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Jennifer Lopez felt 'empowered' playing stripper in Hustlers

Photo credit: STX Films
Photo credit: STX Films

From Harper's BAZAAR

American crime drama Hustlers became an unexpected hit upon its release this year, now the film’s star Jennifer Lopez has spoken about feeling “empowered” in her role as a stripper.

Lorene Scafaria’s Oscar-tipped movie follows the story of down-on-her-luck New York stripper Destiny (Constance Wu), who makes friends with the club’s top earner, veteran stripper Ramona Vega (Jennifer Lopez). When the Wall Street crash impacts their profits, they devise a plan to take their lives back.

Photo credit: Roy Rochlin - Getty Images
Photo credit: Roy Rochlin - Getty Images

An iconic scene from the movie sees the 50-year-old actress perform a strip tease to Fiona Apple’s ‘Criminal’, but J.Lo has revealed it nearly didn’t make the cut.

"Initially my big strip routine was not in the movie, but I thought it was important to show,” she told The Sun on Sunday’s Biz column.

"You had to see she was the star of the club. I just had to be a big girl about it. The first time in the full costume - calling it that is a stretch - was very nerve-racking.”

The actress – who is receiving awards buzz for her role – said the scene was challenging but ultimately rewarding.

"It's the first time I really got the vulnerability, the feeling of being exposed. But I pulled my G-string up and did what I had to do as an actress. This is my job, what I signed up for,” she said.

Photo credit: STX Films
Photo credit: STX Films

"I felt the empowerment and being in control of the room. There was a before and after that was drastic, from total terror to total happiness. It was hard, scary - but awesome."

Lopez also said she felt frustrated that viewers assumed she used a double for the pole-dancing scenes, which were all her own.

"When I went upside down (on the pole) I said, 'Please get my face, I don't care if I look like a bat hanging upside down, I want people to know there's no doubles in this movie’,” she said.

It’s been revealed the Maid In Manhattan actress did two and a half months worth of pole training in preparation for her role.

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