Before Jennifer Lopez was in the headlines for her problematic marriage with Ben Affleck, she was all over Hollywood for her stardom and fame. The actress made everyone her fan with her infectious charisma and versatile acting, making her fit to portray any role assigned to her. Throughout her career, she has done films like Hustlers, An Unfinished Life, Out of Sight, and many more.
However, her career’s most intriguing film would be The Boy Next Door, where she took on an unlikely role in an indie film that surprised many people. Lopez’s portrayal in the film was captivating as the film developed, filling the story with tension and unseen plot twists. One of the key highlights of the film was the steamy romance, but Ryan Guzman was nervous to do the scene until JLo’s pep talk convinced him to do it confidently.
Jennifer Lopez’s Pep Talk Saved Her 2015 Indie Film
Rob Cohen’s The Boy Next Door featured a strong plot, where Jennifer Lopez’s Claire Peterson crosses paths with Ryan Guzman’s Noah Sandborn, who gets extremely obsessive over their relationship. The plot features numerous psychological and tense atmosphere, making the fans bite their nails in nervousness.
The film was a success, as it grossed $53.4 million at the worldwide box office as per The Numbers. However, these enormous figures at the box office would have remained a dream for the film if J.Lo and Guzman’s on-screen chemistry did not convince the viewers and critics.
The blend of forbidden romance in the film hooked the audience, making it a memorable watch of 2015. However, Guzman was nervous to do the intimate scene with her co-star until she uplifted her co-star’s morale.
During an exclusive interview with Collider, the Marry Me actress opened up about how it is the job of actors to make everything look natural in a film. Though intimate scenes are“always uncomfortable,” it was a very important scene that was crucial for the film’s success. She said,
That is our job to make everything look natural. That it felt that way is great. Scenes like that are always uncomfortable. It’s a very vulnerable position to be in. It’s not something you ever get used to as an actress, I don’t think. But it’s just as hard to bare your soul emotionally sometimes. It’s difficult. They’re difficult scenes to do.
But at the end of the day, this was a very important scene in this film, so that if that scene didn’t work, the rest of the film doesn’t work, because that’s the moment that they share together.
JLo added that intimate scenes in such films should look“intense, passionate, real enough,” or else the rest of the film would not mean much to the viewers, and she is glad that the audience loved their on-screen chemistry in the film.
If it wasn’t intense, passionate, real enough, then the rest of the movie doesn’t make any sense. I’m glad that it was something that people are responding to.
Nevertheless, The Boy Next Door remains one of the better films of her career, which may not be remembered by many but has surely added to her acting resume.
J.Lo Opens Up About Her Favorite Film Genre to Work In
Jennifer Lopez has worked in a plethora of films, making her one of the most versatile actresses that the entertainment industry has ever witnessed. However, in the same interview with Collider, the U Turn actress was asked about which genre of film is the easiest for her to work in.
Without much thought, Lopez, answered “romantic comedies,” because they are “fun” to do, and how she is a hopeless romantic, that makes every moment of the film more enjoyable for her. She said,
I prefer romantic comedies.They’re just fun.That’s a fun set.You’re just seeing how silly you can make things.They’re romantic, and I’m a hopeless romantic as well. So I really enjoy doing that kind of stuff.
However, she continued that the drama and range come from living in the moment and how she makes it all real by constantly reminding herself about the scenario.
She said,
But as far as the type of acting, like being more dramatic or being tougher or being more vulnerable, it’s all the same. It’s all about trying to find the reality in the moment, making it real, making it feel like I’m constantly reminding myself, “Okay, your best friend just died. If you walked in and saw this, what would that be like?”
And then, all of a sudden I have this high-pitched scream that I’ve never heard myself do, and that’s when I know I’m tapping into something real.
She added that the most exciting thing about being an actor is how she gets to live in the moment. Though it can be exhausting sometimes, looking back at the results makes her feel proud of herself.
But that’s what it’s about. It’s just about the moment. All of it’s fun as an actor and exhausting, to be honest. It’s really, really exhausting on your emotions sometimes but fun when you feel like you’ve done it well.
Motivation like this has helped Jennifer Lopez to establish herself as one of the biggest names in the film industry, making her films a never-ending source of entertainment.
The Boy Next Door can be streamed on Max.
