Where this was said
Breaking Through as an Actress: Mi Familia to Out of Sight
At 38:48 · chapter starts 34:55
Sean brings up the specific challenge Lopez faced: how do you get people to take you seriously as an actress when you started as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color? Lopez credits Greg Nava's Mi Familia as the key. It was a small role — young matriarch crossing the Rio Grande — but it was emotionally rich and physically demanding, and it gave people the 'piece of tape' they needed to say 'she can act.' She had already been studying acting seriously since moving to LA. Then Out of Sight: Soderbergh liked her for the role and sent her to do a chemistry read at Clooney's house. She arrived to find a pig in the front yard. She and Clooney read together on the couch, the chemistry clicked immediately, and by the time she got home her agent had called to say she had the part.
After impressing Soderbergh with her initial read, Lopez was sent to Clooney's house for a chemistry test. She arrived to find a pig in the yard, then sat on the couch with Clooney and read the script. The chemistry was instant — and by the time she got home, she had the job.
