Jennifer Lopez Answers Vogue's 73 Questions

[cameraman singing]

[Cameraman] Great to see you, Jennifer Lopez.

Hey.

[Cameraman] What a dream.

On a scale one to 10,

how excited are you to answer 73 questions today?

10.

[Cameraman] I knew it.

And I'm excited to be here in LA with you.

Thanks for having me.

What would you say is the biggest difference

between here and the Bronx?

The size of my closet.

[Cameraman] And what's one word to describe the Bronx.

Cool.

[Cameraman] Very cool.

Come on in.

[Cameraman] All right, thank you.

What would you say is the biggest impact

that New York has had on you?

Just made me who I am.

[Cameraman] And what was your go-to order at the bodega?

My go-to order at the bodega

was ham and cheese on a roll with an orange drink,

if you know, you know, and a small bag of chips.

[Cameraman] That sounds like the J-Lo special to me.

You want some tea?

[Cameraman] I'd love some. Thank you.

So everyone knows, I'm walking here,

what's something else that real New Yorkers say?

[beep] you. [laughs]

[Cameraman] All right, let's get into your past.

Do you remember performing for your family

when you were a kid?

Every holiday.

[Cameraman] Do you remember the first musical

you ever saw on Broadway?

Dream Girls.

[Cameraman] Classic.

Yeah.

[Cameraman] And do you think we'll ever see you

in a musical on Broadway?

I hope so.

[Cameraman] How did you celebrate getting your role

in Selena?

There was really no celebrating.

I got right to work. I was so nervous.

[Cameraman] Now can you describe the outfit that you wore

to your first premiere?

My first premiere.

God, it was a kind of rayon blend polyester mini dress

in kind of a sandy poo-poo color with buttons.

It was like...

Forget it.

[Cameraman] Do you still have it?

No.

[Cameraman] Which of your characters

are you most similar to?

I think there's a little bit of me

in all of the characters I play,

but I would have to say Selena.

[Cameraman] Yeah.

And which of your movies

would you most want to make a sequel of?

Gigli.

[Cameraman] Critically acclaimed.

[Jennifer laughing]

Who has made you laugh the most in between takes?

My husband, Ben.

[Cameraman] Is there a movie

that you really regret turning down?

Unfaithful.

[Cameraman] What movie or project

would you say is most underappreciated?

El Cantante.

[Cameraman] And what is the most important thing

that you do to prepare for a role?

Research.

Just dig into all the details of who the character is,

what they do, what they do for a living, how they act,

their day to day, moment to moment existence.

[Cameraman] Hmm.

And which of your performances challenged you the most?

Ramona. The pole. The pole.

[Cameraman] Speaking of hustling,

what's the hardest thing about being a producer?

I think the hardest thing about being a producer

or the most challenging thing

is to bring the right group of people together

because it's that chemistry that counts.

[Cameraman] Yeah. Well I can imagine you're a pro at that.

Your tea.

[Cameraman] Thank you.

Oh, that's mine. [laughs]

[Cameraman] That one says queen and you are the queen.

So. Jennifer, why was it important for you

to name your company, Nuyorican Productions?

Because I'm a Puerto Rican from New York.

[Cameraman] I suppose that's a perfect reason.

And who do you think should portray you

in a movie about the story of your life?

She hasn't been born yet.

[Cameraman] Hmm.

If you could cook one thing for the rest of your life,

what do you think you'd be cooking?

Rice and beans and chicken cutlets.

[Cameraman] With such a busy schedule,

what do you do to relax?

Watch TV.

[Cameraman] With such a busy schedule,

how often do you actually get to relax?

Once a week. [laughs]

[Cameraman] Can we do some quick rapid fire questions?

Sure.

[Cameraman] Okay.

Are you a morning person or night person?

Night person.

[Cameraman] Hair up or hair down?

Up.

[Cameraman] Beach or mountains?

Beach.

[Cameraman] Original or remix?

Original.

[Cameraman] Ballad or dance track?

Depends on my mood, but dance track.

[Cameraman] And you're in an airplane. Aisle or window?

Window.

[Cameraman] Congratulations.

That concludes our rapid fire section.

Come on, let's go sit down.

[Cameraman] Okay.

What was the first movie that you really loved?

West Side Story.

[Cameraman] So good.

And what was the last movie that made you cry?

Coda.

[Cameraman] Well, your backyard is gonna make me cry

because it's so beautiful.

Thank you.

[Cameraman] Jennifer, you don't strike me

as someone who gets pre-show jitters,

but what performance made you the most nervous?

Um. Celia Cruz tribute at the American Music Awards.

I had to do this flip over two people

and head first flip over forward and he had to catch me.

Thank God he did.

[Cameraman] Yeah, I hope you didn't fall at all.

I fell many times rehearsing that one.

[Cameraman] What would you say is your pre-show ritual?

I mean, after I get my hair and makeup done,

I just basically take about 30 to 45 minutes for myself.

Nobody in the room.

Just warm up my body, stretch, and warm up my voice.

[Cameraman] Who was the first person you told

that you'd be performing at the Super Bowl?

I think the first person besides me to know was Benny.

[Cameraman] Benny, your manager. And what did he say?

Holy [beep].

[both laughing]

How was preparing for that performance

different than others?

It takes months to rehearse for seven minutes.

Usually it takes months to rehearse for a two hour show.

But this was a different animal.

[Cameraman] I can imagine.

If you could go unrecognized by the public for 24 hours,

what would you do?

Walk through a crowd.

[Cameraman] What was the best advice

a friend has ever given you?

Don't force it.

[Cameraman] And who was that friend?

Elaine.

[Cameraman] Hi, Elaine.

How would you describe your work ethic?

Relentless.

[Cameraman] And what do you hope your kids

learn from you being relentless?

That if you work hard, you can accomplish anything.

[Cameraman] Do you think that they get that?

I hope so.

[Cameraman] What is the most intimidating thing

about parenthood?

Everything. But definitely the teenage years.

[Cameraman] I can imagine.

And what is the most rewarding thing?

The most rewarding thing

is that they wind up teaching you.

[Cameraman] What do you hope

will be Jennifer Lopez's legacy?

That I put a lot of love in the world.

[Cameraman] And what does successful representation

for Latin artists look like to you?

That we just are like everybody else,

treated like everybody else, regarded the same way,

represented the same way as any other human being.

[Cameraman] What would the title of your memoir be?

Dance again and again, and again, and again.

[Cameraman] And again?

And again and again. Never stop dancing.

[Cameraman] Never stop.

And what advice would you give about love today?

That it starts with you.

[Cameraman] Switching gears a little bit,

what's your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

[Cameraman] It's coming right around the corner.

Yes.

[Cameraman] Can't wait.

And what is one Christmas tradition

that you and your family look forward to the most?

We cook the same food every year, which I love,

'cause I wait for that food all year.

We cook pasteles, and arroz con gandules, and pernil,

and all the, like, specialties.

So, it's my favorite.

Plus, it's the most sparkly holiday of all.

[Cameraman] It is. Any coquito?

A bit of coquito, yeah. [laughs]

And what do you want this year for Christmas?

I have everything I want.

[Cameraman] Which do you prefer?

Recording the song or shooting the music video.

Recording the song.

[Cameraman] And which of your music videos

was your absolute favorite?

Ugh, hard to pick, but I would say, If you Have My Love,

because it was the first.

[Cameraman] And do you remember

what your first big dance audition was?

Fly Girls and Living Color.

[Cameraman] And what's your best tip

for any dancer going into an audition?

Stand in the front.

[Cameraman] Yeah. It's important to be brave.

And what's your favorite song to dance to?

Any salsa song.

[Cameraman] Can I see another part of the house?

Let's go to the recording studio.

[Cameraman] I am ready.

Now, when you were a fly girl, did you do any choreography?

No.

[Cameraman] And what do you always look for

in a backup dancer when you're performing?

I look for a great entertainer.

[Cameraman] What's the biggest difference

between getting ready for a red carpet versus a performance?

I think, probably, one is nerve-wracking

and one is pretty easy.

[Cameraman] And how would you describe

your everyday style?

My everyday style is very relaxed and kind of tomboyish,

but with a little bit of sexy in it.

[Cameraman] What is your favorite look of all time?

Oh, my favorite look of all time.

I think people would think it was the green Versace dress

'cause it's the most famous,

but I would have to probably say...

It's too hard to choose.

[Cameraman] That was an incredible dress.

And what is your most surprising beauty secret?

Sleep.

[Cameraman] When you imagine the perfect day of self care,

what's on the agenda?

Locking myself in my bathroom all by myself,

taking a bath, putting in the oils and the bath salts,

putting on a little music, maybe reading a book.

Little thich nhat hanh.

[Cameraman] Now it's the 20th anniversary

of This Is Me... Then.

Yes.

[Cameraman] What's your favorite song from that album?

Dear Ben.

[Cameraman] Now why did you name the new album,

This Is Me Now?

The same way This Is Me... Then

captured a moment in time, a very special moment in time.

This album also did the same thing.

Captured a very special moment in time.

So, this is me now.

[Cameraman] What is something new

that you tried on this album?

To be unafraid.

[Cameraman] And what is one song

that you've always wanted to cover, that you haven't?

Maybe, Martha.

[Cameraman] Tom Waits? Legendary.

Now what do you think your fans' favorite song of yours is?

I don't know.

On the Floor, Jenny From The Block.

[Cameraman] Let's Get Loud? Uno Noche Mas?

I don't know.

I don't know. Waiting for Tonight?

[Cameraman] Waiting for Tonight. So many to choose from.

Well, Jennifer, we are at question number 73.

What are you most excited about for next year?

For people to hear the music.

[Cameraman] And speaking as a huge fan of your music,

I cannot wait.

Which reminds me, I gotta get back to work.

[Cameraman] Go get it.

Thanks for coming.

[Cameraman] Best of luck, J-Lo.

Thanks, Vogue.