Find out why Jennifer Lopez was moved to tears while discussing the real-life inspiration behind her role in Ben Affleck’s new film. See ho...
Find out why Jennifer Lopez was moved to tears while discussing the real-life inspiration behind her role in Ben Affleck’s new film. See how it mirrors her own experiences. Unstoppable star Jennifer Lopez is emotional having shot the inspiring true story of wrestling star Anthony Robles in the film produced by ex Ben Affleck and now as she looks back on playing the athlete's mom Judy in a tearful interview with
Judy Robles is a very amazing person. She got pregnant when she was 16 and they basically grew up together," Lopez, 55, tells EW of the movie's main relationship between Judy and Anthony (Jharrel Jerome), a college wrestling star who defied all odds to win a national championship even after people told him that having only one leg would stop him from making it in the sport.
"I got to talk to her a lot about how she felt being a mom, being a mom to a handicapped child, being a person who was kind of lost and in bad relationships and had to kind of figure herself out while raising these five kids," says Lopez, who has 16-year-old twins, Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
As seen in the film, Judy becomes a loving (if anxious) mother who ultimately battles an abusive husband (Bobby Cannavale), unscrupulous mortgage lenders and doubters of son Anthony's ability to wrestle (he becomes the star of Arizona State University) -- all as a prelude to Anthony's real-life success.
"At the end of the movie, to see that she has a PhD, but her son inspired her to do that because he supported his mom, that's a beautiful kind of exchange of love and selflessness that they both had," Lopez says, before placing her hand over her heart and crying as she remembers the filming of one of the movie's last scenes: a loving embrace between mother and son, which in real life was shot at Anthony's last wrestling match of his college career.
"Even on that last day.... I went to her and I said to [the director], 'We have to have them hugging at the end, right?' "I want to walk through the crowd and I want to run to him and hug him because I have that famous picture of the two of them in my trailer, which is the end of the movie now," she explains. "I [asked Judy], 'What did you say to him and what did he say to you?' She just said, 'I told him, you did it!' You did it!' And he said, 'We did it!' To me that was their whole relationship, it was so beautiful, it was a moving thing to be able to bring that to life.
Lopez showed up with both of the Robles, stars Jerome, Cannavale and Don Cheadle, and producer Matt Damon for the film's premiere at TIFF earlier this year, just a few months after separating from Affleck after two years of marriage. Affleck was not present at the event.
Lopez and Judy went emotional when the movie was screened for the first time, with Judy crying as she went on stage with the actress to introduce her son to her audience at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall location.
The Selena star told the audience that she and Judy "were almost the same person in a weird way even though we were so different and had such different lives," because "at the core and heart of who we were, first we were moms."
Unstoppable is in limited theatrical release in December, and will be streaming on Amazon Prime. Watch Lopez tell Judy's inspirational story in the video above.
FAQs
What happened to Judy Robles?
Judy Robles, Anthony Robles’ mother, is alive and continues to be a strong supporter of her son’s motivational career and public speaking engagements.
What nationality is Anthony Robles?
Anthony Robles is American. He was born in Arizona, USA, and is of Mexican-American descent.
What happened to Anthony Robles' stepdad?
Anthony Robles’ stepfather was not actively involved in his upbringing. Judy Robles raised Anthony as a single mother after separating from his father figure.
What is Judy Robles' education?
Details about Judy Robles’ formal education are not publicly available, but she is known for her dedication and resilience as a single mother who inspired her son’s success.
What was the bad movie with JLo and Ben Affleck?
The poorly received movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck was Gigli (2003), which was a commercial and critical failure.
Why did Jennifer Lopez split with Ben?
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck initially split in 2004 due to intense media pressure and differences in lifestyle priorities.
Did Jennifer Lopez turn down Unfaithful?
Yes, Jennifer Lopez was reportedly offered the lead role in Unfaithful but turned it down, and the part later went to Diane Lane.
Who filed for divorce, Ben or Jennifer?
Jennifer Lopez reportedly filed for divorce from Ben Affleck in 2025, citing irreconcilable differences after growing apart.