Jennifer Lopez addresses ‘Unstoppable’, early career as ‘latina’ in Hollywood

Jennifer Lopez didn’t get to the top easily.

The actress got candid in an interview on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast about the challenges she faced as a Latina while starting out in the Hollywood, while talking about her movie Unstoppable.

“I heard someone say that positive change is slow — and it is — but as long as we’re moving in the right direction, that’s what matters,” Lopez said.

“When I started, there weren’t a lot of roles for Latinas. I was auditioning for parts with accents and stereotypes. I kept thinking, ‘Why can’t I just play a romantic lead? Why can’t I be the girl next door?’ That belief—that conviction that I belonged — was what helped me break those molds.”

Lopez’s most recent film is based on the real-life story of Anthony Robles, a one-legged wrestler who went against the odds to become a champion.

The movie, which is directed by Billy Goldenberg and co-stars Jharrel Jerome is equally about Robles’ journey as it is about his mother, Judy, who kept supporting him no matter what.

“It’s not often that you have a movie like this,” Lopez told Variety.

“I identified with her. I understood the upbringing they had, the struggles, the relationships, and the sacrifices Judy made for her son.”

She added, “She realized, early on, that if she didn’t accept her child, how would he ever accept himself? That moment of love and growth — it’s universal.”