Jennifer Lopez: her transformation from 'Selena' to 'The Mother'

It is hard to believe that Jennifer Lopez is in her fifties. The talented singer, dancer, actress, model, designer, and mother has never looked better.

The multi-talented Jennifer Lopez has been in many films since the beginning of her career.  Join us as we take a look at how JLo has changed over the years through her roles in the movies.

Photo: jlo / Instagram

'My Family' - In the early 90s Jennifer Lynn Lopez Rodríguez was a young woman with Puerto Rican roots from Castle Hill, New York.

The daughter of a security guard and a kindergarten teacher, in the early 90s Lopez had no idea that she would be one of the most recognized artists on the planet today.

Jennifer Lopez or JLo, if you prefer, began her professional career with minor roles in modest films and some television series, with 'My Family' being one of her first roles.

Lopez was in her early 20s at the time and still didn't know all the good things that life had in store for her.

'Money Train' - After several jobs as a dancer and supporting actress in small productions, Jennifer Lopez joined the cast of 'Money Train' in 1995.

This gave Lopez the opportunity to work alongside the likes of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.

The film did not do very well at the box office, but it helped this young woman of Latino origins carve out a niche in Hollywood.

Also from that era is the movie 'Jack,' by the director of 'The Godfather', Francis Ford Coppola.

Jennifer Lopez had the opportunity to work alongside the comedic legend late Robin Williams.

As she was consistently appear in films, little by little, JLo's face became more familiar to the public.

'Blood & Wine' - With this film, Jennifer Lopez continued to be pigeonholed in the roles that Hollywood tends to reserve for Latin actresses and actors.

Despite being stuck in a 'latina' role, she did get to work alongside one of Hollywood's greats, Jack Nicholson.

Little did she know that the best was yet to come, and her career had not yet had the takeoff that, a year later, would shoot her into fame.

'Selena' - This film brought Jennifer Lopez's first major triumph as an actress. Critics and the public surrendered at the feet of Jennifer Lopez, who, in the film, embodies the Latin singer Selena.

Her physical transformation was outstanding, and her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

In addition, with 'Selena,' Jennifer Lopez became the first actress of Latin origin to earn a million dollars for a movie in Hollywood.

'Anaconda' - By the end of the 90s, Jennifer Lopez was a major star in Hollywood. Everyone in the industry wanted a piece of the new Latina sensation called JLo.

In 'Anaconda,' Lopez surrendered to the most commercial of cinema. Her image was very different from that shown in 'Selena.'

In addition, the young Jennifer was already outlining what would be her leap into the world of music: 'On the 6'.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez continued to exploit her Latina bombshell image in productions like 'U Turn'.

Lopez worked alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton in the movie, further cementing her place in the film industry.

On a personal level, in February 1997, she married Cuban Ojani Noa, from whom she ended up separating in 1998.

'Out of Sight' - Jennifer Lopez was a star who was shining ever so brightly when she starred in this film. She was successful both at the box office and with her singing career.

Her song 'If You Had My Love' became a success, and her song 'No me ames', a duet with Marc Anthony, was at the top of the Billboard Latin Tracks for ten weeks in a row.

'Waiting for Tonight,' Lopez's other hit was played loudly on all the dance floors: a star was born.

Her most significant physical change came with her role in the film 'The Cell,' a horror and science fiction film that fans fell in love with.

The 2000s were the golden age for Jennifer Lopez, who, in addition, occupied the tabloid covers of half the world.

Jennifer's romantic relationships were a source of fascination for fans. In 2001 she married one of her dancers, Cris Judd, later divorcing in June 2002.

'The Wedding Planner' - In 2002, Jennifer Lopez became one of the queens of romantic comedy.

In the film Lopez presented a much more refined and elegant image, and became a 'chick-flick' classic.

The film coincided with a new stage in the life of the actress and singer that everyone already considered to be one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

'Angel Eyes' - Although this movie is not among Jennifer Lopez's highest-grossing films, it does coincide with one of her best moments.

Lopez had just released her second album, 'J.Lo,' and even the Latin Grammy Awards and the American Music Awards had knocked on her door. Jennifer Lopez's career was unstoppable.

'Enough' - With this film, Jennifer Lopez tried her luck with a physical change and a new, somewhat more adult register for her movies.

The film did not garner great reviews, but it featured an actress who was already on the list of the ten highest-paid actresses of the moment in Hollywood.

'Maid in Manhattan' - In 2002 Jennifer Lopez was perhaps better known for her role as a singer than as an actress.

However, she continued to land roles in the movies and get the public to spend the money at the box office.

But with 'Maid in Manhattan' she failed to win over the critics who, that year, twice nominated her as one of the worst actresses of the year (at the Razzie Awards): one for this film and another for 'Enough'.

'Gigli' - This film is probably Jennifer Lopez's biggest failure to date in the movie world.

Her relationships, both in work and on a personal level with Ben Affleck, were accompanied by a multitude of scandals and bad press for the singer who, with this film, suffered one of the biggest hits of her career.

On a personal level, it was published in the press that JLo needed a break from so much fame. She arranged a wedding with Affleck and canceled it almost simultaneously. A year later, she surprised the world by secretly marrying singer Marc Anthony.

'Shall We Dance?' - A more rested Jennifer Lopez tried again with Richard Gere in this comedy full of dance.

Little to nothing was left of the Jennifer Lopez of the JLo of the 90s. However, her fans continued to applaud everything she did.

'Monster-in-Law' - This movie was not liked by the critics, but the public loved it.

It is not a true blockbuster at the height of any Marvel film, but it did increase the zeros in Jennifer Lopez's bank account.

The actress, who already had a more elegant image, personal life was thriving, and she was very happy with Marc Anthony, her third husband.

'An Unfinished Life' - Tired of being seen only as a commercial actress, Jennifer Lopez tried to do something a bit different in 2005.

In the 2005 film 'A Life Ahead,' JLo starred alongside Morgan Freeman and Robert Redford. The actress, by then, was already 36 years old.

Together with her husband at that time, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez exploited her Latina side in this film. 'El Cantante' film did not earn the public's praise, but it showed a ravishingly beautiful JLo.

'Bordertown' - Crime, drama, and mystery in a film that provided a more challenging role for Jennifer Lopez.

Fans were also thrilled to see the actress also showed off a change of look as she cut her hair for the film.

'The Back-Up Plan' - Longer hair, bangs, and an ear-to-ear smile for Jennifer Lopez in this romantic comedy that earned her a lot of money even if it was not among the best in her acting career.

This happiness was transferred to her personal life also. In 2008, the actress became the mother of two babies: Maximilian David and Emme Maribel.

A comedy about different forms of motherhood that showed Jennifer Lopez unchanged from her previous works.

Lopez's personal life was in disarray at the time as she had just ended her marriage to Marc Anthony.

An action movie with a somewhat disheveled Jennifer Lopez. The actress managed to earn a lot of money with this film, but it must be said that it did not contribute much to the cinematographic field.

Jen's film career, by the way, was not at its best then. Of course, in the world of music, she was still a star.

What did Jennifer Lopez do then to improve her film career? Surrender to the charms of the most commercial of cinema.

This film tells the story of a teacher whose life is made impossible by a young man. The film did very well at the box office and showed Jennifer Lopez eager to regain her throne in theatres.

'Lila & Eve' - An action movie with Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis? Yes, this too is part of JLo's filmography.

Sadly for Lopez and Davis, the critics did not have much (good) to say about her performance in this film.

'Shades of Blue' - Since things weren't going very well in theatres, Jennifer Lopez tried her luck on television.

So she accepted a starring role in the NBC series 'Shades of Blue' which featured three seasons and a Jennifer Lopez with a curly mane.

Here is more proof that Jennifer Lopez is still a pure magnet for viewers but not so great at attracting high-quality and interesting projects.

The actress tried, once again, but failed in this romantic comedy. She shared scenes with Vanessa Hudgens.

Was Jennifer Lopez able to change her luck in the movies? Yes, absolutely yes. She did it with a film called 'Hustlers' where she showed that she still had a lot to give.

According to some critics, JLo showed excellent physical and interpretive work on a film that made her finally receive her first Oscar nomination.

It also coincided in time with an impressive performance at the Super Bowl with Shakira. What more could you want?

In this 2022 comedy that JLo also helped produce, the performer starred alongside Owen Wilson.

The film was based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same title by Bobby Crosby, and the funny romantic story was well received by audiences.

In 2022, JLo and Ben Affleck shocked the world when they decided to get married. The couple had gotten back together in 2021 and by the summer of '22, they had tied the knot.

Perhaps inspired by her own shotgun wedding to Ben Affleck, JLo starred in this romantic-action-comedy film in 2022 alongside Josh Duhamel.

Jen seemed to have gotten her film mojo back, as fans enjoyed this escapist film and it did pretty well with critics too.

Lopez's most recent film is 'The Mother,' released by Netflix on May 12, 2023. JLo plays the role of an ex-assassin who must protect her estranged daughter.

Jennifer Lopez has had a career and life filled with plenty of highs and lows and a love life that is hard to keep up with. She might be in her 50s and could easily retire, but we doubt this performer has plans of slowing down anytime soon!