|
Jennifer Lopez's first serious screen role in Gregory Nava's 1995 Latino melodrama My Family followed years of training in television movies and series. Like Rosie Perez, Lopez began her career as a Fly Girl -- a dancer on the sketch comedy series, In Living Color -- and appeared in music videos by Puff Daddy and Janet Jackson. Her big break came in 1997 when she appeared in the title role of Nava's Selena, the story of the successful Tejano singer who was tragically murdered in 1995. Lopez is often cast as the femme fatale -- due in no small part to her classic Latina beauty (she was born in the Bronx to parents of Puerto Rican descent) -- and has worked almost exclusively with acclaimed directors: Francis Ford Coppola (Jack, 1996), Oliver Stone (U Turn, 1997), and Bob Rafelson (Blood and Wine, 1996). In 1998, she had one of her most popular roles to date starring opposite George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Out of Sight. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal (Clooney), Lopez won raves for her tough, sexy performance, and in the process, she became the highest paid Latina actress in Hollywood history. That same year, she earned an introduction to a new generation of fans by lending her voice to the popular Antz. In addition to her screen work, Lopez has also made news with her successful singing career on the dance/Latin pop circuit. In December of 1999, she made news of a different sort when, following an altercation at a Manhattan night club, she and Sean "Puffy" Combs were involved in a high speed chase with the police that resulted in both of their arrests. After spending 14 hours in jail, Lopez was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. -- Denise Sullivan |
|
|
