Jennifer Lopez is looking back at her “what if” moments, and there is one specific role that still lingers in her mind.
The multi-hyphenate superstar recently got candid on The Howard Stern Show, revealing that she passed on the lead role in the erotic thriller Unfaithful. While the film went on to become a box office smash and an awards-season darling, Lopez admits the decision to say “no” still stings.
“It haunts me,” Lopez told Stern during the interview. “It haunts me a little bit.”
The film, directed by Adrian Lyne, followed a suburban housewife whose life spirals out of control after she begins a torrid affair. While J.Lo confirmed that Lyne personally offered her the part, she ultimately wasn’t sold on the initial material.
“The script wasn’t good,” Lopez explained. However, she was quick to give credit where it was due, noting that even though she wasn’t impressed by the pages she read, Lyne “made it great” in the end.
The role eventually went to Diane Lane, who delivered a powerhouse performance that earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. When Stern asked if seeing Lane’s Oscar nod made the rejection harder to live with, Lopez didn’t hold back.
“It’s like the one that I turned down that it was just like, ‘Why did you turn down working with Adrian Lyne? What were you thinking?’” Lopez joked. “I didn’t even know what the hell was going on in my mind at the time.”
At the time of Unfaithful’s release, Lopez was one of the busiest women in Hollywood. Between and , she starred in a string of hits including The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, and Enough. However, also saw the release of Gigli alongside Ben Affleck, which famously struggled at the box office.
While Unfaithful remains a “what could have been” moment, J.Lo’s current chapter is looking brighter than ever. Fans are already buzzing about her “stunning” and “beguiling” performance in the new musical drama Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Critics are calling her portrayal of the titular character a career highlight, with some suggesting that the Oscar recognition she missed out on in might finally be coming her way in .
From Netflix hits like The Mother to her latest “thrilling” turn on the big screen, it’s clear that while one role got away, J.Lo is still the queen of the comeback.
Would you have loved to see J.Lo in Unfaithful? Let us know in the comments!
