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Jennifer López: Taking the world by storm
By : Celeste Rodas de Juárez
She sweeps in like a hurricane, blowing everyone away with her well-choreographed dance steps, electrifying songs, moving film performances and unique fashion tastes. It’s not surprising, then, that she made history by being the first entertainer to have the number one movie and album at the same time. Her ambitions don’t end there, though. She’s already ventured into new areas, such as her own clothing label and other business ventures.
Jennifer López’s huge success is not the result of a strong marketing campaign or luck. Rather, it’s the result of more than 20 years of dedication and hard work. She expressed deep satisfaction the morning we spoke about her most recent movie Enough. After discussing her character’s determination (a woman who finally finds the strength to confront her abusive husband) and how she prepared for the role (two months of self-defense training), she spoke about the reasons for her own success.
“I started dancing when I was five years old and singing when I was 10. I didn’t just happen to fall into acting; I’ve studied and prepared for it my whole life.”
Her stint as a dancer on In Living Color caught the attention of several talent agents, who then got her to audition for the films Mi familia and Selena. With the first one, her dream of seeing her name up in lights came true. It’s the honor that, even after being nominated for a Golden Globe and being a presenter for both the Grammys and the Oscars, means the most to her.
“A lot of great things have happened to me, but the excitement I felt at the premiere of Mi familia is something that I’ll never forget,” she fondly recalls.
A dozen films later, Jennifer López is the highest paid Hispanic actress in the world ($12 million per film).
“I’m not going to lie and say that it doesn’t feel good to be the highest paid Hispanic actress. It feels real good, but money is not what motivates me. I’m a creative person—an artist—and what motivates me is my passion for… creating, dancing, designing. I’m passionate about art, not about money. If anything is going to make me proud, it’s seeing what I’ve been able to create and not what I’ve been able to earn.”
All in the family
Although there are many rumors circulating about her having a demanding and diva-like attitude, much about her seems to discredit this gossip. For example, the star of The Wedding Planner, Anaconda and The Cell is still very close to her family in spite of her fame. When she opened up her restaurant Madre’s in Pasadena, California just a few months ago, the singer hired her father and other family members to oversee it. Moreover, she chose her first husband Ojani Noa— without thinking twice about it—as the restaurant’s general manager. Although they’ve been divorced for a long time, he and Jennifer remain close friends.
After taking inventory of everything she’s accomplished, López assures us that she doesn’t react to her fame with a haughty attitude but holds the opposite attitude.
“I feel very grateful for what I have and I don’t take anything for granted. I work hard and surround myself with great people who don’t just try to flatter me but work with me and help me be a better person and artist. This helps me keep my feet on the ground.”
As far as her life today, she is walking on air, especially since she’ll soon celebrate her first anniversary with choreographer Cris Judd. She says she chose him over all her other admirers because, “Cris is simply a wonderful person.”
In regards to her starting a family with such a wonderful person, she says, “being a mom is something that shouldn’t be forced. Whenever the time is right, it will happen naturally. After all, it’s an organic process, right?”
What the future holds
While Enough will be premiering in Latin American theaters in the fall, her new film Gigli (with Ben Affleck) will be debuting in the United States. In the meantime, her remix album (J to Tha L-O!) continues to sell in record numbers. She also plans on launching a line of winter clothes and a fragrance this year.
Apparently, she’s not worried about the old saying of “biting off more than you can chew” and assures us that she isn’t doing too much.
“I’m truly passionate about everything that I do. I love music, am fascinated with acting, adore dancing and am really passionate about clothes. I’m not one of those people who feel like they have to have their hand in everything at the same time. On the contrary, I like to focus my attention on the task at hand. If I’m recording an album, then I don’t accept any film roles during that time and when I’m filming a movie, I don’t start recording an album. I live day by day, step by step.”
It seems this philosophy has taken her far. Only time will tell if this hurricane will lose its strength when it reaches business waters or if, like its done in the waters of movies and music, will continue to gain strength, blowing away the competition…and us as well.
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