Jennifer Lopez’s 2025 movie release Kiss of the Spider Woman has been a real dream for her. She’ll finally get to cross off her bucket list to star in a major musical film like she's always wanted. However, that time for the singer-actress could have come earlier with Evita, as Lopez recalled finding out the brutal way she learned Madonna got the part instead.
Ever since she first saw West Side Story on TV at her childhood Bronx home, Jennifer Lopez has wanted to star in a musical film. The “Get Right” singer said at a post-screening Q&A for her new movie musical (via Variety) about thinking that moment would come after auditioning for 1996’s Evita. Here was the brutal way Lopez found out Madonna got the lead, and I really feel for her:
I had been practicing for weeks and I sing my heart out and [Parker] goes, ‘You’re amazing. You know Madonna has the part, right?’ I said, ‘Okay, bye-bye. Nice to meet you.’
Ugh, that sounds like the worst way to find out. It’s almost like, why bother auditioning then if the part was already promised? But at the same time, every audition is an excuse to give it your all to an audience of casting directors. Knowing what a force JLo is on stage, I’m confident that she gave it her all.
The Maid in Manhattan actress' other attempts to delve into the musical world included auditioning for Nine and the Oscar-winning musical film Chicago. Lopez was also set to star in the NBC live production of Bye Bye Birdie before it was cancelled. A year after Evita was released, she got her starring role in one of the best music biopics, Selena. However, she couldn’t show off her vocal range as she was lip-syncing to the late singer she was portraying.
Fortunately, a full-circle moment occurred for Jennifer Lopez when she told director Bill Condon at the 64th Golden Globes about her wish to star in a musical. After a long battle of securing the rights for Kiss of the Spider Woman, Condon got real about only having one actress in mind for his new movie.
Remembering his Golden Globes talk with Jennifer Lopez, he knew she had to be his leading lady. Through her new role as silver screen diva Ingrid Luna, audiences will have the pleasure of seeing the award-winning performer strut her stuff, sing her heart out and don a lot of hair transformations.
I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. Bill Condon may believe that Jennifer Lopez was “born in the wrong time” and would have flourished well during early cinema. But being born in this century allowed the Hustlers actress to break barriers in film, music and dance, showing many young women what being a powerhouse looks like. Now we see that her fate is sealed this year to star in a movie musical. It was just a matter of when and not if.
It may have been disappointing for Jennifer Lopez to lose to Madonna for Evita. However, I truly believe that even if the role of Ingrid Luna came to her almost 30 years later, the Marry Me actress will truly shine and give it everything she’s got in that character. Maybe her latest role will garner her a Best Actress nomination.
See the talented star living the dream in Kiss of the Spider Woman in theaters on October 10th.
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