Jennifer Lopez Quips to ‘Maid in Manhattan’ Co-Star Ralph Fiennes, ‘We Really Must Stop Meeting in Hotels Like This’ at Variety Creative Impact Awards
Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes had a mini-“Maid in Manhattan” reunion at Variety‘s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch at the Parker Palm Springs on Saturday morning.
While presenting Lopez with Variety‘s Legend and Groundbreakers award in honor of her recent film “Unstoppable” and for the breadth of her career, “Conclave” star Fiennes recounted his experience with Lopez on the 2002 rom-com. He remembered, “Once upon a time in another life and perhaps in a different epoch of movie storylines, there was this Republican senatorial candidate mooching about in a hotel in Manhattan, and there was as well in this same other life a maid in this hotel.”
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“This wannabe Republican senator was struck by her good looks, but he couldn’t quite truly see her. This maid was masking something in her demure and mindful way. She was sweet and charming, but actually she was concealing something. She was hiding a kind of superpower,” Fiennes recalled. “Behind this maid’s mask there was indeed a force, a force of creativity, a force of action, something so powerful which just couldn’t stop. An unstoppable force was coming out of this humble and unassuming maid in the hotel, and this maid, in fact, possessed extraordinary wings that unfolded, and off she flew.”
“In this life, in this story, she has already been flying with determination from an early age, because I think she knows that she has something inside her which she must honor as she flies high. She is honoring and fulfilling her extraordinary creative spirit, and sharing it, shining a light on the lives of so many people, inspiring them and brightening their days,” Fiennes said.
Fiennes also called out her “amazing pole dancing skills” as seen in “Hustlers.”
“We really must stop meeting in hotels like this,” Lopez quipped, referring to the hotel setting of “Maid in Manhattan.” She went on to explain that she didn’t set out to break rules — but being able to break into the business was mostly the result of “not listening” to naysayers.
“I set out to follow a burning passion against the advice of everyone around me. How do you do what I wanted to do when your life circumstances, your race, or even your gender create an idea that it’s practically impossible to go from a tenement in the Bronx to starring in Hollywood movies? It’s just too preposterous to fathom,” Lopez said.
“There is no straight path to success, and along the way we fall, we rise, we fall better, we rise stronger, breaking ground, breaking in and becoming the architects of our own destinies,” she said.
“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo was honored with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, with co-star Ariana Grande presenting to her. Erivo spoke about all the children and others she’s heard from who are obsessed with the film and its music, saying, “Maybe the job is not just to be part of and create work that leaves an impact. Maybe the job is to impact people with work that inspires them to create.”
“Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard accepted the Creative Impact in Directing award from his cast, and said it was especially meaningful to have the trophy presented by his actors. “I’ve been in Palm Springs two days, and each day I’ve gotten an award,” he joked. “If I stay a third day, can I get a third award?”
The awards were hosted by Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and executive VP of global content Steven Gaydos.
The annual event also recognized Variety‘s 10 Directors to Watch, which this year included Durga Chew-Bose, “Bonjour Tristesse”; Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”; David Fortune, “Color Book”; Drew Hancock, “Companion”; Zoe Kravitz, “Blink Twice”; Tom Nesher, “Come Closer”; Halina Reijn, “Babygirl”; James Sweeney, “Twinless”; Magnus von Horn, “The Girl With the Needle” and Malcolm Washington, “The Piano Lesson.”
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