Jennifer Lopez on Her Viral Red Carpet Moment With Brie Larson: ‘It Brings Tears to My Eyes’
The 2024 Golden Globes had some pretty unforgettable moments, but one in particular stood out. During an Entertainment Tonight red carpet interview, Brie Larson and Jennifer Lopez had a touching encounter that left both actresses overcome with emotion.
Larson, a longtime fan of Lopez and her work, was brought to tears when she spotted the actress who inspired her career. “I saw Selena, and it made me wanna be an actor, and you’ve always meant so much to me,” Larson told Lopez, adding, “I’ve been wanting to say that to you for a long time.”
As it turns out, Lopez was just as overwhelmed by the interaction. In an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Lopez revealed how deeply moved she was. “It brings tears to my eyes now, because it’s very moving, because you do—you give your heart and soul to this when you’re an artist. I think you know that, and understand that to have somebody … I remember being a little girl and watching West Side Story and seeing Rita Moreno and knowing what that meant for me,” she began. “When I was looking at Brie, and I saw her, and I was just staring in her eyes, because she was so locked in with me and just like, ‘I have wanted to tell you this for so long.’
Lopez even said she related to the way Larson was feeling in that moment. “I saw myself, I saw myself, and I saw the little girl, and to think that I did that for somebody was really, really overwhelming” she explained. “I could have really taken a moment there, but it was very lovely to have an experience like that. I don’t think I ever imagined that I would have an experience like that with somebody who is so talented and who I watch their movies and who is kind of, in a way, my contemporary, even to feel that way and to express that and to be so kind to express it, too. It was a very kind thing that she did, and it meant a lot to me, probably even more than it did to her.”
These two make a strong case against the saying, “never meet your heroes.” You can watch their first meeting, below:
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.