Jennifer Lopez is opening up about the emotional moment she shared with Brie Larson when they met for the first time at the Golden Globes.
“It brings tears to my eyes now because it’s very moving, because you give your heart and soul to this when you’re an artist,” Lopez, 54, told Zane Lowe in a Wednesday, January 10, interview for Apple Music 1.
Lopez and Larson, 34, met on the red carpet of the Sunday, January 7, awards show. As Larson was being interviewed before the ceremony, she spotted Lopez from afar and instantly teared up in admiration while sharing how the “On the Floor” singer has inspired her over the years. Larson’s heartfelt reaction is something Lopez understands all too well.
“I remember being a little girl and watching West Side Story and seeing Rita Moreno and knowing what that meant for me,” Lopez told Lowe. “When I was looking at Brie and I saw her and I was just staring in her eyes because she was so locked in with me and just [was] like, ‘I have wanted to tell you this for so long.'”
Lopez explained that she saw herself as a “little girl” in Larson and realizing the effect she had on the Marvel star became a really “overwhelming” experience. “I could have really taken a moment there, but it was very lovely to have an experience like that,” she said, noting that she never expected to be an inspiration for one of her peers.
“I don’t think I ever imagined that I would have an experience like that with somebody who is so talented and who I watch their movies and who, is kind of, in a way, my contemporary,” she continued. “It was a very kind thing that she did, and it meant a lot to me, probably even more than it did to her.”
The interaction clearly meant a lot to both women, with Larson beginning her praise by sharing how Lopez’s early work changed the trajectory of her life.
“I saw Selena and it made me want to be an actor. And you’ve always meant so much to me,” Larson said of the 1997 film, to which Lopez replied, “Oh, my God, don’t make me cry.”
Telling Lopez that meeting her was a “dream” she’s had for years, Larson went on to explain why Lopez has made such an impact.
“Your work ethic is so important,” the Oscar winner gushed. “Thank you. I’ve been wanting to say that to you for a long time so I’m really — I didn’t think it was going to be right now.”
Lopez’s exchange with Larson (who was nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television for her Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry) wasn’t the only viral moment the Marry Me star had at the Golden Globes this year. During a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lopez addressed husband Ben Affleck’s paparazzi photos that often circulate online due to his less-than-impressed expressions feeling relatable to fans.
“Ben is doing alright. You don’t need to worry about Ben, let me just tell you,” Lopez told the outlet. “He is good. He is happy. He is here — he is nominated. I’m chilling, I don’t understand what people are so pressed for.”
She added, “They don’t pick up on my face.”
Lopez was attending the awards show to support Affleck, 51, whose 2023 film Air was nominated for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. The sports biopic ultimately lost out to the Emma Stone-led black comedy Poor Things. Lopez, however, was just happy to be there by her husband’s side.
“He’s my biggest fan and my biggest supporter, as I am of him, which I’m so glad to be here tonight because he’s nominated,” Lopez said during Variety and ET’s official red carpet pre-show.
