Jennifer Lopez has spoken about the difficulties she faced as a Latin actress beginning her career, describing being cast in a lead role on horror film Anaconda as ‘groundbreaking’.
The Wedding Planner star, 51, revealed overcoming the film industry’s stereotypes as a Latin woman, saying that she wanted to be cast as the ‘lead’ rather than the ‘cook or the nanny’.
Describing trying to break through these stigmas, the actress said she wanted to ‘represent for everybody’ and show that it did not matter ‘if you were Latin or black or Asian’.
Movies: Jennifer Lopez has spoken about overcoming the film industry’s stereotypes as a Latin woman, saying that she wanted to be cast as the ‘lead’ rather than the ‘cook or the nanny’
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s At Home With interview series, she said: ‘Back then, it was just like, “How am I going to be an actress?”
‘And in my mind, I was like, “I want to play the girl, the woman.” Right. Just not the Latin woman in the Latin role where you think I should play the cook or the nanny or something like that.
‘That I wanted to be the lead, I wanted to just represent for everybody and make everybody see that it didn’t matter if you were Latin or black or Asian or whatever, you’re a girl, you’re a human being.
‘And so there was those challenges of breaking through that.’
Jennifer, who has since starred in hit movies including Maid In Manhattan and Second Act, recalled thinking ‘I did it’ when she was first cast as the lead in a rom-com.
The Hollywood star said working on the 1997 film Anaconda alongside Ice Cube was ‘groundbreaking’, as Jennifer and Ice’s characters were the only two who escaped unscathed.
Groundbreaking: The Hollywood star said that working on the 1997 film Anaconda, alongside Ice Cube, was a chance where she was able to ‘change the narrative’
She said it was ‘amazing’ to be able to change the narrative when it was ‘very challenging’ to do so at the time.
She explained: ‘When I got even the movie Anaconda, and it was me and Cube starring in an action movie. And we weren’t going to get killed. We survived. Everybody else died and we survived. And that was groundbreaking.
‘And for me, it was so exciting to be able to change that narrative and show people that it could be done. And it was very challenging at that time. Really, really hard.
‘And I think now it’s more accepted. But still, I mean, the Latin representation in movies is still 6%.’
Speaking about the need for diversity in the industry, Jennifer shared her shock after a woman told her that the only two films she had seen that were both produced and starring Latin people were hers.
Jennifer has both starred in and produced crime drama Shades of Blue, hit movie Hustlers and rom-com Second Act, among other titles.
Loved-up: Jennifer is currently engaged to her beau Alex Rodriguez, after the couple announced their happy news in March last year, (pictured in January)
As well as her acting success, Jennifer is a No.1 hit musician, having recently collaborated with Maluma on two tracks, Pa’ Ti and Lonely.
The popstar, known by her nickname JLo, described how music is making strides for diversity, arguing that ‘everything follows music’.
She said that it is ‘such a big deal’ that musicians singing in Spanish are now topping the English and global charts as the music industry faces changes.
She continued: ‘I believe music dictates the whole entire world. Because fashion follows music, movies follow music, everything follows music.
‘So what’s happening right now – With all of these artists singing in Spanish and charting in the English charts and in the global charts is such a big deal.
‘And you watch how that tumbleweeds or snowballs into something even better and bigger for Latinos in the world and in this country. So I’m excited about what’s happening in music for sure.’
Diversity: Jennifer has both starred in and produced drama Shades of Blue and hit movie Hustlers (pictured L-R: Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer and Constance Wu)
The star went on to express her admiration for English singer Dua Lipa, who is best-known for her hit track Don’t Start Now.
Speaking about the 25-year-old’s recent release Un Dia with J. Balvin and Bad Bunny, Jennifer said: ‘I love that one. I really love Dua. I’ve met her a couple of times.
‘She came to my show. But there’s something about her, like I know that she’s looking and she has the bigger picture vision. I can tell.’
The triple threat talent gave Dua high praise, saying that the young star is ‘killing the game’ right now and even described herself as a ‘fan’.
Jennifer is currently engaged to her beau Alex Rodriguez, after the couple announced their happy news in March last year.
She has been divorced three times and shares a twins Emme and Maximilian, both 12, with her ex-husband Marc Anthony, who split up in 2014 after ten years.
No. 1 fan: JLo expressed her admiration for English singer Dua Lipa, saying that the 25-year-old star is ‘killing the game’ right now
Her fiance Alex, 45, has two daughters Natasha, 15, and Ella, 12, from his relationship with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis, to whom he was wed from 2002 until 2008.
Describing her partner’s music taste, she admitted that the former baseball player is ‘stuck in the eighties’ and ‘loves air guitar’.
She added: ‘I’m doing the DJ list for like the New Year’s Eve party and I’m thinking we’re going to have like Drake and this and all of these songs on here and he’s like, why are they not playing any Bon Jovi?’
Power couple JLo and A-Rod chatted with Joe Biden and his wife Jill last week, after they endorsed the presidential candidate on Instagram.
The pair encouraged Latino voters to make their voice heard this election, as JLo wrote, ‘we’re more powerful together’.
When asked about her greatest concern, she said: ‘For me, it’s unifying the nation again. Getting rid of this hate.’
Joe Biden thanked the power couple for the chat as he tweeted: ‘Thank you for stepping up and speaking out. As Jennifer said: The Latino community has the power to determine the outcome of this election.’
Voting: JLo has been encouraging Latino voters to make their voice heard this election, as JLo wrote ‘we’re more powerful together’, while endorsing candidate Joe Biden
JLo has long spoken out against Trump, saying in February, ‘Other people can try to build walls, keep us out or put us in cages. We are proud to recognise that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great.’
Up next in Jennifer’s acting career is her new rom-com Marry Me, which is due to air just before Valentine’s Day, on the 12th of February, 2021.
The movie co-stars Colombian music icon Maluma, along with blond funnyman Owen Wilson.
Owen, 51, is reuniting with Jennifer for this latest project after the duo previously co-starred together in creature feature Anaconda.
It currently remains to be seen whether the release will be theatrical or an at-home special due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.