Selena Gomez insists young girls need to be able to 'see themselves' on screen

'Wizards of Waverly Place' star Selena Gomez has opened up on the importance of representation.

The 32-year-old actress has reflected on the importance of representation after being approached by a young mother in the audience of a "kid show" she was working on at the age of 15.

As she accepted the Equity In Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Gala, she recalled: "She was with her daughter and she said, 'I'm so excited and happy.

"'Thank you for being someone that looks like my daughter on TV because she can finally look up to someone like her.'"

Being a teenager herself, the 'Wizards of Waverly Place' star wasn't thinking much "about the representation or what the gravity of those words meant", but she still felt "very grateful" and determined to "live up to that".

She continued: "I believe that young girls need to see themselves reflected in diverse roles, heroes, leaders, and complex characters.

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"When girls see women in empowered roles like I have, it inspires them to dream big and pursue their aspirations."

The 'Only Murders In The Building' star insisted she doesn't see representation as simply "more faces on the screen", but argued there needs to be a focus on "creating opportunities for people to see themselves".

She added: "When we give people the platform to tell their stories, we not only deepen our understanding for one another, we open doors to what's possible."

Selena pointed out that this should be the case for "all types of women", singling out projects like 'Emilia Perez' - which is based on Jacques Audiard's opera libretto and stars Selena alongside Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramirez and more - as a way to "break the mold".

She told PEOPLE magazine: "I believe so whole heartedly that we deserve to be who we are. We are in control of our bodies, our minds, our soul. We know what works for us."