Jennifer Lopez shows true colours over feelings for estranged husband Ben Affleck with latest move

Jennifer Lopez has opened up about her role in the new movie Unstoppable, which was produced by her ex Ben Affleck, and shared that she doesn't have any regrets about working with Ben.

She is the star of her estranged husband’s new film, but Jennifer Lopez says she has no regrets about taking on the role. The actress is appearing in new release Unstoppable, which was produced by her ex Ben Affleck and shot while the pair were still happily married. However, they announced their divorce after two years of marriage in August this year, but Jennifer, 55, is glad she accepted the role.

Speaking to international media at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, she says, as OK! reports, “As I think back on my career, maybe at times I should’ve been more selective [when taking roles]. Maybe I should’ve waited for this director or done this thing or that, but this is my journey. This is the one that I’m on, and I’ve done it and I made all the choices myself. And, you know, some work and some don’t — but that’s not the point. “The point is, I got to do all that, and I really loved it. I can think of maybe one or two movies out of the 50 or 60 that I’ve made where I felt, ‘Ugh, maybe I wouldn’t have done that. That was no fun.’ But it’s so few. Like, 0.001%. The rest, I’d do it all over again.”

Equally Ben, 52, has no regrets about casting Jennifer into a main role — after all, back then he couldn’t have predicted their split — and has hailed her performance as “spectacular”. She plays Judy Robles, the mother of wrestler Anthony who, despite being born with one leg, overcame several adversities to pursue his sporting dream. The film is based on a true story and Jennifer worked closely with the real Judy to perfect her portrayal.

“Judy was very open with me about her experiences,” Jennifer says. “The difficult ones as well as the happier times. You know, she was quite young [when she gave birth to her son]. She was 16 years old when she had Anthony, so she was kind of a child herself. All of these things inform the character.

“And because she was so open with me, I was able to take a lot of things that she told me and infuse them into the script. When I first read the script, I felt like this was Anthony’s story. But after I met her and I met the two of them together — and after everything she told me — I realised how this is their story. He really credits her with who he’s become and his becoming unstoppable. And like Anthony says, we’re all wrestling with something. There’s always something on the other side of that mat that you have to face.”

Jennifer — who is mum to 16-year-old twins Emme and Max — says she drew on her own experiences as a parent when getting into character. “Obviously, being a mother made me understand it more,” she says. “If I had played her not being a mother, it would’ve maybe been a very different performance from me. But being a mum and understanding what it is to want the best for your children and to put them before you is something that we obviously connected on.”

The film, based on Anthony’s 2012 biography Unstoppable: From Underdog To Undefeated: How I Became A Champion , follows his dream of becoming a wrestler. At the age of three, Anthony ripped off his prosthetic leg and wanted to prove that life is about the things you can do, and not the things you can’t. Despite constant rejection and setbacks, Anthony went on to win a national wrestling championship in 2011. And like Anthony, Jennifer admits there have been times in her life where she felt like she wasn’t good enough.

Speaking in October, she said, “I think my whole life I’ve just been trying to say I’m good enough, until where I am now, when I know. I’m giving myself credit. I’m telling that little girl that grew up in the Bronx, ‘You’ve done really good for yourself.’ I didn’t do that for so many years. And now I think, with everything that’s happened in my life and in my relationships and even in my career, it’s like, give yourself a bit of comfort and love.

“We’ve been through a lot of things that nobody knows about, and you’ve persevered and you refuse to give up and to let it get you down. There’s something to be said for that because things can really change your life in a way that you do want to give up and say, ‘F**k this, this is too hard, I don’t want to do this any more.’ But I’m not there. I refuse to not give myself everything that little girl deserves.”

It’s clear that despite the ups and downs of Jennifer’s life — she’s had four marriages end in divorce — this new film has given her a renewed belief about hope.

“It’s about understanding who you are and what your strengths are,” she tells us. “It’s about playing to those things. It’s not about focusing on the weaknesses or the times you fell down or the times you didn’t win. Instead, focus on, ‘I did win that one time. And, you know what, I can do it again. I am worthy and I am strong — and I can get through.’ All of those things are what this movie’s about, but it’s also a beautiful story about a mother and son. It’s about family and I think a lot of people are going to enjoy it.”

Unstoppable is certainly a gear change for Jennifer and was a huge step away from the action and romcoms we are used to seeing her in. “The thing with me is that I’ve never thought that I only want to do this type of movie or that type of movie,” she says. “I’ve always let myself be open to whatever. I’ll do a musical. I’ll do a drama. I’ll do a small movie. I’ll do a big movie. I’ll do a small part. I’ll do a bigger part. You know, I’ll do a romantic comedy. Thrillers. It doesn’t matter to me. The opportunity to play a great character and to continue doing what I love is really the motivation for me. There’s nothing really too much beyond that.”

Despite another difficult year in her personal life, Jennifer is hoping to end 2024 on a career high. There is already a huge buzz in Hollywood around the film and there’s a chance she could land an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress — if she does it would be a career first. It would also be a fitting reward for Jennifer, especially since she said playing this particular role has been “one of the great honours of my life.”

“These are the type of movies that the world needs right now more than ever,” Jennifer adds. “Inspiring, uplifting, exciting and emotional. At times difficult to watch but so real and so moving. It’s a perfect family movie. It will have you cheering while you hold back the tears.”