Hustlers wasn’t the first time Jennifer Lopez considered stripping. The 50-year-old superstar revealed to W Magazine that she thought about becoming a stripper when she was first starting out as a dancer. Struggling to make ends meet, Jen found the possibility of making major money from the less conventional occupation pretty enticing. Of course, now her past pondering holds greater weight, as JLo is the toast of the town for playing successful stripper and scam artist Ramona Vega in Hustlers.

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“There was a moment in my life when my friends, who were also dancers, told me about making thousands of dollars at clubs in New Jersey,” Jennifer revealed. “They said, ‘You won’t need to be topless.’ It sounded awfully good when I was broke and eating pizza every day.” The now Golden Globe-nominated star added: “but I never did it.”

Who would have thought she’d step into the mind of a stripper all these years later? In a full circle moment, she quickly learned while training to strip for her acclaimed film that the job isn’t easy. In fact, she’s said “it might be the hardest” thing she’s had to learn for a project yet.

The entertainer has been candid about the nerves that came along with playing such a different role. “I was a little nervous about doing this movie because I had never played someone this dark or complicated,” she said. “Ramona reminded me of that girlfriend we all have who is exciting but can also get you into trouble. You always miss that friend when she’s gone, but when you get together, you worry you might find yourself in some crazy situation.”