Jennifer Lopez Reveals 1996 Evita Audition Lost to Madonna

Jennifer Lopez revealed that she auditioned for the lead role in the 1996 film adaptation of the musical Evita, directed by Alan Parker, only to find out during the audition that Madonna had already been cast. Lopez had prepared extensively and sang passionately for the role but was told the part was already promised to Madonna, which was a challenging moment in her early career. Despite missing out on Evita, Lopez persevered and continued to build her career in music and film, eventually achieving her long-held dream of starring in a major movie musical with the upcoming Kiss of the Spider Woman. The new film, directed by Bill Condon, is based on the 1993 Broadway musical and marks Lopez's first lead role in a musical film nearly three decades after her Evita audition. Lopez reflected on her journey during various Q&A sessions and interviews, highlighting how she came close to other musical roles like Chicago and Nine before finally securing her musical film breakthrough. Kiss of the Spider Woman tells the story of two prisoners in a South American prison escaping reality through a fictional Hollywood musical starring Lopez's character, Ingrid Luna.