe."

Selena Gomez was reportedly cast for the role after the director's daughter, Betsy insisted on having her in the team. Director Stephen Gaghan told Pageone magazine,

"My daughter told me, ‘You have to cast her because she’s an amazing human."

Gomez also felt grateful for her role in the movie and reported,

“If they would have called me any time in the world, I would have said yes, but luckily the director’s daughter (Betsy Gaghan) was a huge fan of mine and I’m actually named after her, the character. So, it’s really sweet.”

Selena Gomez also spoke to JBwebtv about the "imagination" and "appreciation for animals" that she finds special about her movie. Gomez added that she feels that animals are "precious" and although it may sound cheesy, people also "connect" to the animals.

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Selena Gomez has voiced many characters from Dracula's daughter in Hotel Transylvania to a giraffe in Dolittle. Apart from being a voice artist, the Love On singer continues to pick up acting roles. Betsy reportedly remains particularly special to Selena due to her love for animals.

More recently, the singer and actress has earned praise with two major roles. Gomez received a Golden Globes nomination for her role in the hit Hulu series, Only Murders In The Building. She has also been awarded the Best Actress Award during the Cannes Films Festival for her role in Spanish-musical, Emilia Pérez in May 2024, a feat she shares with her co-stars in the movie.