Jennifer Lopez on New Movie 'Enough'

N E W   Y O R K, May 22, 2002 -- Jennifer Lopez talks about her new record, her new marriage, and her new movie, Enough, with ABCNEWS' Diane Sawyer.

The following is the uncorrected, unedited transcript of the interview that aired on Good Morning America.

ABCNEWS' DIANE SAWYER: Voice Over Tape:

It's a movie about a woman who decides to fight back against an abusivehusband and I mean literally fight back. Feeling that the systemcannot protect her, she will protect herself. She has no choice.Here's a clip. (Clip from "Enough")And Jennifer Lopez joins us now. You know, it's so interestingbecause often when actors come here, you watch them watch themselvesabsolutely like this. But you didn't.

JENNIFER LOPEZ: No.

SAWYER:Do you like watching yourself or does it make you just a little bitedgy?

LOPEZ:Sometimes. The first time I see it, I really watch, but then afterthat, I kind of, you know, it's weird to see yourself over and over,and I'm used to doing it now. At first, I used to just shakeuncontrollably, you know. I remember seeing my first movie, youknow, they had a little screening for the actors, and I was just inthe first 20 minutes of the movie. And for the rest of the two hours,I was still like a nervous wreck. I hated it, but, you know, I've gotten used to it over the years.

SAWYER:Scary movie, I told you this. I can't watch a lot of sceneswhen I get scared. I'm a real wuss in a movie. And you saidyour grandmother was so panicked during it?

LOPEZ:She saw it, she was at the premiere last night, and she saw the movieand I was like, you know, 'Buela, how did you like it?' And she waslike, 'I liked the end, I liked the end.' And I said, 'Whatabout the beginning,' and she was like 'Hm.' So later on, I see BillyCampbell, and …

SAWYER:Who is your husband in the movie.

LOPEZ:Who plays the husband. And he said, 'Your grandmotherbeat on me.' She was like, 'I no like you,' because she doesn'tspeak any English. 'I no like. Very, very bad,' you know.

SAWYER:He better watch out for her stalking him someday.

LOPEZ:Yeah.

SAWYER:Well, let's talk about this a little bit, because, in the movie, yousay, or effectively, somebody says to you, 'I'm not going to be oneof those women in a Country Western song, here.'

LOPEZ:Yeah.

SAWYER:'I'm going to take action.'

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:'I am going to take real action.' And in fact, you have said, 'thisis about physically getting yourself ready for the moment when you'vegot to defend yourself. Never stop attacking in the physicalmoment.'

LOPEZ:Uh-huh, uh-huh.

SAWYER:Some of the people, as you know, in in the abuse counselingindustry, have said you can't tell women that — they can't dothat. That something that's dangerous, even to see it intheir minds.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh. Well, you know, this is a movie that has the touches uponthose themes, but really, it's a thriller, you know what Imean, And it's really not about, it's about empowering yourself inany situation, you know, that you have. When I read the script, Isaw it as, you have the power within yourself, no matter how severethe situation can be, to change whatever that is, to find that powerwithin yourself to change any negative situation.

SAWYER:Well, in fact, of course, the system, as we know, because there aretoo many awful tragedies out there …

LOPEZ:Yes.

SAWYER:… the system doesn't protect women a lot of the time, and you do goto lawyers who can't help you, you go to people who can't help you,and there does come a point where you've got to be able to dosomething if you can, at that moment.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:And Billy, in fact, said that you practically knocked him out acouple of times.

LOPEZ:I didn't mean to.

SAWYER:Oh, how nice. How thoughtful.

LOPEZ:I had to. It was written.

SAWYER:Any man ever hit you?

LOPEZ:

No. Thank God I have never had that happen to me.

SAWYER:You know, I was surprised when I watched you on Oprah, though,because a couple of things, and then reading the clips, a couple ofthings you said, really, I didn't know. You said that you had madethe mistake of falling for unsuitable men again and again, though.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:You knew what that was like.

LOPEZ:Yeah.

SAWYER:What were you talking about?

LOPEZ:Well, you know, I was talking more about how you get, when women getinto relationships, you know, we love so completely, you know, whenwe do fall in love. And how you give away your power. And, youknow, you start off as this kind of independent girl who has all thisstuff, you know, in control in her life, and then all of a sudden,you just kind of give it all away and you're waiting by the phone forit to ring and stuff like that. So.

SAWYER:An then? Oh, I'd say, somewhere around September 29th, 2001 —

LOPEZ:Yes.

SAWYER:— you get it right?

LOPEZ:Yes.

SAWYER:Chris Judd.

LOPEZ:Yes.

SAWYER:Been married almost a year now.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:What have you learned about yourself in this year?

LOPEZ:You know, I think the best thing that Chris ever taught me was justto learn how to balance things. You know what I mean? I amvery passionate about my work and what I do. I have a lot ofcreative ideas. I feel this is a very creative time for me, youknow, in my life. And so you let that drive you. You let thatpassion drive you, and you have no balance in your life. It's allabout work, it's all about, you know, the next project you're workingon, the next creative thing you're doing. And all of a sudden,you're like, 'where is my — where is my life?' And I was realizingthat, but still not having anything in my life that I really — thatreally helped me get that balance. And he was … he's so peaceful andsuch a different type of personality than I am, that, you know, hekind of balances me out a little bit.

SAWYER:You're going to let …

LOPEZ:A little bit. Sorry.

SAWYER:You're going to let "J.Lo" go, I heard.

LOPEZ:Oh, no!

SAWYER:I read in the paper …

LOPEZ:J.Lo will never go.

SAWYER:No?

LOPEZ:No.

SAWYER:Because I heard you're going back to Jennifer Lopez.

LOPEZ:No, I am Jen, you see, this is the thing. I've always been Jennifer!

SAWYER:Oh, you're Jennifer Lopez

LOPEZ:Yes, I'm and what happened is I named my album"J.Lo" and it kind of caught on and everybody started calling meJ.Lo, so I'm in the street and people are like, 'J.Lo, J.Lo!' Andit's nice, but then I'm like, you know, `you just — you can just callme Jennifer.' They're like, 'Hey, J.Lo,' so I'm like, 'please, callme Jennifer. It's cool, you know, that's my name.'

SAWYER:Right. Suddenly, you're a neon sign instead of a person?

LOPEZ:Yes. It's a different thing. All of a sudden, you're like this onelittle symbol, you know.

SAWYER:Yeah.

LOPEZ:It's crazy.

SAWYER:You're going to be back with us tomorrow.

LOPEZ:Yes.

SAWYER:… and we're going to talk about clothes.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:…we're going to talk a little bit about — about Puffy and what thatwas all about.

LOPEZ:Uh-huh.

SAWYER:… and also, we're going to talk about a statement you made whichsaid 'some guys like skinny, but they're missing out.'

LOPEZ:Did I say that?

SAWYER:Yes.

LOPEZ:OK.

SAWYER:Yes. And I said to wonderful Alan Nierob over here a minute ago,how is it that I think, inch for inch, I probably have the samething, but I don't get any, I can't get any mileage out of it?'

LOPEZ:Oh, please!

SAWYER:Anyway, we'll measure, and you'll be back tomorrow. And again, themovie is Enough, and it is a powerful, a powerful rallying cry.

LOPEZ:It's a lot of fun.

SAWYER:And to hear the women cheer when you …

LOPEZ:Women and men.

SAWYER:… go for it is something else.

LOPEZ:Well, the men are like rooting for me, too, at the endthere.

SAWYER:Yeah.

LOPEZ:It was a lot of fun. The premiere was a lot of fun lastnight.

SAWYER:All right. We'll talk to you again later.

LOPEZ:Thank you.

SAWYER:It's great to see you.

LOPEZ:Good to see you.

SAWYER:Really good to meet you, Jennifer.