Jennifer Lopez has revealed that she has faced her fair share of rejections in Hollywood, missing out on several roles she had once hoped to land. In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter about her new musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, the actor-singer shared her experiences auditioning for major musical films that ultimately went to other stars.

“I remember auditioning for Evita; I remember auditioning for Chicago and for Nine—getting very close on Nine,” Lopez recalled. “There were a lot of things that I had always hoped that I could do and just wasn’t the right time. But this is the right thing.”

The roles she sought eventually went to other leading ladies. Madonna starred as Eva Perón in Evita (1996), while Chicago (2002) featured Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the lead roles. Nine (2009), an adaptation of the Broadway production, cast Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, and Nicole Kidman alongside Daniel Day-Lewis.

Despite these setbacks, Lopez remains deeply connected to musicals, which she credits as her original inspiration for pursuing a career in entertainment.

“I started off loving musicals. That’s what made me want to be a singer and an actor and a dancer—watching musicals with my mom when I was growing up, me and my two sisters,” she said. “We loved them, and we’d sing around the house.”

Lopez initially believed her career would lead her to Broadway, given her background as a dancer and singer. Having performed on international tours in Europe and Japan, she saw the theatre world as her natural next step. However, Hollywood soon came calling, leading her career in a different direction—one that has made her a global superstar.