Jennifer Lopez on 30 Years in the Business for InStyle Magazine

“I love what I do… I can honestly say I’m living a dream,” explains superstar Jennifer Lopez, who graces InStyle’s May Cover. To celebrate her 30th anniversary in the business, InStyle sat down with a few of her co-stars and friends — Ben Affleck, Michelle Obama, Marc Anthony, Matthew McConaughey and others – on what she means to them.

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BEN AFFLECK (ex-fiancé and co-star in Gigli, 2003): I thought I had a good work ethic, but I was completely humbled and blown away by what she was committed to doing day in and day out, the seriousness in which she took her work, the quiet and dedicated way she went about accomplishing her goals, and then how she would go back and redouble her efforts. She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business. She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves. Where are you keeping the fountain of youth? Why do you look the same as you did in 2003 and it kind of looks like I’m in my 40s…at best?

MARC ANTHONY (singer and ex-husband): The thing about Jennifer is her ability to see and understand things before they happen. Before she even brings an idea up, she has visualized it a thousand times. And if anyone says it might not be the greatest idea, she’ll say, “You just don’t see it yet.” Nine times out of 10, she’ll nail it. She’s the first one in the room and the last to leave. The hardest worker I’ve ever met. When we were together, it was quite the opposite for me. That has changed since. I learned so much from her. She’s the original!

MICHELLE OBAMA: The world knows that Jennifer is blessed with many gifts—talent, beauty, and an unparalleled work ethic. But what impresses me the most about her is her unwavering commitment to leverage those gifts and use her platform to give voice to the voiceless. Whether it’s working to improve health care for mothers and children, encouraging more people to vote, or singing her heart out at a presidential inauguration, Jennifer has always known that life is best when it’s shared with others.

LILI REINHART (co-star in Hustlers): Jennifer never flubbed a line when I worked with her. Even shooting late into the night, she was always in good spirits and had high energy. Can we please do a Hustlers reunion at a strip club when the pandemic ends?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY (co-star in The Wedding Planner): Jennifer Lopez—what can she not do? Extremely deliberate, intentional, fully choreographed, and self-aware, she even knows how to make accidents look like accidents. When we acted in scenes together, she would turn in take after take as if timed on a meter, 1:01, 1:00, 1:02, 1:01…yet you couldn’t tell that she was keeping a clock. Her success is not happenstance.

JENNIFER LOPEZ: I love what I do. I’m passionate about it. Every day does not seem like a job to me. I can honestly say I’m living
a dream, and I’m grateful every day that I wake up. I have tireless energy for what I do. I also have an amazing team who help me in every single way both personally and professionally. I really believe the most important thing is to have great people around you.

The May issue of InStyle, available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for digital download April 17.

[Photo Credit: Pamela Hanson for InStyle Magazine]

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