The Evolution of Jennifer Lopez
The Bronx beauty turns 44 today.
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The Evolution of Jennifer Lopez - Believe it or not, Jennifer Lopez turns 44 today (July 24). Not that you could tell. With a new role as Chief Creative Officer of Nuvo TV, new singles with Flo Rida and Pitbull, and her eighth studio album on the way, J. Lo has continued her ascent to the heights of superstardom and she doesn't look a day older for it. Still, it's been a long, bumpy road with some serious twists and turns. Click on to take a look at her evolution, from the 6 train to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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A Fly Girl Is Born - Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, New York. (Photo: Yearbook Archives)
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In Living Color - After working small roles as an actor, singer and dancer off-Broadway, Lopez had her first real break when she landed a spot as one of the "Fly Girl" dancers on the sketch-comedy TV show In Living Color in the early '90s. She also worked as a backup dancer for New Kids on the Block and Janet Jackson. (Photo: Fox Networks)
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Hollywood Starlet - Lopez quit In Living Color to pursue acting in 1993 and began receiving low-profile supporting roles (Money Train, Blood and Wine, Jack). But her first big break in Hollywood came in 1996, when she played the title role in Selena, a biopic of the late Tejano pop singer, and knocked it out of the park. (Photo: Q Productions)
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Out of Sight - After playing a leading role in U-Turn with Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thronton, Lopez landed her biggest, most acclaimed role yet, starring opposite George Clooney in 1998’s Out of Sight — and becoming the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role along the way. (Photo: Universal Pictures)
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Signing With Sony - Inspired by her star turn in Selena, J. Lo began pursuing a music career. She landed a deal with Sony off of a demo of Spanish-language songs. In 1999, she dropped her debut single, "If You Had My Love," which topped the Billboard Hot 100. (Photo: Work Records)
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On the 6 - Lopez followed up on her buzzing single with her first album, On the 6 (a reference to the subway line she rode home growing up). Fueled by another J. Lo signature cut, "Waiting for Tonight," the album went on to sell 8 million records worldwide and established Lopez as a multimedia superstar. (Photo: Work Records)
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Relationship With Diddy - J. Lo made headlines with her relationship with then-rising rapper-mogul Diddy. But they weren't all good: On December 27, 1999, the couple was at a Manhattan club when gunfire erupted between Combs' crew and another group. Lopez and Combs were detained by police when a gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Lopez wasn't charged, and Diddy narrowly avoided conviction and prison time in a high-profile trial. The pair split a year later. (Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
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J. Lo and The Wedding Planner Open at No. 1 - Lopez went back to making news for the right reasons in January 2001 when she released her second studio album, J.Lo. Boosted by the hit single "Love Don't Cost a Thing," it debuted atop the Billboard 200 the same week her romcom The Wedding Planner topped the box office — making Lopez the first entertainer to have a film and an album top the charts at the same time.(Photos from left: Epic Records, Columbia Pictures)
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Relationship With Ben Affleck - Lopez had another high-profile coupling in 2002 when she began dating Ben Affleck. The relationship left a big mark on her career. Lopez dedicated to him most of her third studio album, This Is Me...Then, and featured him in the voyeuristic lead video, "Jenny From the Block." The pair also starred together in the 2003 film Gigli — an epic commercial and critical flop. After numerous canceled weddings, the pair split in 2004. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)
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