In a recent interview, Jennifer Lopez shared her thoughts on portraying Judy Robles, the mother of wrestler Anthony Robles, in the movie “Unstoppable.” Lopez described the experience as a moving one, emphasizing the resilience and unwavering love displayed by Judy Robles in raising her son. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, depicts Judy’s journey as a remarkable mother who overcomes challenges and adversities while supporting her son, Anthony, who becomes a wrestling champion despite having only one leg. Lopez also highlighted the transformation of Judy Robles from a hesitant parent to a strong, independent woman who ultimately earns a Ph.D., inspired by her son’s achievements. The emotional interview captured Lopez’s personal connection to the role, as she reflected on filming poignant scenes portraying the loving bond between mother and son.
I went to her on the last day and shared with the director, “We have to get them hugging at the end, right?” I visualized myself coming through the crowd and running to him for a hug, inspired by a famous picture I had in my trailer of the two of them, which is now at the end of the movie. I asked Judy, “What did you say to him and what did he say to you?” She simply replied, “I told him, you did it! You did it!” and he responded, “We did it!” To me, their whole relationship was encapsulated in that moment. It was so beautiful and moving to bring that to life.
I attended the film’s TIFF premiere with both of the Robles, stars Jerome, Cannavale, and Don Cheadle, and producer Matt Damon, who helped bring the film to the big screen alongside Affleck, from whom I recently separated after two years of marriage. Affleck was not in attendance. After the premiere screening, Judy and I got emotional, with Judy shedding tears as she took the stage alongside me to introduce her son to the crowd at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall venue.
During my address to the audience, I shared that Judy and I “were almost the same person in a weird way even though we were so different and had such different lives,” because “at the core and heart of who we were, first we were moms.” Unstoppable will have a limited theatrical release in December, followed by a streaming premiere on Amazon Prime. You can watch the video above to hear me discuss Judy’s inspirational story.
