The Movie JLo Can’t Forget: Why She Deeply Regrets Passing on This Role

Jennifer Lopez, an icon of modern entertainment, has built a multifaceted career as an actress, singer, and producer, accumulating over thirty-five feature films since the early 1990s. Known for her role in Selena (1997), Out of Sight (1998), and more recently Hustlers (2019), Lopez has long been one of Hollywood’s most versatile and celebrated stars. Yet, like many actors, she has faced moments in her career she wishes she could change. One film stands out as a major regret for Lopez—a missed opportunity she has admitted to in interviews: Unfaithful (2002).

Unfaithful (2002): The Role She Regretted Passing On

In 2020, Jennifer Lopez made a candid confession in an interview with Vanity Fair about a role she regretted not taking—the lead role in Unfaithful, a psychological thriller directed by Adrian Lyne. The part eventually went to Diane Lane, who received critical acclaim for her portrayal of an adulterous wife. Lopez admitted, “I should have known that Adrian Lyne was going to kill it, but I didn’t.” She further expressed her regret with, “Diane Lane was so perfect for it, and it was obviously meant to be her, but when I think about that…I want to literally, like, shoot my toe off. I do.”

This candid, almost self-deprecating remark reveals the depth of her feelings toward the missed opportunity. Lopez’s regret over Unfaithful doesn’t stem from any dissatisfaction with Lane’s performance but from her acknowledgment that the role could have been a defining career moment had she taken it. The emotion in her words indicates a lasting sense of “what could have been,” making this role one of her most prominent regrets.

Lopez echoed this sentiment in a 2019 article from Cheat Sheet, further solidifying the importance of this unfulfilled opportunity. Her reflections suggest that, in hindsight, she sees the film’s potential to have pushed her career in a different direction, especially considering the praise Lane received and the film’s success.

Gigli (2003): A Challenging Experience, But No Explicit Regret

Another film often brought up in discussions of Jennifer Lopez’s career is Gigli (2003), a notorious flop in which she starred alongside Ben Affleck. Directed by Martin Brest, the film grossed only $7.2 million against a $75 million budget and became infamous for its negative reception. Despite the critical panning and the media circus surrounding her high-profile relationship with Affleck, Lopez has never explicitly stated she regrets taking part in Gigli.

In a 2013 HuffPost interview, Lopez described the Gigli experience as one of “the hardest parts of my career,” acknowledging the combined challenges of the film’s critical failure and the intense tabloid scrutiny. However, these reflections focus more on the aftermath of the film’s release and the personal challenges she faced rather than regret over her involvement in the project. Interestingly, Affleck, who was deeply connected to the movie both personally and professionally, has consistently maintained a positive outlook on Gigli, calling it a “gift” that ultimately led him to pursue directing, which he has since described as his true passion.

While Gigli remains a significant and controversial part of Lopez’s career, her comments about it do not carry the same weight of regret that she expressed about Unfaithful. The movie’s impact on her career, both professionally and personally, is undeniable, but Lopez has framed it as a learning experience rather than something she would undo.

Other Possible Career Reflections

Aside from Unfaithful and Gigli, Lopez has mentioned other films in passing where she might have felt a sense of unfulfilled potential or regret. In a 2023 article by Giant Freakin Robot, Lopez reflected on her early roles in action films like Enough (2002) and Anaconda (1997). She noted that, as she was younger, she wished she had taken on more of these action roles to build a broader and more diverse portfolio. These comments, however, reflect more of a general reflection on her career choices rather than specific regrets tied to individual films.

For instance, while Lopez has enjoyed a varied career, her feelings about roles like those in Enough and Anaconda suggest that she may have wished for different kinds of projects earlier in her career, possibly looking for more action or adventurous roles. However, these musings don’t carry the same intensity of regret that she has attached to Unfaithful, which remains the movie she most clearly feels she missed out on.

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity in Unfaithful

After examining Jennifer Lopez’s reflections on her career, it becomes clear that the movie she will always regret is Unfaithful (2002). Lopez has expressed deep regret for passing on the lead role in the film, which ultimately went to Diane Lane. Her candid comments about the missed opportunity, where she stated, “I want to literally, like, shoot my toe off,” reveal the emotional weight she places on this decision.

While Gigli remains a high-profile and challenging moment in her career, Lopez’s comments reflect a sense of learning from the experience rather than regret. Conversely, Unfaithful represents an opportunity Lopez feels could have reshaped her career, and her ongoing reflections on the film solidify it as her greatest Hollywood regret. The missed role in Unfaithful stands as a reminder that even the most successful careers, like Lopez’s, are shaped by choices, opportunities, and the occasional “what if.”