We don’t have tons of such triumphant movies for Latino families: Jennifer Lopez on ‘Unstoppable’

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Behind a powerful person, there is an equally powerful individual, believes Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez, who, as a Latina, is honoured to bring one such story to the screen with biographical sports drama “Unstoppable”.

The upcoming film is the inspiring, true story of American wrestler Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his dreams of becoming a national champion. It will premiere on Prime Video in India on January 16.

The actor-singer plays Anthony’s devoted and fierce mother Judy in the film. She said there aren’t many stories that depict a well-rounded portrayal of a Latino family and that’s why being part of “Unstoppable” was “exciting”.

“When I read the script, I just found it to be such an inspirational story. It was so triumphant. We don’t have tons of those movies for Latino families, so I wanted to do that. It’s always like this, struggling and everything. And, even though there was struggle here, there was such a triumph at the end,” the actor told PTI in a video interview.

When Lopez met the real-life Judy and Anthony, she thought this story “deserves to be told”.

“He really is an extraordinary human being but there’s always somebody behind the very powerful person and that was an equally powerful person and that was his mom, Judy. It was a real honour for me to be able to do this and be able to be part of telling it,” she added.

Judy Robles, who was also part of the interview, “didn’t believe” that Lopez was going to portray her on screen.

“She played me perfectly. She was absolutely amazing. She did me better than I could do myself. There were a lot of moments where she kept asking me, ‘Is this okay? Is this what you would do?’ She was true to being me, which I really appreciated and valued,” she said.

The two women formed a deep bond over their own journeys as mothers.

“Being moms and wanting to do the best for your kids and sometimes making choices that you wish you could go back and change things were really the basis of this (bond). Judy’s other children say she’s the most inspiring mom – always supportive, cheery and lifting us up.

“When I spoke to Judy, I was like, ‘Open up to me, what is it really like? I love that you are a positive person and that we all have to be with our kids but what was really going on?’ And, she let me in on more of the struggles, the difficulties about her life, and her marriage at that time,” Lopez, a mother of twins Emme and Max, added.

The actor, known for films such as “Selena”, “Maid in Manhattan”, “Second Act”, and “Hustlers”, said a lot of people would relate to Judy Robles in “Unstoppable”.

“That to me was what the richness was and where the heart of a woman lies… Where you are struggling and trying to be the best mom you can be and the best person you can be, sometimes falling short of the glory, having to forgive yourself, and having to go on no matter what.

“Sometimes your kids catch you struggling and they are so much there. I thought it was relatable, beautiful and true about being a woman and being a mom in the best way.”

So, what makes Lopez and Judy Robles “unstoppable”?

According to Judy Robles, Lopez has an “amazing” heart, character and strength about her that a lot of people don’t get to see.

“Regardless of what’s going on around her, she keeps pushing through. She doesn’t let everything weigh her down, she keeps shining with this beautiful personality and lets someone like me get to know me. That is something that I am fortunate enough to see. Regardless of all the things going on in her life, she genuinely cares about the people around her.”

Right from the beginning, Judy Robles was a “powerhouse” for Lopez.

“This is a woman who, at 16 years old, had a child. She didn’t allow her life to be a statistic. She allowed it to be something extraordinary by loving and understanding who she needed to be for her son. (I am) Really humbled to play such a beautiful woman,” the actor said.

Directed by William Goldenberg, “Unstoppable” is based on the book by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy. Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena and Don Cheadle also round out the cast of the film.

Anthony Robles himself is seen in the film and credited as ‘Anthony Robles Double’, performing the complex wrestling moves and stunts. He is also a producer on the film.