Jennifer Lopez Understood ‘Difficult’ Love into ‘Unstoppable’ (Unique)

Jennifer Lopez is opening up about how she understood the “difficult dynamics” at play in her new film Unstoppable.

Lopez, 55, performs the real-life Judy Robles within the biopic reverse Jharrel Jerome as Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and have become a wrestler who went on to win an NCAA nationwide championship. Portraying Judy’s “dysfunctional and unhealthy” relationship along with her husband and Anthony’s stepfather Wealthy, performed by Bobby Cannavale, finally felt “very cathartic,” the actress-musician tells PEOPLE. 

“Ladies who’re mothers who get in relationships, and also you battle with them, and you end up in dynamics that aren’t wholesome, however you care in regards to the individual, love the individual,” Lopez, who’s mother to twins Max and Emme, tells PEOPLE on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition on Saturday, Sept. 7. “That is these difficult dynamics about life that I perceive very well.”

And “all people can relate to” such a narrative — “plenty of ladies and men, by the best way,” the Unstoppable actress and producer provides of the movie, which was largely shot early in 2023 previous to the SAG-AFTRA strike and resumed that December. “I feel all of us do. I do not assume there’s anyone who’s exempt from experiencing these varieties of issues at occasions.”

Unstoppable, tailored from Anthony and Austin Murphy’s e book of the identical identify, counts Ben Affleck and Matt Damon amongst its producers, with William Goldenberg making his directorial debut. Anthony, who alongside along with his mom attended the Sept. 6 Toronto premiere with the forged and filmmakers, can be a producer (and Jerome’s stunt double) on the movie.

“When Judy and I first spoke, it was nearly, for me, studying as a lot as I may about how she actually felt and all of this stuff and what actually occurred,” remembers Lopez. 

Earlier in Judy and Wealthy’s relationship, as portrayed by the screenplay from Eric Champnella, Alex Harris and John Hindman, “there was an earnest time,” she continues. “He thought he was serving to elevate this child [Anthony] when he took him on. There was one thing between him and Judy that was actual, as difficult and perhaps as dysfunctional and unhealthy because it was.”

Judy Robles “was very open with me” discussing her household dynamics, Lopez provides, “and I used to be open along with her about my very own struggles.”

The frank discussions allowed Lopez “to seek out commonality” of their life experiences, she says, “as a result of on the finish of the day, you carry plenty of your self to those characters. You need to perceive one thing about them that you simply love and that you simply perceive and that you simply empathize with … It was an actual honor for me to do it and really cathartic for me as nicely.”

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However generally, she says, depicting Judy’s story may very well be tough. “I struggled on the set a few occasions,” remembers Lopez. “I used to be like, ‘Ugh, too shut.’” The expertise additionally “bought me to a unique place in my life,” she says, noting that performing “teaches you about your self and also you be taught issues, and it was actually a vital and exquisite expertise.”

Unstoppable, from Amazon MGM Studios, shall be in restricted theaters this December and streaming on Prime Video. It costars Michael Peña and Don Cheadle.

The Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition runs by way of Sept. 15.