User:Status/Sandbox/Career of Jennifer Lopez

1986–96: Dance career and early acting work

While attending her final year of high school, Lopez learned about a film casting that was seeking several teenage girls for small roles. She auditioned and was cast in My Little Girl (1986), an low-budget film co-written and directed by Connie Kaiserman. Lopez acted as Myra, a young woman at a center for troubled girls. After she finished filming her role in the film, Lopez knew that she wanted to become a famous movie star. To please her parents, though, she enrolled in Baruch College, only to drop out after one semester. She told her parents her dream of becoming a movie star, but they ensisted that it was a "really stupid" idea and that "no Latinos did that". The differences in opinions led Lopez to move out of their family home and into an apartment in Manhattan. During this period, Lopez performed in regional productions of the musicals: Jesus Christ, Superstar! and Oklahoma. From there, she was hired for the chorus in a Golden Musicals of Broadway, which toured Europe for a period of five months. She was unhappy with the role, as she was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo. She later got a job on the show Synchronicity in Japan, where she acted as a dancer, singer and a choreographer.

Lopez gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color in 1991. She applied for the job after one of the cast members was unavailable to continue with the show. Out of two thousand applicants, Lopez made it to the finals. She became the runner-up, but eventually received the role when the winner was unable to accept the job. She moved with her then-boyfriend David Cruz to Los Angeles to film the series and remained a regular cast member until 1993 when she decided to pursue an acting career. After her departure from the show, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson; also making an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes". Lopez received her first professional acting gig in the direct-to-video drama film Lost in the Wild (1993), co-starring alongside Lindsay Wagner and Robert Loggia. In 1993 and 1994 Lopez starred as Melinda Lopez in the CBS television series Second Chances and its spin-off Hotel Malibu. Both shows ran for only a brief period, receiving negative reviews.

Lopez's received her first high-budget film role in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama My Family, playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in My Family, which earned her a Independent Spirit Award nomination, Lopez starred in the action film Money Train, opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy Jack starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller Blood and Wine (1996).

1997–2000: Film breakthrough and music career launch

Selena and subsequent roles

"That said, [Jennifer Lopez] takes what little she has in the way of a script and does a superb job playing [Selena Quintanilla Perez]. The movie rests squarely on her shoulders and she carries it well from start to finish. Her concert work is slick and stylish. It isn't her fault if there's too much of it in the final product. "

— Chris Cobb from The Spectator on Lopez performance in Selena, 1997

Lopez's first big break came in 1996, when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with the film's director on My Family, Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before she was cast in the film. Lopez played Selena in her twenties, while Rebecca Lee Maza played Selena in her younger years. During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision. Lopez earned widespread outstanding reviews and praise from critics for her portrayal of Selena. Kenneth Turan from Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan while giving the film a mixed review, he wrote that Selena was not just a celebration of Selena's life, but the actress who played her. Joe Baltake said that Lopez was "is sensational in the title role" and complimented her for pulling off lip-syncing to Selena's original tracks as her own, as she was not a trained singer at the time. She garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy".

In 1997, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film Anaconda alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film U Turn, which is based on the book Stray Dogs, starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in Out of Sight, Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film Antz.

On the 6

By May 1999, publicity for Lopez's debut album had begun and the news spread fast. Lopez's debut album On the 6, a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill, was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. Her debut single, "If You Had My Love" was released on May 21, 1999, and reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of June 12, 1999. The song stayed on the chart for a total of 25 weeks. It was proceeded by the release of "Waiting for Tonight", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a dance club hit. Prior to the release of "Waiting For Tonight" as a single, a Spanish language Latin-flavored ballad with Marc Anthony "No Me Ames" was released and failed to chart on major charts. On the 6 featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100, however failed to reach the top 50. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category of the 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video". In addition, Lopez was nominated for more awards then any other at the 1999 The Billboard Music Video Awards, scoring seven nominations in total, leading the likes of Christina Aguilera.

On February 23, 2000, Lopez showed up to the 42nd Grammy Awards with Combs wearing a plunging exotic green Versace silk chiffon dress, which became known as the "Green Versace Jungle Dress" by Lopez. The dress, known for its low cut neck that extended before her navel and its open back, caused much controversy and garnered media attention. Images of Lopez in the green dress were downloaded from the Grammy website 642,917 times in just 24 hours after the event. Lopez was surprised by the enormous media coverage, declaring in an interview: "It was a nice dress. I had no idea it was going to become such a big deal." Versace later revealed that the dress was the turning point of her career, saying that the media now had confidence in her own work, after the death of Gianni Versace. With the release and promotion of On The 6 over, Lopez had successfully converted herself from film star to pop star within 12 months. Around this time, Lopez's fans started to dub her as "J.Lo". Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film The Cell, released on August 18, 2000. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box-office success, opening at number one.

2001–04: Subsequent albums and focus on acting career

J.Lo and The Wedding Planner

By August 2000, Lopez had begun work on her second album. J.Lo was released on January 23, 2001, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, exceeding sales of 270,000 copies in its first week. In addition, the album dethroned The Beatles from the top spot. At the same time, her romantic comedy film, The Wedding Planner, which she starred in alongside Matthew McConaughey led box office receipts, making Lopez the first female to have a film and an album at number one in the same week. J.Lo was more urban oriented than On the 6. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. The album's third single "I'm Real" reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as spending over a year on the chart, with a total of 62 weeks. "I'm Real" was controversial for using a sample of the song "Firecraker"; which singer Mariah Carey had wanted to sample first. It was later shockingly announced that Carey's ex husband, Tommy Mottola had instructed record executive Irv Gotti to give Lopez the sample before Carey, and Lopez was unaware of this. "Ain't It Funny" was released; however it did not receive proper commercial promotion in the United States therefore ineligible for charting on the Hot 100. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs ("I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny), which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). "Ain't It Funny (murder remix)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks, and led Radio Airplay and Pop Songs charts. On July 24, 2001, She re-released J. Lo on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert. J.Lo has sold 4 million copies in the United States alone. On September 27, 2004, a box set was released by Epic Records featuring On The 6 and J.Lo combined. Lopez next role was in a supernatural romance film, Angel Eyes which disappointed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews.

J to tha L–O! The Remixes and This Is Me... Then

Following the success of the re-release of J.Lo, Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remix effort, releasing J to tha L–O! The Remixes, on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week. Featured artists on J to tha L–O! The Remixes include P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the third all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, The Beatles' Love and Madonna's You Can Dance, having sold a total of 1.5 million copies as of October 2010. J to tha L-O: The Remixes sold 624,000 copies within its first month, and stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for a month. It remained the only album to debut at number one in the United States for nearly 10 years, until Justin Bieber's remix effort in 2011 debuted at the top spot with similar opening sales. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" which was previously on her J.Lo album was released as a single; impacting the charts by July 2002 and reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" spent 23 weeks on the chart. The track "Alive" written by Jennifer and Cris Judd was released as a single from the remix album.

In May 2002, she starred in the thriller film Enough as Slim, a woman abused by her husband and on the run from him. The film garnered negative reviews; however the fight scene at the finale of the movie was praised. In addition, the film was considered a "kick-butt, female empowerment" movie.

Lopez released her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, on November 26, 2002. Unlike previous albums, it was more R&B oriented and much of its lyrical structure were about her relationship with her fiancé, Affleck. The songs from the album, in particular the fifth track, "Dear Ben" detailed her romantic relationship with Affleck. The album sold over 310,000 copies in its first week, Lopez's highest first-week sales to date, and reached two on the charts in the United States, and was on the charts for a total of forty weeks. Prior to its release, the album's lead single "Jenny from the Block" was released. It reached 3 on the Hot 100, and was known for its controversial music video featuring Affleck. The song is about Lopez remaining modest and intoning her childhood roots vowing she wishes to remain simple despite her diamonds. "All I Have", a duet with LL Cool J served as the third single from This Is Me... Then. It became Lopez's fifth song to top the Hot 100 charts. "I'm Glad" and "Baby I Love U!" were released as the final singles from This Is Me... Then, both commercial disappointing, failing to match the success of her previous singles; however the music video for "I'm Glad" received four nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards the following year. The video recreated scenes from the 1983 film Flashdance, leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed. This Is Me... Then has sold over 2.5 million copies to date in the United States, her last album to reach over a million copies in sales in that country.

Gigli and Shall We Dance?

After the release of This Is Me... Then, Lopez took time away from music to focus on films. After two consecutive critical and commercial failures in the films Enough and Angel Eyes, Lopez bounced back with the box office hit Maid in Manhattan, released on December 13, 2002. Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician, who she falls in love with. Maid in Manhattan was a box-office hit, opening at number one. The New York Times compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, 'Jenny From the Block', Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."

Lopez and Ben Affleck eventually succumbed to overexposure from the media, however, which caused public interest in their romance to result in less admiration and negatively affected their careers. Gigli, a film which Lopez starred as a lesbian opposite Affleck, was released on August 1, 2003. The film was considered a box office failure, and is often considered one of the worst films ever made. Once again she starred in another movie with Affleck, Jersey Girl, but only grossed $36 million at the box office and received poor reviews.

In August 2003, (after the international flub of "Gigli") it was announced that Lopez was star in Shall We Dance?. The move was released in 2004, in which Lopez starred as Paulina alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; it reached the third spot at the Box Office. Shall We Dance?, grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, Shall We Dance? grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. By this time, Lopez was well established as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on The Hollywood Reporter's list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Lopez and Marc Anthony at the Time 100 gala event on May 8, 2006

2005–08: Return to music, independent films and career break

Rebirth and Monster-in-Law

Lopez released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, on March 1, 2005. The lead single was "Get Right", reaching 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a dance club hit. The song reached number one in the United Kingdom. The video for "Get Right" has Lopez portraying many different characters in a nightclub and sporting several different looks and occupations. Following the release of "Get Right", the album debuted (and peaked) at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 261,000 copies in its opening week. It quickly fell off the charts, and produced one more single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the Hot 100 while it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. The song "Cherry Pie" was intended to be released as a single, however due to low sales (despite a high start) of Rebirth these plants were scrapped. Rebirth was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA; selling over 700,000 copies so far in the United States, and has enjoyed international success. In May 2005, the film Monster-in-Law was released. It was Jane Fonda's first movie in several years. It featured Lopez as Charlie, an artist who is pitted against her fiance's conniving mother when she does not accept her as her son's girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife). However, the $43-million film became a box-office smash debuting at number one, earning $83 million ($154.7 worldwide) during its theatrical run in summer 2005. Lopez received $15 million for her role in Monster-in-Law, remaining one of her highest paychecks for a movie yet. Later, she starred in a film entitled An Unfinished Life, which did not do well; only reaching 11 at the Box office.

In 2006, Lopez was featured in LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, Lopez's first collaborative Top 10 Hit in the U.S. since 2003. Also that year, she was in the movie Bodertown; The movie is based on a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a maquiladora border city across the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas. Estimates of the murders conflict, yet, conservatively speaking over four hundred women, maybe many more, have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered since 1993 in and around Ciudad Juárez. Lopez garnered a few awards and recognition for this part. The film was not a large success, though. Jennifer was one of the recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award, after her appearance in Bordertown.

Coma Ama una Mujer and Brave

It was reported that Lopez was to release a full Spanish language album. Contactmusic.com said that Lopez would "prove critics wrong" and prove that she actually has a voice, through this new project. Upon the eve of the album's release, Lopez explained that she had previously aimed to sing in Spanish, however her career took a different path. Her first full Spanish album, Como Ama una Mujer was released on March 23, 2007. It debuted at 10 on the Billboard 200, making her one of few to reach the top ten with a Spanish album. The album was a natural and large success within the Latin community, reaching number one on Billboard Top Latin Albums, where it remained for seven weeks. Worldwide, it was a moderate success, reaching the top ten in several countries such as Italy and Germany.

Lopez with husband Marc Anthony (right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens.

"I thought that my career was going to be in Spanish music, honestly. My life took a different turn, which was great for me. But my heart was always kind of on the Spanish side."

— Jennifer Lopez, on her Spanish music career

Como Ama una Mujer marks the highest debut sales in the United States for a Spanish album and the highest digital sales for a Spanish album. The York Press, on the album, stated that "Lopez stunned many with her Spanish-language Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force." For promotion of Como Ama Una Mujer, Lopez traveled back to the Bronx, to meet fans and sign copies of her album in her old neighborhood. Over 500 people attended. In an interview, Lopez stated "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighborhood, back to my home." Como ama una Mujer produced a single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do") which peaked at 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. She performed the song on American Idol, in the same week she was a mentor; she is the first person to perform a Latin song on the hit show. On July 24, 2007 (Lopez's birthday) Billboard magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. On the finale date of their tour, Lopez and Anthony announced that they were expecting a child, her first and his fourth.

In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, El Cantante, with Anthony. Lopez, who also co-produced the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor's wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. In August 2007 Lopez began work promotion on a new English studio album, titled Brave For Brave, she collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Released on October 9, 2007, it debuted at 12 on the Billboard 200; commercially, it is her least successful album to date. It spawned two singles "Do It Well" and "Hold It, Don't Drop It", which both reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, but failed to make further impact. It was her first album to fail to produce a top twenty song. Brave earned mostly mixed to negative reviews, Rashod D. Ollison from The Sun said that "Brave – was not to daring". However, there were a few positive reviews. The York Press compared Brave to Britney Spears' album due for release around the same time. Praising Lopez for not needing digital enhancement of her voice in "Brave" compared to Spears, they turned their favor to Brave instead of Blackout despite praising Spears' for delivering a "decent album". Brave has sold over 160,000 copies (which sales are comparable to that of Lopez' previous first week sales of her first four albums).

2009–present: Comeback

Love? and American Idol

While pregnant with twins Max and Emme, Lopez had been writing material for her seventh studio album Love?, with a planned release for the summer of 2010. On what to expect of the album, she said "Once you get past the party on the album, and you listen to some of the words, you will see that I really talk about the power of love but also the devastation of it and everything in between." A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the Billboard Hot 100. On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of How I Met Your Mother as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. In February 2010 Lopez and her record label of ten years, Epic Records, parted ways. Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, confirmed the news, saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist... She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?'. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and was working on new material for Love? with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In April 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy The Back-up Plan. The film debuted at the top spot at the Box Office. While the film didn't meet positive reviews, Lopez's performance as "Zoe" was praised and called a "winning performance".

File:60f34 steven-tyler-jennifer-lopez-randy-jackson-american-idol590.jpg

Lopez (center) with fellow judges Steven Tyler (left) and Randy Jackson (right) at American Idol

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from American Idol, it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other Idol producers. Both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considered for a role on The X Factor for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in The X Factor was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of Idol, despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while Idol producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. The public agreed that Lopez was a more suitable judge replacement for Ellen, as she had experience within the music industry, which DeGeneres lacked.

In January 2011, Lopez's new single "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull (their second collaboration) surfaced online and it was later announced as the lead single from Love?, produced by RedOne, who predicted that it was going to be a "big hit". "On The Floor" was a commercial success, debuting at nine on the Hot 100 and peaking at three, her highest-charting song in eight years. It's accompanying music video premiered on an episode of American Idol on March 3, and has since become the highest viewed video by a female artist on YouTube, with over 510 million views. The song sold 8.4 million copies, becoming the fourth best-selling digital single of the year. Love? produced two more singles, the Taio Cruz produced "I'm Into You" featuring Lil Wayne, and "Papi", which became her 10th and 11th chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Love? was finally released on May 3, 2011 and reached the fifth position on the Billboard 200. It was a moderate success, and viewed as a humble comeback from Lopez, as many had considered her recording career over.

In November, she was named "Women of the year" by Glamour Magazine. Lopez was featured on will.i.am's single "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)". On December 13, 2011, Los Angeles Times named her the "World's greatest musical comeback act", a ranking from an accuracast, a digital search that analyzed over a billion Google searches since 2004. Lopez ranked ahead of comebacks from artists such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin. She was also named "Best Comeback" act by Billboard.com Reader's Poll, leading with 47% of votes for the title, beating out Kelly Clarkson (17%) and Evanescence (12%).

Lopez returned as judge on the eleventh season of American Idol, reportedly earning $US20 million, compared to the $US12 million she earned last year. This season was not as successful as it's previous ten seasons, and for the first time was not the most-watched primetime television show. Subsequently, Lopez is currently unsure about returning to the show. Lopez worked with ex-husband Marc Anthony and director-choeographer Jamie King on the talent series ¡Q'Viva! The Chosen, created by Simon Fuller. It follows Lopez, Anthony and King as they travel across 21 countries in Latin America to find new talent. It premiered on January 28, 2012 on Univision and was a ratings hit for the channel.

Dance Again World Tour

Lopez will embark on a co-headlining tour with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias (pictured) in the midst of her debut headlining tour Dance Again World Tour.

In late 2011, it was confirmed that Lopez would be releasing a greatest hits album in 2012, with her vocal producer Kuk Harrell and The-Dream confirming their involvement in the project. L.A. Reid, chairman and CEO for Epic Records, confirmed on his Twitter account that a greatest hits album is in production. Later confirming an upcoming release herself, Lopez said the basis for her album was again "Love". Island Def Jam Records' Senior Vice President of A&R, Chris Anokute stated in an interview that he is working with Lopez on a dance album. In April 2012 Lopez released the lead single from her greatest hits album, "Dance Again" featuring American rapper Pitbull. It charted at 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also became her twelfth number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. Later that month, Lopez was featured on Wisin & Yandel's song "Follow the Leader" from their upcoming album. Lopez is also working on two possible new songs, entitled "Clothes Off" and "Goin' In". Three new songs will appear on Lopez's upcoming greatest hits album. Lopez recorded "Goin' In" with Flo Rida for the film Step Up Revolution (2012). She debuted it at the finale American Idol with a performance medley that included "Follow the Leader". The song was made it's radio debut on May 24, 2012 and will be released as a single on June 19. In an interview, Lopez stated that she owes a greatest hits album to Epic Records, however is still unsure if she will release one.

During an interview with Extra TV Lopez confirmed that she had been working on a possible tour; she had previously talked about the possibility of a tour after the release of Love? around June 2011, which never materialized, as it could have jeapordised her position as a judge on American Idol. On June 23 and 27 Lopez will perform for her first headlining concert in Brazil for the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo. Reporters said that Lopez would tour Latin America, with plans of visiting Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile. Sources later announced that Lopez was planning her first ever global world tour, which will have legs in United States, South America, Europe and Asia; consisting of over 60 dates. It was announced on April 30, 2012 that Lopez would be going on a co-headlining tour in the United States with Enrique Iglesias. The tour will earn her an estimated $US13 million. Speaking of it, Lopez said that "it's going to be one of the most historic tours ever. […] There's never been something like this, where Latinos come together like this. […] I just think it's very groundbreaking. I was honored to be asked to be a part of it." Lopez has already began her Dance Again World Tour which will carry out throughout her tour with Iglesias, and began in Panama City, Panama on June 14. The Dance Again World Tour will include legs in Asia, Europe and South America. Sarah Bull of Daily Mail commented that Lopez had put her all into "energetic performances as she delighted fans on her opening night."

Lopez is involved in multiple films, the first time she has been in years. She starred as Holly — a woman who adopts a baby from abroad with her husband after difficulty conceiving — in What to Expect When You're Expecting. The film was released to theaters on May 18, 2012. The film reached number five at the Box Office and has grossed a worldwide total of $46 million so far. Lopez voices Shira in the upcoming animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift which is the fourth movie in the Ice Age series. Another film which Lopez has shot her parts for, Parker will be released in 2013. Director Taylor Hackford has stated that the movie development has gone well, praising Lopez in a comment stating "I'm not kidding, this woman can really act. The last several years she's been doing romantic comedies – that's a talent, but as a dramatic actress she's got fantastic chops." On May 16, 2012, Forbes placed Lopez first on their "Celebrity 100 List", in turn naming her the most powerful celebrity in the world for their 2012 edition. She beat out Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga for the title, having earned $US52 million from May 2011–May 2012. Dorothy Pomerantz from Forbes staff said that it was due to her role as judge on American Idol, endorsement deals, fragrances and her much publicized personal life in the past year. This was a considerable jump on the list, considering the previous year she was number 50.