The rom-com queen is at it again.
Jennifer Lopez is back in familiar territory in Netflix‘s Office Romance, which sees her playing the high-powered CEO of an airline who enforces a strict anti-fraternization policy for all her employees — until a hot new lawyer (played by Brett Goldstein) starts working for her.
Goldstein co-wrote the script with fellow Ted Lasso co-creator Joe Kelly and penned it specifically for Lopez, while also putting himself in the leading man role. And how does he stack up against the many romantic co-stars Lopez has had throughout her career?
“No. 1. Let’s not mince words here,” Lopez declared at the film‘s L.A. premiere on Tuesday, as Goldstein stood beside her and responded he “would like to hear” her answer. Goldstein also named Maid in Manhattan as his favorite of her rom-coms — just below Office Romance, of course — while Lopez gave her own shout-out to Monster-in-Law: “I just loved working with Jane [Fonda], it’s just one of the highlights of my career for sure.”
Ol Parker, who previously helmed Ticket to Paradise and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, directed the film, which he said appealed to Lopez because “it’s a little bit ruder and little bit raunchier than her usual fare, and that was something she really wanted.”
He also saw her and Goldstein’s chemistry” straight away,” as the three went to lunch and “I said nothing for three hours, they just laughed together and I just sat there going, ‘This is easy, this is going to be great.’” Betty Gilpin, who occupies the coveted role as the rom-com best friend, echoed, “It was clear like the first day that they had that inexplicable, un-manufacturable thing, that chemistry that I think totally comes across in the movie.”
Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale, Jodie Whittaker and Edward James Olmos also round out the cast, with Olmos reuniting with Lopez after they played father and daughter in 1997’s Selena.
Jodie Whittaker, Betty Gilpin, Edward James Olmos, Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Ol Parker, Amy Sedaris and Tony Hale
Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Netflix
And after having an up-close look at the action, what makes Lopez such a good rom-com star?
“The special sauce is she understands the tone, she understands exactly how funny to be and where to be funny, but also to make you care and to make it truthful,” Parker said. “She never tries to make you like her, she just is incredibly likable.” He added, “You know they’re going to get together because that’s the nature of the genre, so you’ve got to want them to get together, that’s the thing. And because of her, you always want that.”
Gilpin said from her view, “It’s confusing because she’s the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen but she’s also such a great actor and so not afraid to not take herself too seriously and be a clown on behalf of the story — which I think is so essential to a good rom-com, to be willing to make fun of yourself. She dominates the medium for sure.”
Office Romance starts streaming June 5 on Netflix.
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