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This week fans went into a frenzy after it was announced that Jennifer Lopez did not get an Oscars nomination for her role in Hustlers. But turns out, there was another Academy Award-level role that could’ve gone to JLo. In Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue, the 50-year-old superstar shared she turned down a famous role that earned the actress an Oscars nomination in 2003.
“There was a movie called Unfaithful. And it was offered to me and the script, for me, wasn’t all the way there,” the actress told the publication. The part, which was the lead opposite Richard Gere, ultimately went to fellow actress Diane Lane. Directed by Adrian Lyne, the role scored Diane her first (and only) Oscar nomination in 2003.
The performer explained that the role went to the perfect actress, but she still thinks about the missed opportunity. “I should have known that Adrian Lyne was going to kill it, but I didn’t,” she shared. “Diane Lane was so perfect for it, and it was obviously meant to be her, but when I think about that…I want to literally, like, shoot my toe off. I do.”
Most recently, JLo starred in Hustlers where she plays the leader of a girl gang of strippers. Although, she didn’t get an Oscar nod for her critically-acclaimed role, the actress has spoken about getting to produce the film and choosing to work with more women in the industry. “It’s about breaking the mold of what people are used to,” she said about partnering with the film’s director Lorene Scafaria. “There are so many great female directors; why aren’t we using them more? It’s hard to break patterns, even in yourself, so we have to make a conscious effort to change the paradigm.”
Next up for JLo? She’s prepping to headline the Super Bowl’s halftime show with a joint performance with Colombian singer Shakira . “It’s a perfect moment in my life, honestly, but it’s also a great time for a Latina women to take the stage at the biggest all-American event, with everything that’s going on in the country right now,” she said. “I’m super-happy to represent my community, to represent women, and to represent everybody.”