This year, Jennifer Lopez put on her stilettos and walked right into America’s arms with her critically acclaimed performance in Hustlers.
So, color us shocked to hear the 50-year-old performer reveal she didn’t get paid for portraying the film’s iconic and extremely money-savvy stripper, Ramona, in her latest interview with GQ. ICYMI, the outlet has officially named her as their Icon Of The Year!
Related: J.Lo Recalls Time She Fought Back At Director Who Wanted To See Her Boobs!
The admission came up as the multi-hyphenate entertainer reflected on her “savage” role in the Lorene Scafaria-directed movie and noted she’s never been motivated by money when deciding on a project:
“I do things because I love them. I didn’t get paid a whole bunch of money for Hustlers. I did it for free and produced it. I bank on myself. That’s the Jenny From the Block. I do what I want, I do what I love. But it was kind of a really different mindset to get into to play Ramona.”
Man, talk about being in love with your craft!
For those who might’ve forgotten, Miz Lopez spent countless hours in the gym and trained with a pole dancer to learn how to pull off an authentic stripper’s routine in the flick. And, she did it all without the motivation of a check!
We’re sure an Oscar nod and potential win will be worth it!
Alex Rodriguez‘s fiancée explained her character’s confidence and total independence as a hustler challenged memories of her own upbringing and really inspired her throughout the entire creative process:
“Whether she was doing great things or bad things, she was very clear about what she wanted and what her goals were. And that she could do it on her own. Like, you never see a man in her life. There’s men. But she was so self-sufficient. For me, who grew up with my sister sleeping in the same bed, and then went from one relationship to the other, playing that character, and having to be that independent and in charge, I was just like, ‘God, this is so empowering.’”
The Dance Again artist added:
“It was fun when I was playing it. It was scary when I was watching it.”
J.Lo also told GQ she’s very proud of the impact of Hustlers and called it a “moment” for women everywhere:
“This is our movie where we run s**t. They know it’s all women producers, women director, women writer, all women starring in it. And they kind of took ownership of that. We’ve been watching men take advantage of women in movies a long time. And so it was a fun kind of ride to see the tables turn.”
At one point in her interview, the conversation shifted to the starlet’s upcoming halftime show performance at the NFL Super Bowl alongside fellow Latin artist, Shakira.
Well aware of the controversy surrounding the gig and why stars like Pink and Rihanna both turned it down, Jen admitted she has no conflicting feelings about saying yes to the opportunity. She said:
“I understand people not wanting to do it. Everybody has to make their own choices. They have to feel good about what they’re doing. I feel like it’s an amazing platform and one of the biggest in the world to put out whatever message you want to put out there. Whatever message of love or — I don’t want to give anything away — I think it’s taking a chance to do it. I feel that it’s a great thing to have two Latina women in Miami headlining the Super Bowl, and what we could do with those 12 to 14 minutes to make people understand our worth and value in this country.… I think it could be a really beautiful celebration.”
Inneresting take!
It’s almost as if she’s taking a nod from Ramona, again, and grabbing a male-dominated system by the balls to make her own statement. We’ll certainly be excited to see what these ladies have cooked up for us!
Before you go, ch-ch-check out Lopez’s cover shot and visuals:
And let us know your thoughts on this interview in the comments (below)!
[Image via WENN]
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