Jennifer Lopez has been successful in show business for years. In this time, she has picked up a reputation for being a “diva,” something she has vehemently denied. Still, Lopez said she is protective of her work. She said she wants to put forward the best performances possible, which can make her short with some people.
When Lopez began rising to success in Hollywood, she quickly gained a reputation for being a diva. she denied this and said that she has no respect for people who allow their egos to color the way they treat people.
“Just because I know my strengths doesn’t mean I have a huge ego,” she told Movieline in 1998. “The one thing I cannot tolerate in Hollywood is this trickle effect of every single person — from the top with your studio guys — pissing on whoever is below them. Nobody can say that I treat people like that ever.” She said the only time she took on diva traits was when she wanted to focus on a project.
“When it comes to my work, I am an ogre, because I want it to be so good,” she said. “I won’t do interviews, I don’t want people bothering me. I need my time. But that’s the only thing anyone can say about me.”
Lopez has always kept an unwavering focus on her career. She said her drive stems from a desire to prove herself, even after years of success.
“I’m not one of those media darlings,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “I didn’t get kissed into this business. I’m from the Bronx. I had to find my way, so I’ve always felt like I had to prove myself. Maybe that’s a good drive to have. I never settle for mediocre.”
While her efforts have paid off, Lopez said that she could benefit from a little more work-life balance. “I’m a workaholic,” Lopez said. “My instinct is to fill every single minute of my life with work, so I’ve had to learn balance. When you take on too much, that can be the enemy of great.”
“I have this attitude — and it won’t change no matter how big I get — that you have to fight for things you want,” she said. “You can’t expect things to be handed to you on a platter, even if you can fill theaters week in and week out. Because there’s always somebody like me ready to kick down the door and steal the job right out from under you.”
She admitted that she did just this when she gained a part in Out of Sight. Sandra Bullock was under consideration for the role, but Lopez was willing to do more for it.
“One of the smart things George [Clooney] did was to screen-test everybody, because he knew he’d had trouble with the women in his movies, where maybe there wasn’t as much chemistry as there could have been. Universal was pushing for Sandra Bullock because they said she’d put people in seats. George and the director met with her, but they were like, ‘If Sandra really wants it, she’s gonna have to test for it.’ She wouldn’t test, and her agent, who is also my agent, supported that. If I was Sandy, I’d say, ‘Well, I’m gonna show them that I can do it. I’ll read with them, make them offer me the part, then make them pay out the a**.’”
