Jennifer Lopez’s epic cinematic experience, This Is Me… Now: A Love Story is a passion piece with love right at its core – not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes as well.
Ahead of the launch on February 16, actress Ashley Versher, who stars alongside the likes of Jane Fonda and Keke Palmer as one of Jennifer’s friends, spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com about what it was like working with the legendary artist – and heaped praise on the nurturing environment, both on and off set.
Recalling her time on the shoot, Ashley spoke about the lengths the Grammy award-winning singer, 54, would take to ensure her cast and crew felt empowered, including the special checks made by the wardrobe department on the Prime Video film.
She also raved about Jennifer’s commitment to creating a collaborative environment – which culminated in a hilarious improvised scene where the A-list powerhouse showed off her ‘incredible’ skills.
Jennifer Lopez takes center stage in her Prime Video film This Is Me… Now: A Love Story
Actress Ashley Versher stars in the piece alongside the likes of Jane Fonda and Keke Palmer as one of Jennifer’s friends
‘I was able to meet Jennifer on the first day of filming,’ Ashley said. ‘We all met her.
‘She was completely lovely and obviously dressed to the nines because her fashion is untouchable.
‘She was really kind and really brought us in and made us feel like we were a part of this project.
‘It was important to her that we were telling this story with her. That was really empowering for me as an actor.’
The new musical draws many parallels to the singer’s life, from her numerous headline-grabbing relationships and her upbringing in the Bronx – and she didn’t shy away from having conversations about her vision for the project.
According to Ashley, she was passionate about making sure that it felt ‘grounded.’
Ashley continued: ‘I think that was just really important to her – and you can see that in the trailer.
‘You can see that she wants to reach people’s hearts, so I think it was really important for her to translate that to us.’
Ashley (pictured right) spoke positively about working with the legendary singer on the Prime Video project with JLo
She said: ‘Jennifer is incredible at improv. She’s so on top of it, and she’s funny.’
Ashley shared that there was a lot of care and consideration behind the scenes
In her role, Ashley shared several scenes with the Jenny from the Block hitmaker, but there’s one particular one that stands out – and it involved Jennifer’s rip-roaring improv skills.
She said: ‘My favorite moment from being on set is a scene where all of the friends are gathered in her apartment, and Jennifer enters with someone else.
‘We were able to do so much improv while we were shooting that scene, and oh my God, it was hilarious.
‘Jennifer is incredible at improv. She’s so on top of it, and she’s funny. And, so it really was just really beautiful and really fun.
‘We had such a good time shooting that scene, and there were so many laughs.’
Ashley shared that there was a lot of care and consideration behind the scenes ensuring the cast felt like ‘safe’ and ‘comfortable’, particularly when it came to the costumes.
Jennifer dropped the trailer for her upcoming epic cinematic experience, This Is Me… Now: A Love Story last month
The racy trailer offered glimpses of her sizzling love life – including her failed marriages
‘The wardrobe department wanted to make sure you felt good,’ she said. ‘They wanted you to feel confident and beautiful.
‘If you were wearing a revealing top or something that was a little tight, they wanted to make sure you felt good.
‘Even with the jewelry – you know, sometimes you know, you can put on some earrings and they can be a little heavy. Everybody’s just making sure you feel good.’
Jennifer fostered such an empowering environment during the shoot that Ashley left the project with a bunch of new friends – artists and collaborators who help each other on their film projects.
She admitted: ‘I feel very, very, very blessed. I think that stuff is really top down.
‘That’s Jennifer, creating this space for us. You know, having a hand in us being cast in these roles. It’s really cool.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Ashley enthused: ‘I feel very, very, very blessed. I think that stuff is really top down’
Ashley continued: ‘I’m grateful to be a part of this story that, that Jennifer is telling, and I really do hope people are inspired.
‘I think she’s sharing with us that true love, real love, can last forever and ever. She wants people to hold on to that belief and find that.
‘So, you know, that’s, that’s really special.’
The trailer for This Is Me… Now: A Love story arrived in January and showed Jennifer’s friends staging an intervention amid fears she may be a sex addict following three lavish weddings.
The film is an accompaniment to her ninth studio album, This Is Me… Now, which is scheduled for release on the same date.
The album is a sequel to her 2002 album, This Is Me… Then, and it’s her first studio album in a decade.