Jlo's Age In The Wedding Planner: A Surprising Fact

how old is jlo in the wedding planner

In the 2001 romantic comedy The Wedding Planner, Jennifer Lopez plays Mary Fiore, a successful wedding planner who falls in love with the groom. At the time of filming, Lopez was 31 years old, and her character, Mary Fiore, was likely intended to be a similar age. Lopez's portrayal of the ambitious and hardworking Mary Fiore showcased her talent for comedy and helped establish her as a leading lady in romantic comedies.

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JLo's ethnicity was whitewashed in the film

In the 2001 romantic comedy "The Wedding Planner", Jennifer Lopez plays Mary Fiore, an ambitious wedding planner based in San Francisco. Lopez was 31 when the film was released, and her performance was praised as "funny, sweet, and real". However, the film received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it "heavy-handed and contrived".

Lopez's ethnicity was whitewashed in the film, with a Puerto Rican actress being cast as an Italian-American character. This was an offensive erasure of her identity and heritage. While Lopez's performance was well-received, the film itself was criticised for trying to make her more palatable to mainstream audiences by giving her "a veneer of whiteness". This decision deprived the film of interesting and meaningful subtext, and paved the way for Italian actresses to be cast as Latina, a harmful trope that persists in Hollywood.

Lopez rose above the erasure of her identity, delivering a compelling performance. However, the film's attempts to whitewash her ethnicity remain a significant flaw, highlighting the ongoing issue of whitewashing in the film industry and the need for more authentic representation.

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She was paid $9 million for the role

In 2001, Jennifer Lopez, or JLo, starred in the romantic comedy "The Wedding Planner", directed by Adam Shankman. This was her first romantic comedy role, and she played the character of Mary Fiore, a successful wedding planner based in San Francisco.

Lopez was paid $9 million for her role in the film, which was a record-breaking salary for a Latina actor in Hollywood. This was a hard-won sum, as Sony did not initially want to pay Lopez her worth. However, she did not back down, and her efforts paid off, making her the first Latin woman to earn the highest payday for a role in a movie.

Lopez's salary was well-deserved, as she had already proven her talent and star quality in previous films such as "Selena", "Anaconda", and "Out of Sight". Her debut album, "On the 6", had also been released to rave reviews, further boosting her profile.

Lopez's success in negotiating her salary for "The Wedding Planner" was a significant milestone for Latina representation in the film industry. Despite facing pushback, she stood her ground and advocated for fair compensation, paving the way for future Latina actors to demand similar salaries.

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The film was directed by Adam Shankman

The 2001 romantic comedy "The Wedding Planner" was directed by Adam Shankman, marking his directorial debut. Shankman is an American film director, producer, writer, dancer, author, actor, and choreographer. He began his career in musical theatre and danced in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson before breaking into choreography.

Shankman's directorial debut came about after his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, asked him to read a script she had set up with Fine Line Features, called "The Wedding Planner". He was hired for the job ten minutes into his first meeting with executives. The movie was eventually picked up by Columbia Pictures and became a box office success.

Shankman's facility for comedy was quickly recognised, and he went on to direct film vehicles for Steve Martin. He also directed cinema adaptations of the Broadway hits "Hairspray" and "Rock of Ages". He continued to work as a director on television shows such as Glee and served as a producer on a wide variety of projects, from the supernatural thriller "Premonition" to the 2010 Academy Awards show.

Shankman has also directed commercial campaigns for Macy's, Marshalls, and Schick, as well as primetime television pilots and shows, including "Being Mary Jane", "Modern Family", and "Step Up: High Water".

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The film was released in 2001

The film The Wedding Planner was released in 2001. In the movie, Jennifer Lopez, who was in her thirties at the time, plays Mary Fiore, a successful wedding planner in San Francisco. The romantic comedy sees Mary falling in love with the groom, played by Matthew McConaughey, of one of the weddings she is planning. The film was directed by Adam Shankman and also stars Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers, and Judy Greer.

Lopez's character, Mary, is ambitious, hard-working, and extremely organised. She knows exactly what to do and say to make any wedding a spectacular event. However, when she falls for a handsome doctor, her busy yet uncomplicated life is turned upside down. The film explores the challenges Mary faces as she navigates her career and personal life, trying to balance her ambitions and her feelings.

The film was released on January 26, 2001, in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing. It grossed $13.5 million in its opening weekend in North America, becoming the number one movie at the box office. The film was a commercial success, grossing a total of $60 million at the domestic box office and $94 million worldwide.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Lopez's performance and the romantic storyline, while others criticised the plot as contrived and unoriginal. Despite this, the film has endured as a popular romantic comedy, with Lopez's performance and the on-screen chemistry between the lead actors being highlighted as strengths.

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The film received negative reviews

In the 2001 film *The Wedding Planner*, Jennifer Lopez (JLo) plays Mary Fiore, a successful and ambitious wedding planner based in San Francisco. Although her personal life is less successful, she knows all the rules and tricks of her trade. However, she breaks the most important rule of all: she falls in love with the groom.

Despite the film's commercial success, it received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of just 17% based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. Critics deemed the film "heavy-handed and contrived in its execution" and "too unoriginal". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

Lisa Schwarzbaum of *Entertainment Weekly* compared the film unfavourably to *My Best Friend's Wedding*, writing:

> "Where Julia Roberts turned the world on with her huggability, Lopez's vibe is that of someone afraid to get mussed. And where Rupert Everett was divine as a sidekick, McConaughey is mortally ordinary as a main dish who spends most of his time smiling like a party guest."

Kimberly Jones of *The Austin Chronicle* felt that the film's leading characters were mistreated, noting that while Lopez and McConaughey have "enormous charisma", the "blandness of The Wedding Planner burlap-sacks their appeal in an altogether dowdy outing for two stars who deserve much snazzier threads."

Frequently asked questions

JLo was 31 when she played the titular wedding planner, Mary Fiore.

It is not explicitly stated in the film how old Mary Fiore is, but given that JLo was 31 at the time of filming, it is likely that Mary Fiore was meant to be in her early thirties as well.

No, The Wedding Planner was JLo's sixth starring role in a feature film.

Matthew McConaughey was 31 when he starred in The Wedding Planner, the same age as JLo.

It is unclear how old Justin Chambers was during filming, but he was likely in his late twenties, as he was born in 1970.

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