Jennifer Lyn Lopez was born to a Puerto Rican couple on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx Borough within New York City. Her father, David López, worked as a computer technician at the Guardian Insurance Company, while her mother, Guadalupe Rodríguez, was a homemaker. From the young age of five, Jennifer began singing and dancing lessons. Her parents always emphasised the importance of a strong work ethic and the English language to all three of their daughters. Her early academic years were spent entirely in a Catholic school, where she excelled to a greater extent athletically as compared to academically.
Everything changed for Jennifer in her final year of high school, however, when she landed the role of Myra in a low budget film, My Little Girl. Although the role was small, it was enough to make her realise her desire to be a famous movie star. Her passion for acting led her to drop out from college and move out of her family home into an apartment in Manhattan. In her years of struggle, she worked primarily as a singer, dancer, and choreographer for musical productions and choirs. It wasn’t until 1997, that the true talent of Jennifer Lopez was unleashed to the whole world. Taking on the role of Selena in her biopic, Jennifer’s time to shine finally came. Kenneth Turan, a now-retired film critic, in his review called the movie not just a celebration of Selena’s life, but also of the actress who portrayed her.
Not only did Jennifer build an acting career, but she also launched a music career. Her debut single “If you had my love” was released in 1999 making her the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 with a debut single, just four months after Britney Spears did the same with her own single “…Baby One More Time”. Although critics were unsure of why Jennifer would take the risk of launching a music career, after doing so well in acting, she continued to produce hit singles and albums, making her an all-round star. Extensive media coverage continued success, and a rising fan base boosted her journey. Jennifer Lopez decided to go by the name J.Lo, as she was commonly called by fans. She also released an album on January 23, 2001, by the same name. The album debut at number one on US Billboard 200, and was a commercial success with 3.8 million copies sold in the US and 12 million units moved worldwide.
However, things were not always so bright and happening for J. Lo. With tabloids just introduced to the world sometime around 2003, her relationship status, and a few box office disappointments such as Gigli and Jersey Girl, Jennifer was at the lowest point of her career. Subjected to constant media scrutiny, J.Lo put her career to a halt. She turned to music once again and released her fourth studio album ‘Rebirth’ which signified a new beginning in her life. Jennifer also ventured into business with clothing lines and fragrances which made her the 19th richest person in the world under 40, after generating a revenue of over USD300 million throughout 2004. She made a powerful comeback with Monster-in-Law, which was a box office success and a complete turnaround for Jennifer. And she has been going strong since even overcoming any setback that came her way.
Right from a young age, J.Lo has strived to listen to her heart and follow her dreams. Be it dropping out of college, moving out of her home, or even backing out as a background dancer for Janet Jackson, she has paved her own path to success; something she continues to do to this day.
Future roles in movies such as Marry Me, opposite Owen Wilson, and The Godmother, where she will portray the role of drug lord Griselda Blanco, there’s a lot more to come from our very own Jenny from the block!