Hustlers was one of Jennifer Lopez's biggest box office hits, but the actress and singer wasn't in it for the money. As in, she straight-up didn't get paid to star in the film as Ramona, the stripper who takes Constance Wu's Destiny under her wing. While she likely made money from the film's success, there was no initial price tag that enticed her to join the cast and director Lorene Scafaria.
“I did it for free and produced it," she told GQ in a video after being named Icon Of The Year. "I bank on myself. Like Jenny from the Block — I do what I love.”
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Even though the public might be skeptical, Lopez insisted that she's never been motivated by money.
"I've always been motivated by 'I wanna be a great actress, a great singer, a great dancer. I wanna make movies, I wanna make music,'" she continued. "And the money came along with that."
That gesture was in line with the ethos of the film: "This is our movie, where we run shit." She credits this mentality for fueling the film's success, and for inspiring particularly female audiences to hit the theaters.
"They know it's all women producers, woman director, woman writer, all women starring in it," she explained. "We've been watching men take advantage of women in movies for a long time, so it was a fun ride to see the tables turned."
Lopez's next starring roles include Kat Valdez in Marry Me and Rose Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie Live! on NBC. She is also, unsurprisingly, producing both projects.
Watch the full video below.