Jennifer Lopez plugs Ben Affleck-produced ‘Unstoppable’ at TIFF

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Jennifer Lopez left fans breathless as she walked the red carpet in a side-baring glittery gown at the Toronto Film Festival Friday night.

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Clad in a Tamara Ralph “revenge dress” that that was held together by bows, the actress and pop star was in town to plug her new movie Unstoppable, which is based on the real-life story of Anthony Robles, the NCAA Division 1 championship wrestler born with only one leg. Lopez, 55, plays Anthony’s mom, Judy, in the rousing sports drama.

Lopez worked on the film with her estranged husband Ben Affleck — who she filed for divorce from last month — through his Artists Equity production company. Affleck skipped the premiere, but his partner, and best friend, Matt Damon, attended the screening and posed for photos on the red carpet.

Unstoppable stars Moonlight’s Jharrel Jerome as Robles, who, despite his disability, became a nationally recognized as part of the University of Arizona’s wrestling team. In addition to Lopez and Jerome, Unstoppable also stars Michael Pena, Don Cheadle and Bobby Cannavale

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In a post-screening Q&A, the Hustlers star said she related to the difficulties Judy had to overcome in raising her child and called the film one of “the most beautiful and inspiring stories I think I’ve ever seen on screen.”

She added that it was “a pleasure and honour to portray a woman who poured her heart and soul and blood, literally, into her children, teaching them there’s nothing more important than family. Against all odds, she rose leading by example to show her children they could be unstoppable.”

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When Lopez was asked what resonated with her the most about playing Judy, the Grammy nominee said that she saw parallels in their journeys.

“When I read the script, I felt like so many women including myself could relate to the struggles that she had gone through in her life,” Lopez said. “And the story, being a Latino story, being so inspiring. It was just something that kind of grabbed me. And I was, like, OK, this is really, really interesting.”

Having played characters based on real-life people, Lopez said she was glad she was able to meet Robles.

“When I met Judy (Robles) — we met over Zoom — I was, like, I really need to talk to this person,” Lopez said. “Thank God they’re alive! Because I’ve played real life people too. I played Selena and Puchi. And I wasn’t able to speak to them, obviously. So this was a different kind of experience.”

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After they spoke, Lopez said she saw the similarities between the two, despite their experiences.

“Just talking to her I realized that we were almost the same person in a weird way even though we’re so different and had such different lives — that at the core, in the heart of who we were, first we were moms. And beyond that we had similar struggles. I think it was my job really to help her feel safe … and trust us,” Lopez said.

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On X, people who were in the audience said the film was an early contender for TIFF’s People’s Choice Award, with some saying Lopez could be tipped for her first Oscar nod.

Ahead of the premiere, the film’s director William Goldenberg — who previously worked with Affleck as an editor on 2023’s Air and 2012’s Argo — was asked by Variety if there was any awkwardness in promoting the film in the midst of breakup of Lopez and her husband.

“Everybody’s a professional, and that’s their own personal thing. I love them both. I mean, I know Ben better, but Jennifer was literally a dream to work with. She was incredible. And their personal life is their personal life,” he said.

Even though he wasn’t there, Affleck said back in March 2023 it was “a joy to do something with her” as he talked about the project.

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“What fun, what a joy to do something with her, see her be great, go to work with your wife, go to work with your best friend,” he said during an interview with CBS Sunday Mornings. “Because ultimately, like, your work becomes the lion’s share of what defines your life, in terms of the time you spend. And if you don’t like who you’re working with, and if you have difficulty or trouble at work, I think it’s one of the things that can really cause depression, anxiety and pain for people. And conversely, (if) you love the people at work, you probably have a pretty good life, you know?”

Unstoppable opens in theatres later this year.

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