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Jennifer Lopez

Born 1969-07-24 in The Bronx, New York
An Actor

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In Brief:

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), popularly nicknamed J.Lo, is an American Golden Globe Award-nominated actress, Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, dancer, and fashion designer.

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Bio:

Lopez was born and raised in the Castle Hill neighborhood in The Bronx, New York City, New York to Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe Rodríguez and David Lopez. She has two sisters, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez' parents also stressed cultural assimilation, especially the need to speak English. Consequently, Lopez did not learn to speak Spanish until she underwent a series of intense tutoring. Lopez spent much of what she called "the boyfriend years" secretly meeting with first-love, Davíd Cruz, with whom she remained in a relationship between the ages of 16 and 25. "I was always climbing out windows, jumping off roofs, and he was sneaking up," she said. "It was crazy." Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic school and acknowledges that she still prays regularly. Lopez financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 17. After leaving a one semester-long career at Baruch College, Lopez divided her time between working in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan clubs at night. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap artists' music videos, and was given a guest spot on the American Music Awards. After being rejected for the role twice, Lopez gained her first regular high profile gig as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color in 1991. Soon after Jeniffer Lopez became a back-up dancer for famed singer Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's The Way Love Goes." Scheduled and contracted to go on Janet Jackson's World Tour, she asked the superstar to be let out of her contract to pursue her acting dreams.

Lopez has appeared on the short-lived television programs South Central, Second Chances, and Hotel Malibu, the television movie Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7. Lopez broke into the big screen in 1995, in the drama My Family and then appeared opposite Wesley Snipes in the action film Money Train. Lopez has also played roles in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy Jack starring Robin Williams, and the 1997 thriller Blood and Wine with Jack Nicholson. Lopez played the lead role in the 1998 film Selena for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy." She also became the first Latina actress to get paid $1 million or more for one film, the role.

Lopez guest-starred in the sixth season finale of Will & Grace in 2004.

In May 2006, MTV gave the greenlight on her executively produced reality show, Moves. The show will follow the lives of six aspiring dancers as they struggle to make it in the competitive world of professional dance. Lopez, who took an active role in selecting the show's participants, is also slated to make cameo appearances over the course of the season and the show's eight-episode run is scheduled to begin this winter.

In early 2006, she lost was beat out by Katie Cassidy for the role of Kelli in the horror remake Black Christmas, in which she would have played a sorority sister.

Lopez' debut album On The 6, a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill, was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The album featured the multi-week number-one lead single, "If You Had My Love," as well as the top 10 hit "Waiting For Tonight." It also contained the Spanish-language, Latin-flavored duet "No Me Ames" with Marc Anthony. Though "No Me Ames" was never released as a single in the United States, the tropical remix was included on the "If You Had My Love" single as a B-side. Despite this, the music video for "No Me Ames" received moderate airplay on the U.S. music channels VH1 and The Box. On The 6 also featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good." It failed to make the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Let's Get Loud," the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001. "Waiting For Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year.

Lopez' second album, J. Lo, was released in January 2001 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost A Thing," was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Her next two singles were "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny" which were quickly rising up the charts. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked Murder Inc. to remix both songs, which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Caddillac Tah (on "Ain't It Funny" remix). Both remixes reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. She re-released J. Lo on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Following the success of the album re-release, Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remixing effort, releasing J To Tha L-O!: The Remixes, on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart. Featured artists on J To Tha L-O!: The Remixes included 50 Cent and Nas, and also included rare dance and hip-hop remixes of past singles. On November 26, 2002, at age of thirty-three, Lopez released her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles: "Jenny From The Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P), which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100; "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J), which spent multiple weeks at number one; "I'm Glad"; and "Baby I Love U!." This album included a cover of Carly Simon's "You Belong To Me." In 2004, Lopez once again participated in a duet with Marc Anthony, called "Escapémonos," this time on his albums Amar Sin Mentiras and Valió La Pena.

After a year away from the music scene, Lopez released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, on March 1, 2005, at age of thirty-five . Debuting and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 to decent sales success, the album quickly fell off the charts. The album spawned one hit in "Get Right," which reached the top 20 and became her second Platinum hit, after "If You Had My Love." "Get Right" was also a huge hit in the UK, becoming her second number-one single there. The second single, "Hold You Down," which featured Fat Joe, made it into the top 75 in the U.S., peaking at number sixty-four. It reached number seventeen in Australia with little promotion and peaked at number six in the UK. Later in 2005, Rebirth was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.

In general, the album was criticized due to her weak vocal range and that the production was nowhere near the original quality of Harrison or Timbaland's earlier work. Lopez was featured in the LL Cool J song, "Control Myself," which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Top 75 Singles.

Lopez is to release her first full Spanish-language album, titled Como Ama Una Mujer, in the end of 2006. The lead single, the ballad "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), is scheduled to be released to radio stations this October. It is said to be rock-tinged. A promo CD was sent to radio stations on October 18, in a few days they will be allowed to play the song. "Qué Hiciste" also leaked on the Internet on October 19th 2006.

She is and also working on her fifth English studio album, in which she is working with producer Swizz Beats. "It's coming out incredible," he said. "We're putting together some great things, and not what everyone's expecting. Think a little Jamiroquai, a little Sade. It's real feel-good music." Other producers are Timbaland, Cory Rooney, and Jermaine Dupri. Her next effort is due to be released in 2007.

Lopez owns a clothing line, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, whose brand has been licensed for a term by Warnaco Group. Her line includes different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie. In 2005, she launched a new clothing line called Sweetface. She is planning to launch a jewelry line, as well as an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarve. Lopez has also done photoshoots to represent the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign.

On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened an elegant Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named Madre's.

Lopez has also dabbled in the perfume industry, with her debut "Glow by J.Lo" which broke numerous records in sales. In October of 2003, Lopez introduced a perfume called "Still." Before launching another completely new fragrance, she revisited 2002's "Glow" by creating a limited edition spin-off entitled "Miami Glow by J.Lo," in homage to her adopted hometown of Miami. Around the same time, Lopez came up with a "Glow" body line, which featured different body lotions and bronzers. For the Christmas season of 2005, she launched another fragrance, "Live by Jennifer Lopez." Most recently, for Valentine's Day 2006, "Miami Glow" was replaced by yet another "Glow" spinoff – "Love at First Glow by J.Lo." Her latest fragrance is called "Live Luxe" and was released August 2006, with "Glow After Dark" following its release in January 2007. "Glow After Dark" will be her first unisex fragrance.

Lopez also pitches Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials.

It is thought that Lopez has been married three times. However, she may have had a brief marriage to long-term boyfriend David Cruz. Her first publicized marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa on February 22, 1997. Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. They divorced in March of 1998.

She then had a two-and-a-half year, stormy relationship with Sean Combs. On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A loaded gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Lopez was charged with felony gun possession, but the charges were dropped, as she was riding in the back seat at the time.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost A Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in a Los Angeles suburb. The marriage ended in June 2002, during which time she had reportedly started dating actor Ben Affleck.

Lopez and Affleck's relationship was highly publicized, with the media dubbing them "Bennifer." Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in November 2002, after Affleck gave her a ring worth a reported $1.2 million.[citation needed] Lopez promised interviewers that Affleck was indeed the "one," and that they would soon have a family. The marriage, planned for September 14, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, was called off just hours before the event. She and Affleck announced a permanent split on January 20, 2004. Affleck has refused to speak of his relationship with Lopez, only giving intense media attention as the cause of the breakup. It has been suggest by Affleck's friends, however, that Affleck never was truly comfortable with Lopez, and that his mother strongly disapproved of her. Lopez was reportedly heartbroken, while Affleck appeared to recover quickly. Their relationship was parodied on the South Park episode, "Fat Butt and Pancake Head" that aired in April 16, 2003. There was a media fury as to whether Lopez would give Affleck back his ring after the breakup. Lopez did eventually return it, though not eagerly. Ben Affleck has since married and has a daughter, Violet, with actress Jennifer Garner. She is now currently married to Marc Anthony.

Shortly after her breakup with Affleck, Lopez was seen out with singer Marc Anthony, who at that time was still married to his wife, former Miss Universe, Dayanara Torres. Lopez and Anthony married in a secret wedding on June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce from Torres was finalized on June 1. It was reported that Dayanara discovered her ex-husband's new marriage while reading online news reports. Dayanara described a period of severe depression after her divorce from which she has since recovered.

Lopez' guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez' house without knowing that they were going to a wedding. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on it during interviews. Lopez confirmed the marriage in February 2005, but admitted that "everyone knows. It's not a secret." Marc's daughter, Ariana, appeared in Jennifer's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Marc would not admit to his marriage with Lopez for a very extended period.

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Filmography:

• The Governess (2008)
• America's Darlings (2006)
• Bridge & Tunnel (2006)
• El Cantante (2006)
• Bordertown (2006)
• An Unfinished Life (2005)
• Monster-in-Law (2005)
• Shall We Dance? (2004)
• Jersey Girl (2004)
• Gigli (2003)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Enough (2002)
• Angel Eyes (2001)
• The Wedding Planner (2001)
• The Cell (2000)
• Antz (1998)
• Out of Sight (1998)
• U Turn (1997)
• Anaconda (1997)
• Selena (1997)
• Blood and Wine (1997)
• Jack (1996)
• Money Train (1995)
• My Family (1995)
• Lambada (1990)
• My Little Gril (1986)

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