JENNIFER LOPEZ (Charlie) Jennifer Lopez is a multi-talented artist, making her mark in motion pictures, music, fashion, beauty products and accessories.
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1970 into a loving Puerto Rican family in the Bronx. Although a family-oriented neighborhood, it was also a rough place. Her father, a computer-operations manager, and her mother, a kindergarten teacher, both had a strong work ethic that was a big influence in their three daughter’s lives. With family as their top priority, they did their best to shelter their children from the horrors found just a few blocks from their home.
Jennifer’s mother passed on her love of musicals to her daughters, and the girls would create productions of their own in the family's living room. Jennifer took singing and dancing lessons from age five, and at the age of seven, young Jennifer went on her first tour - around New York City with her dance class! She knew then that she wanted to be a performer and set her heart on a dancing career.
During high school, Jennifer played softball, tennis and also did gymnastics. After graduating in 1987 she attended City University of New York’s Baruch College, worked in a law office, and continued her dance classes at night. But her first love was still dance, and when she read about a scholarship to a dance school in Manhattan, she went down and seized the opportunity.
A year and a half later she landed a role dancing as one of ‘The Fly Girls’ on “In Living Color.” A series of small acting roles followed, and in 1995 she appeared in her first feature, the critically acclaimed Mi Familia. Also that year she appeared in Money Train with Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, and 1996’s Jack, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Robin Williams.
However her big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena Quintillana Perez, who was killed by a crazed fan in 1995. Jennifer earned widespread praise for her performance, including a Golden Globe nod, and became the highest-paid Latina actress ever. She had officially arrived, and People magazine named her one of the year’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” Other films followed including Anaconda, Blood and Wine, and Out of Sight, co-starring George Clooney.
Jennifer’s musical career also began to take off, as she released her debut Latin pop album, “On the 6” in June 1999. Fueled by the success of her hit single, If You Had My Love, it went platinum within two weeks, making her one of the most influential examples of the growing Latin cultural influence in pop music. In early 2000, she was nominated for Best Dance Performance for her second hit single Waiting for Tonight. On the big screen that year she starred in the science fiction-thriller The Cell, and gave a powerful performance in Enough, a portrayal of spousal abuse.
In early 2001, Jennifer’s popularity reached new heights when her album “J. Lo” debuted at #1 on the pop charts, while her film, the romantic comedy The Wedding Planner, shot to the top spot at the box office in its first week of release. In 2002, she performed another one-two punch with the release of the record “This Is Me...Then” and starred in the hit comedy Maid in Manhattan.
Lopez most recently starred opposite Richard Gere in Shall We Dance? Currently Jennifer is staring in and producing Bordertown, which reunites her with Selena director Gregory Nava. Bordertown will be produced though Jennifer’s production company Nuyorican and as well as El Norte Films. Upcoming projects include An Unfinished Life with Robert Redford in which she played a single mom taken in by her father-in-law. Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Films along with Flame TV is producing “South Beach” for the UPN. Six episodes have already been ordered.
In March, Jennifer released her latest album, “Rebirth.” She has plans this fall to release a Spanish album.
Lopez is deeply committed to doing all she can for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and its patients so that every child from every background has access to the best in pediatric medicine. Despite her busy schedule, she makes time to visit and corresponds with patients via e-mail. She further supports the hospital on her website, encouraging fans to make donations. In addition to her financial support, she has donated items from her popular retail lines -- jewelry, sunglasses, fragrance and clothing -- as well as several thousands of DVD’s and CD’s. For her work she was presented with the hospital’s Children’s Humanitarian Award.
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