Jennifer Lopez

Biography

Jennifer Lynn Affleck (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, dancer, and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential Latin entertainers of her time, credited with breaking barriers for Latino Americans in Hollywood and helping propel the Latin pop movement in music. She is also noted for her impact on popular culture through fashion, branding, and shifting mainstream beauty standards.

Lopez began her career as a dancer, making her television debut as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy series In Living Color in 1991. She later rose to prominence as an actress, with leading roles in the films Selena (1997), Anaconda (1997), and Out of Sight (1998) establishing her as the highest-paid Latin actress. She successfully ventured into the music industry with her debut album On the 6 (1999). 

In 2001, she became the first woman to simultaneously have the number one album and film in the United States with her second album J.Lo, and romantic comedy The Wedding Planner. She has since become known for starring in romantic comedies, including Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Monster-in-Law (2005). Lopez released two albums in 2002: J to tha L–O! The Remixes and This Is Me... Then, the former became the first remix album to top the U.S. Billboard 200.

Media scrutiny and the failure of her film Gigli (2003) preceded a career downturn. Her subsequent albums included Rebirth (2005) and Como Ama una Mujer (2007); the latter broke first-week sales records for a debut Spanish album. In 2011, Lopez returned to prominence as a judge on American Idol and released the album Love?. 

In the latter 2010s, she performed a concert residency, starred in the police drama series Shades of Blue (2016–2018), served as a judge on World of Dance (2017–2020), and garnered critical praise for her performance in the crime drama Hustlers (2019). She has since starred in the films Marry Me (2022), The Mother (2023) and This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (2024).