Jennifer Lopez is our first true Latina Rom-Com Queen
Jennifer Lopez’s life and career have taken the world on an unforgettable roller coaster ride. We’ve seen ups and downs and unexpected twists in between. She may not always be one loved by critics, but Lopez continued to produce films through her Nuyorican Productions company, elevating herself to celebrity royalty. As she juggles the many crowns she wears, one that deserves attention is her role as essentially our first Latina romantic comedy queen.
Certainly, some of her earlier films, like Maid in Manhattan, in 2002, were criticized for perpetuating stereotypes about Latinas (and Gigli, in 2003, in which she starred opposite Ben Affleck, was criticized). film critics disparaged and criticized it for being unfunny). But despite the naysayers, Lopez has never given up her position as a romantic comedy star. The 2005 romantic comedy “Monster-in-Law,” in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda, followed those less-than-stellar films and became one of her signature films. highest-grossing movie today.
Lopez is to the 2000s what Meg Ryan was to the 1980s and 90s. Her comedic timing has always been on point, and combining it with her vulnerability has created a formula for genre success. romantic comedy. From 2001’s “The Wedding Planner.” earned 94 million USD worldwide, until “Shall We Dance?” 2004. which brought in 170 million USD at the box office and recent movies like “2022”Marry me,” which earned $50 million, Lopez has continued to establish herself as the queen of romantic comedies. Other Latina actors have ventured into the genre and done well: think Salma Hayek in 1997’s “Fools Rush In” with Matthew Perry, and Eva Mendes in 2005’s “Hitch” with Will Smith. Still, the Puerto Rican actor continues to expand the boundaries of the rom-com characters she portrays. In one role, she struggles with a demanding mother-in-law, and in the next, she wields guns and combat boots, just like she did in the 2022 film.Unplanned wedding.”
The 54-year-old multi-talented star also did not wait for opportunities to come but created them himself. She recently invested 20 million USD to produce the movie “2024”.This Is Me… Now: A Love Story“, an Amazon original launch coinciding with her first studio album in a decade. Through breathtaking choreography, star-studded cameos, awe-inspiring costumes and changes in the scene, Lopez takes viewers on a journey through her love life, a hot topic in the public eye for years. And of course, she’s been in some comedy with his therapist, who is played by his longtime friend and fellow Bronx native. Fat Joe. Despite harsh criticism and low ratings, the musical drama was important for Lopez to detail her love life on her own terms and not that of the media.
Overall, Lopez delivered Total revenue is about 1 billion USD for her romantic comedies. She is asserting her position in an arena that lacks Latinx representation by a long shot. 2019, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a report that found the percentage of Latine contributions on camera and behind the scenes to be very low. In partnership with Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, the report found that only 7% of films from 2019 had a lead or supporting actor of Hispanic/Latino origin.
In other words, Lopez — for more than 20 years — has created representation in places where Latinos almost didn’t exist. While critics may be harshly and unapologetically critical of her, we can’t deny that when it comes to romantic comedies, she’s doing it bigger and better than ever. any other Latina actor. She was laughing all the way to the bank and slowly and steadily increased that shockingly low percentage. There is no doubt that Lopez rewrote history and solidified a path in film that other Latina actors will surely follow.
Zayda Rivera is a POPSUGAR contributor. She has been a professional writer for over 20 years. Z is a Reiki Master Teacher, yoga and Zumba instructor, mindfulness and meditation instructor, tarot card reader, and spiritual advisor.
