who are relatable throughout my
life. I don’t want to have to stop at
a particular time because I can’t
wear the cutoffs anymore because
it looks weird.
LOPEZ I bet it still looks good.
(Laughter.)
How do you deal with the way you’re
covered in the press, especially the
more tabloidy coverage?
DERN Not to put anybody in an
awkward position, but — and I
know we’ve all faced it, the dif-
ficulty of trying to keep one’s
life private — but I must say you
(toward Lopez) carry this other
extraordinary gift of being iconic
in this larger story. Knowing
what it has felt like for me, there
are moments when I’ll pass a
magazine cover and just feel
grief for anybody having to walk
through this salacious narrative
that’s created.
LOPEZ It’s funny, from the begin-
ning, I’ve been really picked out
and plagued with that. Lots of
stories, lots of lies, lots of things
where you’re trying to figure out,
“How did this happen? How did I
become that person?” What I’ve
learned is that none of it matters.
And it doesn’t really bother me
anymore. I’ve learned that I know
who I am, I know what I do, I know
I’m a good person, I know I’m just
out here working my ass off and
trying to fulfill myself creatively.
There was a time in my life when
it was such a big part and it was
so hurtful and so hard that you
think, “I don’t want to do this any-
more, I don’t want to be the person
on the cover of the magazine every
week for two and a half years, I
don’t. This is crazy. Why me?”
I think honestly American Idol
helped with that a lot. Of all the
things that I’ve done in my career,
people actually just seeing me
talk about how much I love music
and how much I love people and
how much of a girl’s girl I am
and how much of a crier I am —
things shifted.
A couple of filmmakers, such as
Martin Scorsese, have come out
against Marvel films recently.
Scarlett and Lupita, I’m especially
curious what you think about
Marvel films being called the theme
parks of movies?
JOHANSSON There’s certainly a
JENNIFER
LOPEZ