Jennifer Lynn Lopez is a chameleon of modern culture, a veteran of over 40 movies and eight albums, and someone who has combined clever career reinvention with a refusal to bow down to the preconceptions of age.
In doing so, the 53-year-old actress, singer, businesswoman, and philanthropist has cemented her place as an inspiration for a demographic so wide that, no matter your age, your gender, or your background, Jennifer Lopez will always be infinitely interesting.
Jennifer Lopez is not only enjoying a career renaissance, but she's also looking fitter than ever, something provoked a few years ago when she decided to take stock of her life in the lingering aftermath of her divorce from Marc Anthony. Not only has she just finished recording her ninth studio album, "This Is Me… Now", which is due for release in 2023, and marks the 20th anniversary of her "This Is Me… Then" chart-topper from the early days of the Millennium, she is embarking on a film renaissance that shows JLo remains on top of the game, as proven in new movie Shotgun Wedding.
STRIPLV: It must be said the chemistry between you and Josh Duhamel in your new film, Shotgun Wedding is intense. LOPEZ: It's a great film and a nice diversion from some of the easy romance stuff I have been doing over the past few years. I think if you can combine genres such as romcom and action in a way that feels like you're maxing out each part of the storyline and not just doing it or hanging on for the hell of it, that's a really interesting way to go. STRIPLV: did you imagine that, at 53, you would still be doing action movies of this nature? LOPEZ: In all honesty, yes. I never looked at a certain age and supposed I would be winding down the types of films I was doing. That's a defeatist mindset, and I guess when you're in my mind you don't ever really imagine anything is going to be anything other than how it is now. Of course, life turns around and dictates that for you, but if you ask me if I think I will have stopped doing action movies at 60 or 70, I will still say no. It just seems inconceivable to me that one day I won't be able to do what I do now. STRIPLV: You're always outspoken about women and how proud they should be of their bodies and how they evolve. LOPEZ: Exactly. There shouldn't be one concept of what is beautiful or ideal-looking. I've had to overcome a lot of negative things that were said to me when I first started working in Hollywood. I was constantly being told to lose weight, but I basically told people, 'Look, I'm okay with my shape and the way I look. The way we look feeds in very closely to mental health. Whether we like it or not, a lot comes from that first place of what people make of us from our visual appearance. Ultimately, we are always beating ourselves up. If it's not our bodies, it's whether we're spending enough time with our kids. Are we doing a good job? Are we making them happy? All those things are weighing on us. It's hard. STRIPLV: You've spoken about your love for the Dominican Republic, so it must have been lovely to go back to film Shotgun Wedding. LOPEZ: There is such a calm energy to the place. The people are wonderful, and the weather never lets you down. We have always had fun filming there, and this time, with so many outward bound and jungle scenes, we got to explore a bit more than normal. STRIPLV: Is it churlish to suggest it would have been an excellent possible wedding location for you? LOPEZ: It would. (Laughs) STRIPLV: The intensity over your relationship with Ben has calmed recently. Does the constant intrusion ever annoy or flatter you? LOPEZ: It's flattering that people follow your career and your fortunes so intently. People like the news. We all do, so I get it. I have always got it. I don't feel offended by any of it, only the lies. I think in this world you need to stay truthful to yourself and remember who you are. A long time ago, I realized I had nothing left to prove to myself. That is one of those flippant statements that you find yourself coming out with over the course of your career, and it's very easy to say, even if sometimes you may question whether you mean it. I can say that I have nothing left to prove to myself now, and I know now I honestly mean it, so that is very comforting to me, and a lot of that is because I am so content in my personal life. STRIPLV: How different are you, as a person, compared to, say, 25 years ago? LOPEZ: I think at the heart of it is the fact I continue to learn about myself and try to keep evolving as a woman and as a person and as a human being. And yet, I think that the most important lesson I've learned is to love yourself first. I am not in going through challenges and trials, nor am I in, at times, struggling to find the answer to the puzzle. I believe we all get there in the end, though. STRIPLV: What did you take out, as a lesson, from your autobiography, True Love? LOPEZ: "When pressed to put into words things you have pocketed away, it becomes quite a tough experience, but one that is ultimately very satisfying. I've not met anyone who hasn't expressed some sort of feeling of therapy when it comes to writing an autobiography. It proved an extremely valuable experience for me, and I am definitely more at peace as a result of doing it. And I would like to think the decisions I have made since writing that have backed up the fact it put me in a good place. I think it makes you realize that, as life goes on, you never have all the answers, and never did you have them in the past. So with that in mind, you need to be forgiving to yourself. It's easy to beat yourself up over the past, but when you have the time to really drill down on the detail of what happened, why it happened, and why you did what you did, you realize all you ever did at any one point in time was put everything you had into it. It's so easy to beat yourself up over things that, in hindsight, you realize you shouldn't have. STRIPLV: You seem to be edging back towards film after some exciting TV projects. LOPEZ: Premium television drama still offers more freedom than film. There's more diversity as well as a lot of opportunity to be very creative. TV is able to accommodate all types of actors from different cultures and traditions, so it's a very exciting time. A turning point, in my opinion, was the arrival of Shonda Rhimes and Grey's Anatomy. There, I said to myself: 'Hey, the TV is doing something interesting.' Finally, I saw the world that I observe every day in the street. That's why I wanted to create a project like Shades of Blue. You get to a point where you don't want to run away from reality; instead, there's a desire to create drama that reflects everyday life, including the challenges. All that said, by stepping up into producer and director roles, I can put a lot more into one film and really be a part of that process in myself because it's one project, one storyline, and one timeframe. That's a lot easier to take in than a season or two of drama, so both variations have their advantages and disadvantages." STRIPLV: You are on a physical and mental high right now. LOPEZ: I feel more secure, and I've learned to feel good about myself. That's been a big step for me because while we all crave validation in one form or another, I realize I don't have to be governed or defined by the approval of others, and I certainly don't need that to make me happy. I've also never felt better about my work, my image, or my body than I do now. I don't have any longing for the past – I don't want to be 20 again. Maybe that's the secret of feeling freer and happier as you get older – want to be the person you will be in the future, not the one who lives in your past. STRIPLV: And yet you've said you still like to play younger characters you can relate to personally, somehow? LOPEZ: Of course, when you find that role, it adds gravitas to what you do. Hollywood is nothing like real life, and that's the whole reason we have escapism, but sometimes you do feel you can get close to something real, and that can make for a special experience where you outwardly project into a character, yet also allow that person to permeate barriers within yourself. It can be a very enlightening experience. I do like playing parts where I can share a feeling, an emotion, or a condition in which I have found myself in at some point during my own life. Because as I said, what we're always trying to do as actors is represent or symbolize a certain type of person. There are familiar ways that certain characters are portrayed, and you don't want to play someone exactly the same as someone has done with another character before. You want to carry it out in your own way. You've got to put that stamp on it like only you know. That's why they choose you to play the part. STRIPLV: Are there times when you've been sent a script or been asked to play a part and felt that it was too close to home to be able to do it? Too upsetting, maybe? LOPEZ: I wouldn't say that things which are too relatable for me personally might fully stop me from playing a part. There are many factors that impact whether I want to be involved in a particular project or not. I wouldn't say it's just one thing. Generally, I go with the feel and the vibe of a project, and when I decide, I decide. And never look back and regret it. STRIPLV: How come? Talk to me about regret. LOPEZ: Surely, we have all had regrets at one time or another? I have made decisions which I have later felt weren't right, but only ones that impacted me. I would rather regret decisions that cost me rather than those that impacted others. I don't want to have to take on that burden. I hope there isn't a situation where that exists is the truth. Ultimately, we all make mistakes, and isn't that how we all learn to become better people? Well, some do, some don't, but no regret is ever worth it. STRIPLV: Are you referencing anyone in particular there? LOPEZ: No! I wouldn't be that crude, right? (Laughs) STRIPLV: Are you proud of the way you have, as you've referred to it in the past, fought from the bottom to reach the top? LOPEZ: Well, if it wasn't for my mom, I don't think I would have had the resolve to make it as far as I have or to keep on getting up after I'd been knocked down. I learned that the hard way when I was younger, and I didn't understand that my mom was doing it for my own good further down the line. I would misbehave in various ways and thought I was clever. But I soon found out that my mom didn't think that, and it wasn't great – far from it. But also, my mom introduced that musical lifestyle to me, and I knew immediately that's where my future lay. My mom was the one who taught me that if you worked hard in life, then you can achieve your dreams. She and my dad both worked different jobs so we could have a better life, and I really appreciated how they accepted their responsibilities and never complained. It comes down to the fact if you want to be successful at anything, you're going to have to work for it. No one is going to give it to you. Then when you do achieve something, you're always looking forward to what comes next. Stopping isn't an option.
THE ULTIMATE JLO HEALTH AND FITNESS ROUTINE
Jennifer Lopez has never been busier than she is today. A fiercely disciplined mother of twins Emme and Max, born February 2008, from her former marriage to singer Marc Anthony, wife to Ben Affleck, and movie world mainstay, she relies on a direct and disciplined approach to health and fitness.
JLo trained as a professional dancer before becoming an actress, though she admits that once she reached her Forties realized she needed to up the ante on her workout routine to maintain form.
“I’ve got in the habit of training very hard over the last few years. It’s like you’re a boxer training for a fight, but it pays off. And as you get older, it’s even more important to put in the extra hours of training to keep your body toned.”
“I started as a dancer, and I remember whenever I arrived at the gym in the morning, I would spend as many hours as I could there. I would train until the point of exhaustion, so I have the mentality to push myself pretty hard.”
JLo follows a daily program of concentrated dance sessions combined with daily 20-minute meditation sessions to achieve well-being and balance in her life:
“It’s a whole rounded regimen that deals with your mind, your soul, your spirit, and your body. It’s working out, and it’s dancing, it’s meditating. And then, at the end of the day, just being happy, being with my kids, and feeling the love and the joy that they give me. All of that helps balance it out, so work doesn’t feel so crazy.”
Lopez will spend 30 minutes to an hour going through various stages of dance movements (always to music) as part of her daily workout regimen. She feels she gets just as impressive body toning results from dancing as she would from other workout routines such as Pilates et al.
“Working out is part of what makes me so happy,” she says. “Dance has always been a huge part of my life, and taking the time to move my body and do something that’s so good for me is key to my happiness. The endorphin rush that comes with a good dance session really helps boost my confidence and my mood. I still consider myself a dancer at heart, and I love it.”
“I always carry fruit and veggies with me to give me something to snack on between meals. I also make sure I drink plenty of water and fuel my body with healthy foods, and I make it a priority to get eight hours of sleep a night. I also love to relax with my kids after a workout and share a healthy snack with them.”