“I didn’t have that luxury, being Latina. I didn’t get called in for everything someone who wasn’t Latina would get called in for. I got called in for particular things,” Lopez explained. “As I started getting more leads here and there, I should have pulled back. I took that mindset with me instead of saying, ‘I should only work with certain kinds of directors.

The Hustlers star continued, “I wasn’t as particular as I could be. And if I could start over, I would’ve done that. I would’ve known that the director is at the project’s helm when you’re acting. Just like in singing, the producers you work with are significant. I knew that with music, but I didn’t understand it as much when I was younger about directors.”

Since getting her start, Lopez has proved to be a force throughout the entertainment industry. She was a professional dancer before entering Hollywood with more minor TV roles. She landed her first significant movie role, playing a young Maria Sánchez in 1995’s My Family. But it wasn’t until Lopez landed the role of Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 biopic Selena that she rose to stardom.

Lopez went on to star in several other popular films throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, including Anaconda, Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, Gigli, and Shall We Dance? She also launched a successful singing career in 1999 with her debut album, On the 6

In her interview with Elle, the actress, singer, and dancer said it’s an “exhilarating time for women in Hollywood,” seeing “all the great women producers, directors, and actors who are taking more control of their careers and creating their material.” But she later noted that “there are still a lot of obstacles in the way” women must overcome for current and future generations in Hollywood.

“It’s not everything you would want it to be, but at least you can see a diverse cast in a movie where the leads are of different races and genders. And I think that’s encouraging that we fought for that,” Lopez said. “I like to think that having been able to break into certain things, I didn’t settle, knowing in my heart that I was just another girl and could tell the story of any woman.”

The Mother actress added, “One of the things I’ve learned, too, is that we have to take ownership. We can’t sit around and wait for people to hand us roles. Many actresses produce their movies and develop their material, which is also key.”