Jennifer Lopez on Falling Down & Getting Back Up: ‘You Just Don’t Stop’ (Exclusive)

Jennifer Lopez is getting two thumbs up from Judy Robles, the real-life woman she’s portraying in “Unstoppable.”

“Extra’s” Terri Seymour spoke with Jennifer and Judy Robles about the movie, based on the story of Judy’s son Anthony Robles, who defied expectations to become a champion wrestler in college.

Judy raved, “She did such an amazing job of portraying me. Honestly, I saw this again and again, but there is nobody who could have done a better job. There’s just being a Latina and being a parent and just pushing so hard and she’s done so much in her life but always moving forward, and that’s me at the core… She understood me. In understanding who I am as a person, I think that’s what was portrayed on that screen.”

Jennifer discussed the importance of building trust and bonding as mothers first, saying, “When we first met, that was my main goal. I was like, ‘You can trust me with anything. Please feel free to tell me all the things and know that it will never go anywhere if you don’t want it to, but I will use it and I will internalize it and it will inform how I am able to portray you in your most authentic way.’”

Lopez praised Robles, saying, “She was very open with me and we bonded as moms first and, you know, wanting the best for your kids, and all the things that, you know, moms do, but also in the struggles that she had being in challenging relationships… wanting to create a family for your children and all of those things. So it was a beautiful journey for the two of us.”

The movie centers on the theme of resilience, something that J.Lo can relate to. She said, “You just have something inside you that says, ‘Don’t give up, just don’t give up.’ The difference between like success and failure, you know, is that somebody just didn’t stop. They just didn’t give up until they got there and I think, you know, all of us, you know, fall down in life and you know, you’re down for a minute and then you go, ‘Okay, got time to get back up. Here we go!’” 

Lopez emphasized, “Not giving up is really the message of the movie… no matter what, you know, obstacles are in the way, you just don’t stop. You just keep going.”

The movie has such an uplifting message and Jennifer is “excited to see it” with her kids.

Jennifer portrayed Judy as a strong mother. As for how she got the strength in real life, Judy stressed the importance of celebrating the “little victories” in life. She added, “I also think part of me is my faith as a foundation to who I am. I’ve known that the challenges I’ve gone through… I feel like God carried me through and has blessed me and even though I didn’t understand it and even though I was down and crying, I just feel like there was strength there that I leaned on.”

J.Lo also had wonderful things to say about Anthony, calling him “a special soul,” and hopes the movie gives him an “even bigger platform.”