Jennifer Lopez Revealed Her Ruthless Side for a Movie After Sandra Bullock Refused to Audition: ‘You can’t expect things to be handed to you’

Over the years, Jennifer Lopez has become known for her versatility in both music and film. However, the star once revealed a fierce, competitive side of herself that no one had expected. Long before she shot to fame with her films, Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, and Monster-in-Law, the now 55-year-old got to team up with legendary actor, George Clooney.

Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight | Credits: Universal Studios

The duo’s iconic collaboration in Out of Sight may have garnered her a lot of attention. However, the actress once ended up revealing that she could have missed out on the opportunity if Sandra Bullock had not fumbled her chance.

Jennifer Lopez beat out Sandra Bullock for a film role

Jennifer Lopez might be the queen of rom-coms. However, long before the actress cemented herself as one of Hollywood’s finest, she had a lot to prove and was not shy in going about it. In fact, she once put her ruthless behavior on display when she beat out Sandra Bullock for her role in the 1998 George Clooney film, Out of Sight. In an interview with Movieline, the Selena star opened up about how she landed the role.

Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight | Credits: Universal Studios

You can’t expect things to be handed to you on a platter, even if you can fill theaters week in and week out. Because there’s always somebody like me ready to kick down the door and steal the job right out from under you.

Lopez continued, “One of the smart things George did was to screen-test everybody because he knew he’d had trouble with the women in his movies, where maybe there wasn’t as much chemistry as there could have been.” The actress explained, “Universal was pushing for Sandra Bullock because they said she’d put people in seats. George and the director met with her, but they were like, ‘If Sandra really wants it, she’s gonna have to test for it.’ She wouldn’t test, and her agent, who is also my agent, supported that.”

With Bullock failing to audition for the screen test, the role ultimately went to Lopez. However, with the actress only just starting her acting career in 1986, she had another battle ahead of her while filming.

Jennifer Lopez’s battle for better pay in Out of Sight

Years before Jennifer Lopez became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid Latina actresses, she had to fight her way to the top. In fact, during the same interview with Movieline, the now 55-year-old revealed the struggle she faced after landing the role of Karen Sisco in Out of Sight. She wound up revealing that she had made a lot less than her counterpart, George Clooney. However, she still had to negotiate for better pay.

Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in Out of Sight | Credits: Universal Studios

I think George Clooney’s getting $10 million for this movie. [Universal] thought they were going to get me cheap from the beginning, but I kept telling my agent, ‘No, no, no! Keep asking!’

Lopez continued, “When my agent called me saying, ‘What should we say to them?’ I said, ‘Say, Who’s going to break their a** to promote this movie while George is on ER? Say, Anaconda is now over $100 million worldwide and why do you think girls between 18 and 25 went to see it more than any other action movies — because of Ice Cube?'” While it may have worked out for the actress, she still ended up making a lot less than her co-star.

Clooney earned about $10 million for the 1998 film, according to reports from Celebrity Net Worth. However, Lopez only got a measly $2 million for her role (via IMDb). Luckily for the star, her hard work has paid off with the 55-year-old being worth $400 million and raking in a yearly salary of $40 million, according to reports.

Stream Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney’s Out of Sight on Apple TV