Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Miserable’ Secret: Why She Hated Filming ‘In Living Color’

Jennifer Lopez’s rise to stardom began in 1991 when she joined the cast of In Living Color as a Fly Girl, the iconic dance troupe on the groundbreaking sketch comedy show. It was a dream come true for the Bronx native, but Lopez has candidly shared that her time in Los Angeles, where the show was filmed, was not as glamorous as one might expect. In fact, she was “miserable” during that period, grappling with homesickness and the challenges of adjusting to a new life on the West Coast.

Lopez reflected on her difficult transition in a 2001 Rolling Stone interview, explaining that moving from New York to Los Angeles was a huge change for her. “Living Color was nice because it was my first steady paycheck, but I was miserable living in L.A.,” she admitted. “I’m a total New York-Bronx girl, with the accent and the whole nine. I was hating it.” She went on to describe Los Angeles as a “really lonely city” for an East Coast person, adding that she struggled with the isolation during her first year in the city.

It wasn’t until her high school boyfriend, David Cruz, moved to Los Angeles that Lopez began to feel more settled. “It didn’t get better until the second year,” she explained. “David and I got back together, and he moved to L.A., and that made it more bearable. He wound up staying out there for four years with me. I was stable at home, so I was able to excel and work.” With Cruz by her side, Lopez found the stability she needed to focus on her career, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lopez’s path to In Living Color wasn’t a smooth one. Although she eventually became one of the show’s standout stars, her first audition in 1990 ended in rejection. In a 2017 interview with Steve Harvey, Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba revealed that Lopez was initially passed over for the show. “We didn’t actually choose her the first time,” Inaba confessed. “It’s so weird because she was so amazing. She came back again, and everybody was happy. Look, I feel like we chose a star.”

Despite the initial setback, Lopez’s perseverance paid off when she was selected for the Fly Girls the following year. This role was crucial in launching her career, and it eventually led to her becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.

Though Lopez eventually grew to appreciate Los Angeles, she has always remained loyal to her roots. Reflecting on her relationship with the city, she said, “I hated L.A.,” recalling her early struggles with finding a place in the city. “I was asking, ‘Where’s the store for milk? Don’t you guys walk on the street?’” Yet, despite her initial aversion, she later admitted, “Now I love Los Angeles, but it doesn’t give me strength the way the Bronx did. All the strength that I needed for life, I got from that neighborhood.”

Though she now resides in Los Angeles, Lopez still holds a deep connection to New York, and she maintains homes in both California and New York state. For Lopez, the Bronx will always be the place that shaped her resilience and drive, and the city continues to be a foundational part of her identity.

Jennifer Lopez’s journey from a young dancer in the Bronx to an international superstar is a testament to her perseverance and ability to adapt. While her early years in Los Angeles were challenging, they were also pivotal in shaping the career that has made her one of the most influential and beloved figures in entertainment today.