|
 Performing scrub duty for Park Avenue swells while portraying Marissa Ventura in Maid in Manhattan didn't seem to rub off on Jennifer Lopez. The popular singer/actress dropped by New York's Waldorf Astoria – for some serious girl talk with yours truly – looking decidedly chic in a low-cut dress, teeming with ruffles, and a cozy cover-up blue mohair sweater. We spoke about what it's like to cinematically morph into one's South Bronx roots for a bit, and then arrive back in the fairytale existence of La La Land. Lopez was in high spirits, with that now-famous sparkling ring on her finger, courtesy of beau Ben Affleck, and that sparkling smile on her very famous face. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How's it going today, girl? That's quite a ring up close. Do you ever take it off, like to wash dishes? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Yes, you take it off. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Have you ever misplaced it? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Not yet, but it hasn't been that long. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You're so much like Ben. You two must be really compatible. Just like you, Ben comes in for an interview, and he's sweet, smart and funny. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | That's how he really is! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
But if somebody said last year, Jennifer and Ben, I would have said, that's weird. And yet the two of you seem to be instant soul mates. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | You know, we just have a lot in common. We understand each other, and I think we want similar things. And he's just a wonderful person. But I think that people feel otherwise, just because of our partners before. It's weird when you're being looked at from the outside. Because there's a way that everybody kind of puts you in categories. You know, he should be with her, and she should be with him. And that's how it was before, and that's how it should always be. But we're all growing and evolving people – always. And I think everybody is kind of searching for their place. And along the way, you always wind up in places that are learning experiences. I'm not saying that I know exactly everything that's gonna happen from this moment on. But I can feel very strongly about the fact that this is the right place for me right now. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
And when you heard that Ben was voted the Sexiest Man Alive? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | When I heard? I didn't have to hear. I think that was quite evident! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Have you been teasing Ben about being voted the Sexiest Man Alive? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Teasing him? No, no. I was the Sexiest Woman two years in a row, so if I tease him, he'll probably tease me right back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Does it mean anything to you that you and Ben are under the same star sign? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | That we're both Leos? I think that's a good thing. Yeah, I read my horoscope and all that stuff. It's fun. But it's, you know, just entertainment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How identified were you with your character Marissa in Maid in Manhattan? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | It really did bring back a lot of memories – filming up in the Bronx and everything. It just made me realize how far away from that character I'm not. It felt like the same exact thing, like I had never left the Bronx. It was such a good feeling. I was familiar with my surroundings. It was just easy, as far as the background of the character and all that. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Now that you're on the rich-and-famous side of life, do you ever take special notice of maids who serve you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I'll tell you, you go about your day, and you're always so busy. And I'm the type... I'm like in, out, up, and out. And so for me, like going in and out of a hotel, I barely notice anything. If my best friend were standing in front of me, I'd walk right by her. But it did make me realize something, like when I was staying in Philadelphia. I was like, "Hey, hello!" to all the maids and the other people working in hotel – the concierge and all the people that I would usually just rush past. Because this film does give you an understanding of, like stop for a second, and say hello. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Is it true that your first boyfriend worked in a hotel? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | He did! Yes, it's true. Hey, I'm not in the habit of lying to you all the time…. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Okay.... You play a mom in Maid in Manhattan. Do you think you'd like to be a real-life mom anytime soon? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I've always wanted to have a family. And I feel like it'll happen in its natural time. When it's supposed to. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Maid in Manhattan is also about falling in love with someone above you in life. Have you ever had an experience like that? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: |
And you want people to respect you. Or look at you in the same way they look at everybody else. So that was definitely an emotion in the movie that I could understand completely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You have this amazing fairytale life yourself, just like your character in the movie. Do you ever take a step outside of your life and think, this is all happening to some other person? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No, no no. I happen to love my job. But I also know that's a part of doing what I do. That's a byproduct of the fact that I'm in the public eye. It never becomes like two separate people. It's just like my acting and singing, it's all me. And I just deal with it as appropriately for however is best for my survival. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How has the Bronx shaped you as a person? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | For me, the Bronx is everything that I am. It manifests itself in everything that I do. Like it comes out in my songs and the different interviews that I do. And I think people think it's more of a calculated thing. And it's so funny, because things are so much more simple than everybody makes them out to be. You know, it's really just that I grew up in the Bronx. I spent most of my first twenty years there. That's where all the foundation of the person that I am came from. And that's not gonna go away. And I'm sorry if everybody doesn't wanna hear about it, but that's just the God's honest truth. And it's gonna come out constantly, because that's who I am. I'm a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you think you've grown with your latest album? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I feel like I have. I would have been selling myself short if I didn't push myself to do something a little different – a little more of what I was feeling inside. And I really do feel like I tapped into what I was feeling, and was able to kind of make myself a bit more vulnerable. And I think it made for a better record. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What about the jokes in the movie about your, well, physical assets. Was that your idea? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No, it wasn't my idea. And I think they maybe had added that later – when I wasn't around! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you think we live in a time that's too cynical for a romantic fairytale like Maid in Manhattan? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No way. Oh God, it would be a sad day if that were true. Fairy tales are forever, aren't they? I hope so. I'd be very sad if they weren't. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Your character Marissa runs off into her own fairytale when she puts on some fabulous clothes. When was it that some clothes you put on first put magic into your life? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I think it was probably going to the Oscars. One year, I wore like this black ball gown to the Oscars, and felt like a princess. It was a great time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Who was the first big musical influence on you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I think Madonna. For my era growing up, [she] was the quintessential performer, and a push-the-envelope type of person. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Are you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No, I don't think that I'm a push-the-envelope type of person. But I think Madonna was so visionary. And in her shows, she was so expressive. So that was very inspiring for me as a young girl. I remember seeing a lot of her shows. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Talk a little about the social-class hostilities in Maid in Manhattan, and how you felt about that, coming from the Bronx. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | We thought that was really important in the movie. You know, it's funny how people can be like snobs. And they're just people like you are. But they have like this superior attitude. And I think everybody has encountered thatit doesn't matter what race you are. If you're dressed in the wrong clothes or go around in sweatpants one day, people will treat you in a certain way. It's all about appearances, and stuff like that. This movie deals with that in a lot of ways. And for that reason, I loved doing this movie. We tried to touch on a lot of those different types of situations and appearances. You know, like when my character is dressed up in all of the nice clothes, it doesn't matter how she's talking, or where she looks like she's from, or what race she is, or anything. Because Marissa is dressed right. And it's not to say that if she were dressed in a different way, that Ralph's character wouldn't like her. But when she was dressed as a maid, he didn't even notice her. So that was kind of the idea. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What were some of the things that made 2002 a special year for Jennifer Lopez? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Let's see.... This was kind of a rough year for me. I think it was a year where there was a lot of growth for me – kind of figuring things out. But really, I think the best thing about this year for me, was actually coming out the other side. And kind of feeling like much more comfortable with who I was. And I think you'll see that, and feel that on my record. You'll see that more in me too. I think the people around me have noticed that. And for that, it was a very special year. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What will be the next single from the album? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | The next single is a duet with LL Cool J, called "All I Have." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Are you going to tour? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I'm definitely going to do a show next year. Whether we'll take it on the road, is still up for debate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How are you going to fit Ben and a little loving into your super busy schedule? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Does working together help that balance? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Yeah, we worked together a lot this year. So that actually did help a lot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Is it a problem with the two of you taking your work into your private lives? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No, it's not really a problem, because we met working. And it's not all we have to talk about! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What is your idea of romance? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | My idea of romance? Oh, God. Commitment, you know? Really being committed to something, which is tough in this day and age. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Maid in Manhattan is about romance in the public eye. How close to home did that hit for you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I have had romances in the public eye before, but never, I don't think, to this degree. Actually, I didn't think about it, to tell you the truth. I know what it's like, so I guess it was just like a second-nature thing to me. I think the funniest line in the whole movie for me, when I watched it last night, was when I said – and I get a kick out of myself every time I say it – "All those cameras, all the time, I don't know how you do it." And I think that was really badly delivered. I might have hit a false note in my performance there! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How do you deal with that dilemma in your own life? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | You just get used to it. I think I went through my time where it was just really strange, and kind of surreal to me. And now it's just par for the course, it's just part of my life now. Like I said, it's kind of knowing who you are and what you do. And what that is, and being okay with that. You know, this is part of it and that's part of it. And I love this part, and I'm not crazy about that part. You learn to take stock in all of the great things and just say, "It's a part of the whole deal." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Why is commitment so hard to find in this industry? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Because it's kind of a gypsy life. Just like the traveling salesman, in a way, you're the traveling entertainer. It's tough; it's a tough business. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What does Christmas mean to you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | As a child, my Christmases were always exactly the same. Like any families, you have traditions. Like you go to Grandma's house. You go to church in the morning. You come back, and Grandma has cooked all the same foods that she's cooked for the last ten years. And then they play the same music. And that's kind of how it is. But the best memories I have are of the family being together. Because for me, I think it's the one thing I miss in my adulthood, having the family so close together all the time. This is a different generation now, where, you know, the kids have gone off. This is the first generation where the girls – because it's all girls in my family – have gone off and made their separate lives in all different places. They have careers, and are all more independent than the women who came before them. So it's a little harder for us to get together. So it just doesn't have the same feeling. But now that there's kids in the family, it feels like we're getting a little bit back to that. Because everybody wants to be where the kids are. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you have more of a Puerto Rican or American-style Christmas? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | My mom and dad came here when they were babies. My mom was like two and my dad was six. So it's always been a more American-style Christmas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What is one thing you and Ben like to do to get away from the cameras and craziness of publicity? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | Next! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
"I'm Coming Out" is your character's theme song in this movie. Do you have a theme song? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | I don't know. I guess the soundtrack to my life is different at different times. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you ever want to just have a normal life again and, for instance, get back on the subway? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
J. LO.: | No, I don't miss the subway! December 2002 Previous J. Lo. Features on NY Rock:
Send this page to a friend • Mailing list • Current stories • Classifieds
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The latest NY Rock banter: Today's News: • Music • Movies • Entertainment NY Rock Confidential: • Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Paybacks, Dollyrots, • Patti Smith, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Joey Ramone Birthday Bash with NY Dolls, etc. • Henry Rollins, Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Gojira, Machine Head, Debbie Harry, Miss Guy, Pretty Boys, Theo and the Skyscrapers, Glass Hand Didi's Back: • Miss Lez 2007 • Zombies Attack Dear Dr. Dot: • Sex advice Jeanne's & Otto's (Incredibly Awesome) Blog Soft Porn Central TRUE! Cartoons | |||
|