Jennifer Lopez Reflects on Her Role in “Hustlers” and Support from Alex Rodriguez

Jennifer Lopez captivated audiences with her performance in the 2019 film “Hustlers,” a movie inspired by true events that received critical acclaim and grossed $160 million worldwide. To prepare for her role as Ramona, Lopez delved deep into the world of exotic dancing, even visiting strip clubs, a journey she recently recounted on Apple’s Beats 1 station.

Lopez revealed that her ex-fiance, Alex Rodriguez, was enthusiastic about her taking on the role. “Alex was very excited about me doing a stripper movie,” she admitted. “He helped me do research by going to a strip club in NYC with me, and we watched the show. Afterward, I chatted with some of the girls.”

The “Let’s Get Loud” singer added, “Of course, he knew that world very well from when he was a young athlete, going to the clubs and stuff. He helped me a lot with the preparation for this movie and was very supportive.” According to the Daily Mail, Lopez’s character was heavily inspired by Samantha Barbash, a notorious figure in the American stripper scene known for leading a group of dancers who drugged and conned wealthy Wall Street clients out of significant sums of money.

Lopez also took pole dancing classes for four months before filming began to fully embody her character. Hola Magazine reported that Rodriguez was thrilled about the concept and accompanied her to some of the classes, recording snippets to help with her preparation. Despite being a non-smoker, Lopez mentioned that she adopted some of her character’s habits to stay in the mindset of Ramona. “Sometimes I smoked one of the cigarettes and stayed in the mindset of Ramona,” she said. “Of all the props that the prop master bought me, there was a blinged-out lighter that I would hold every day.”

For her performance in “Hustlers,” Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination. Rodriguez, reflecting on her dedication, shared that she had a stripper pole installed in their bedroom for six months. “One great benefit was having a pole in our master bedroom for six months,” the former New York Yankees player joked. Celebrating the film’s success, Rodriguez gifted Lopez a stripper-themed cake. “Oh, my God, look at this!” Lopez exclaimed on her Instagram stories, showcasing the extravagant cake.

“Baby, congratulations on Hustlers. So proud of you! Love hustling through life with you. Love, Macho,” read a note from Rodriguez. Glamour reported that the personalized cake was adorned with edible pole dancers, miniature $100 bills, and the words “Congratulations on your movie!” A tray of cake pops and little cupcakes added to the celebratory spread, marking a true celebration of Lopez’s hard work and success in “Hustlers.”