Jennifer Lopez is opening up about how meaningful it was to work on her forthcoming movie, which she filmed in the lead up to her split from Ben Affleck.
This week, the "This Is Me… Now" singer is premiering Unstoppable, the story about Anthony Robles, the wrestler who was born with one leg, and in 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship.
The Hustlers actress stars in the movie, which was produced by Ben and his longtime partner and best friend Matt Damon, as Anthony's mom, alongside Jharrell Jerome (Anthony) as well as Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle, among others.
Jennifer, speaking with Entertainment Weekly about her role, playing a woman who in addition to being Anthony's mom, remains in an abusive and toxic marriage, shared: "There was a lot about her that I understood," adding: "There were different sides to [her husband] that the kids didn't see, that only Judy saw. With those types of people, there's a part of them that fools you into thinking that they care about you and that they truly love you — and it's really about their damage that they're putting onto you."
"There was a lot going on with the two of them that was dysfunctional and unhealthy, but she loved him and wanted him to be there," she added.
Jennifer also took to Instagram to further gush about the movie and the story it tells. "When I first learned about the true story behind Unstoppable, I was moved beyond words," she wrote, noting: "It's a testament to resilience, grit, and the human spirit."
"It was such an honor playing Judy Robles in this incredible story about her son Anthony Robles. Both Anthony and Judy are real examples and define what it means to be UNSTOPPABLE," she concluded.
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Last year, when the project was first announced as the second film Ben and Matt would be producing through their newly founded production company, Artists Equity, the former raved about having cast Jennifer in the project. Speaking with CBS News at the time, when asked about the rumors of her participation, he attempted to keep it under wraps, simply saying: "We always hire the very best performers. And in this case, I can say every single person that's been cast so far I think is the very absolute best choice."
© Mike MarslandHe eventually relented though, confirming: "Yes, I believe Jennifer Lopez may be doing that movie."
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© GettyOnce he confirmed the news, he couldn't help but gush about her, and even admitted: "Can't make it look like she's doing it as a favor to me, but actually she is."
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© GettyBen then detailed what a major perk it was to get to work with his then-wife, endearingly adding: "What fun, what a joy to do something with her, see her be great, go to work with your wife, go to work with your best friend."
He further said: "Because ultimately, like, your work becomes the lion's share of what defines your life, in terms of the time you spend. And if you don't like who you're working with, and if you have difficulty or trouble at work, I think it's one of the things that can really cause depression, anxiety and pain for people."
