With big dreams in her eyes, Jennifer Lopez made her first leap into the entertainment world in 1989 and eventually snagged her debut acting role five years later, in 1994 (South Central). But as with any rookie, the actress had her fair share of wobbles and butterflies in Tinseltown.
As she journeyed through the movie industry, she forged many friendships, yet there was one co-star she couldn’t feel comfortable with—Wesley Snipes. Flashback to 1995, on the set of Money Train, directed by Joseph Ruben, where Lopez found herself in a real bind.
In the 1998 interview, she spilled the beans about her run-in with the One Night Stand star; Snipes, despite her steady relationship status at the time, pursued her with relentless fervor.
Money Train: Jennifer Lopez’s Take on Wesley Snipes’ Behavior
During the filming of Money Train with Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Lopez was happily committed to a relationship. But the former seemed to think that the actress’ then-boyfriend was just a minor speed bump in his pursuit of her affection (via Movieline).
In an eye-opening 1998 interview with Movieline, Lopez, 55, lifted the veil on Snipes’ relentless attempts to woo her, which were anything but charming.
Wesley — even though I had a boyfriend at the time — went full court press, He was flirting with me — you always flirt with your costars, it’s harmless — then he just started getting a little more serious.
Snipes didn’t just flirt in passing; he turned it up a notch, inviting everyone out but then making a beeline for Lopez at the end of the night, trying to plant a kiss when he dropped her off. The actress further recalled:
He would invite us all out together and then at the end of the night, he’d drop me off last and try to kiss me. I’d be like, ‘Wesley, please, I’m not interested in you like that.’
Her candid reflections painted Snipes as someone whose ego couldn’t handle a little rejection:
His ego was totally bruised. He wouldn’t talk to me for two months. I was like, ‘What an a**hole.’ Actors are used to getting their way and to treating women like objects. They’re so used to hearing the word ‘Yes.’ Now, I suppose Wesley will call me going, ‘You b****! How dare you? I didn’t like you.’
Lopez’s story about working with Snipes is like throwing a wrench in the works of his reputation. While the Blade star, 62, might be used to wielding swords and taking down vampires on-screen, it seems he missed the memo on how to behave around his female co-star with a bit more finesse.
Jennifer Lopez Wasn’t Excited About Filming This Scene With Wesley Snipes
According to Contact Music, Jennifer Lopez also didn’t relish the idea of shooting a steamy scene with Wesley Snipes. Early in her career, she felt like she was pushing the “boundaries” and didn’t have the clout to firmly say “no.” Despite her reservations, she went through with it, and it turned out to be a “tough” ride.
In her words:
It was horrible. When you first start working professionally, you push the boundaries of what you should and shouldn’t do, and I didn’t think I had the right to say no, like, ‘No, I’m not doing this, and that’s it.’ So we did it, and it was tough.
But the flirtation wasn’t limited to Snipes. Woody Harrelson, another co-star, was also in the mix, though his approach was more playful:
Woody was more playful, but if I’d have gone for it, he totally would have. I’d say, ‘Hey, Woody, how are you doing?’ He’d, like, stick out his tongue and flick it at me very nasty. He was really funny about it.
Fast forward to today, and Lopez is still making a splash in Hollywood. Her upcoming projects include the biographical wrestling drama Unstoppable, directed by William Goldenberg and produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Based on the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, this film is sure to be a knockout hit!
Money Train can be rented on Apple TV.
