J Lo Strikes Back An interview with actress/singer Jennifer Lopez by Larry Flick

Jennifer Lopez gets to kick some serious ass in her latest movie, the stylish thriller Enough. "Yeah, baby," she says with a hearty laugh, "Don’t mess with me, ’cause I’ll knock you out!"

Joking aside, the actress/singer says she "really loved" playing Slim, the character she portrays in the film. "There’s something universal about her life experiences. There’s something in her story for all types of people to relate to–including gay people."

Lopez believes her gay audience will particularly connect with Slim’s evolution from being a victim to living from a point of pure power. "When you have to overcome the obstacles that society puts on you because you’re not like everyone else, you’re left with a choice: to be a victim or to be empowered. Thank goodness we live in a world where more and more gay people are choosing to do what Slim does . . . to be empowered. It’s not always an easy road to travel, but it’s a worthwhile one."

Her affinity with the gay community extends far beyond the underlying message of Enough. "The gay community has always been so supportive of my music," she says. "Gay clubs are always among the first to jump on my records. Their love and encouragement has always been such a beautiful and moving thing to me."

Lopez recently repaid the longtime support of her gay audience by making a surprise appearance at the annual White Party in Palm Springs. "There was all kinds of talk about who the surprise guest would be, but my name wasn’t really mentioned," she recalls. "I was happy that we were able to keep it totally under wraps. It made the moment when I came out onstage so huge."

She recalls the roar of applause being so loud that she could not hear the instrumental track to the song she was to perform. "It was overwhelming, the love that came from that crowd. I’ll never forget it. As an artist, you pray for that kind of response to your work, but you never expect it."

She will likely enjoy a similarly ardent response to "Alive," the end-theme to Enough, which she wrote during her honeymoon with husband Cris Judd.

"He was playing a melody for me, and I thought it was just beautiful. So we finished it. I played it for the people making Enough, and they loved it. It’s a song that means the world to me because of its positive message– and because it’s something that I created with Cris."

"Alive" is also featured on Lopez’s current album, J to Tha L-O, and it will soon be released as a single. Chris Cox and Barry Harris, a.k.a. Thunderpuss, have reconfigured the ballad into a club-ready dance track. "Oh, and it pumps," Lopez says with smile. "I can’t wait for people to hear it." This will follow hot on the trail of her international club smashes "Play," "My Love Don’t Cost a Thing," "I’m Real," "Waiting for Tonight," "If You Had My Love," and "Let’s Get Loud."

She adds that she also cannot wait for moviegoers to see Enough. Directed by Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist, Coal Miner’s Daughter) from an original screenplay by Nicholas Kazan, the film also stars Billy Campbell, Juliette Lewis, Dan Futterman, and Noah Wyle. This film marks a change of pace for Lopez as she takes on a role that is both filled with extreme physical action and features a remarkable internal shift from maximum fear to maximum strength.

"I loved the script because Slim goes from being just a normal girl working as a waitress to marrying Prince Charming. Then she loses it all, everything she believed in, and must fight her way back to take control of her life. I really responded to her courage and her strength."

As she fights to survive, Slim not only must change the way she views her husband and the world, but also her body. She goes into an extremely physical boot camp so that she will be ready to confront her menacing husband. For Lopez, this meant that she had to train intensively in the martial arts to prepare for the role.

"I really enjoyed the training," she says. "Even though men are usually physically bigger and stronger than women, I learned that through certain techniques a woman really can get the upper hand in a combat situation. I think for Slim, it’s a way to realize she can take control of her fear and win."

Lopez was initiated into the potent fighting form of Krav Maga, originally developed by the Israeli military in part to give their female soldiers the ability to defend themselves in even the most excruciating hand-to-hand combat. Lopez received her training in Krav Maga from Wade Allen, who schooled Angelina Jolie for her physically demanding role in Tomb Raider. Notes Lopez, "In Krav Maga there is only one rule: Use everything you’ve got."

And that’s been the story of Lopez’s life. "I’ve learned how to take as many elements of who and what I am and turn them into assets," she says. "You’re born with certain talents that God provides. But you’re also born with the ability to work hard, and hone your craft, and make the most of what you have. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to prove that I can do good work. And now that I’m rolling, I’m nowhere near ready to stop."

Larry Flick is talent editor at Billboard magazine and a contributor to The Advocate, Out, and HX .