Jennifer Lopez has some personal experience with her latest role.
During a Q&A following a Nov. 5 screening for her upcoming film, “Unstoppable,” the actress opened up about navigating “challenging relationships” amid her ongoing divorce from her estranged husband, Ben Affleck, according to Hello! Magazine.
Lopez — who plays Judy Robles, the mother of NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles, in the new movie — discussed how “relatable” it is for women who’ve also had to navigate difficult issues while “being a mother.”
“I think a lot of women have gone through that, and she [Judy] and I talked a lot,” she said, noting that she and Judy became well acquainted through the experience because she “wanted her to really feel safe with me [while] sharing details.”
The singer is also mom to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, whom she shares with her ex-husband Marc Anthony.
“When you talk to Judy’s kids, including Anthony, they’re like, ‘My mom’s so positive, she’s so great,’” Lopez continued. “There was a whole different story there that she was living, that you hide from your children, you protect your children from that.”
The “Hustlers” actress went on to tell the audience that she wanted to “not just play the mom who the kids knew, but to play the woman who raised these children and how she found her own strength.”
She added that she didn’t want “anybody to see me” in her onscreen performance. “I wanted them to see Judy in it,” she said.
The new film, which is scheduled to premiere in theaters on Dec. 6, is produced by Affleck’s Artists Equity production company.
When asked for his thoughts on Lopez’s performance in the new film earlier this month, Affleck briefly gushed over his soon-to-be ex-wife, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Jennifer is spectacular.”
Lopez also responded to Affleck’s comment during the Nov. 5 Q&A, saying, “I would describe all of the cast and everybody behind the scenes as spectacular and wonderful.”
The “Let’s Get Loud” singer officially filed for divorce from Affleck after two years of marriage in August.
