1989–1996: Professional dancing and early acting roles

Lopez's first professional job came in 1989 when she spent five months touring
Europe with the musical revue show Golden Musicals of Broadway. She was upset
at being the only member of the chorus not to have a solo, and later characterized it
as a pivotal moment where she had to "try harder and become that much more
committed".[28][29] In 1990, she danced alongside MC Hammer in an episode of Yo!
MTV Raps,[30] and traveled around Japan for four months as a chorus member
in Synchronicity.[17] When she returned to the United States, she was hired as a
backup dancer for New Kids on the Block's performance of "Games" at the 1991
American Music Awards.[31] She also traveled around America with regional
productions of the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Oklahoma!.[32] During this
period, Lopez also danced in music videos including Doug E. Fresh's "Summertime",
Richard Rogers' "Can't Stop Loving You", EPMD's "Rampage",[33] and Samantha
Fox's "(Hurt Me! Hurt Me!) But the Pants Stay On".[34] Lopez stated: "I'd dance in a
piece-of-garbage rap or pop video for 50 bucks and make the money last a whole
month."[35]

Her most high-profile job as a professional dancer was as a Fly Girl jazz-funk
dancer on the sketch comedy television series In Living Color. The show's
choreographer, Rosie Perez said she chose Lopez because "she had that look that I
knew the audience would tune in to".[36] Lopez moved to Los Angeles in late 1991 for
the job; she filmed In Living Color during the day and attended acting classes taught
by Aaron Speiser at night.[17] Lopez felt ostracized by the other Fly Girls because of
her "voluptuous figure", and also clashed with Perez.[36] The head of Virgin
Records considered signing The Fly Girls as a girl group to rival the Spice Girls, but
the deal fell apart.[29] After appearing as a Fly Girl in seasons three and four of In
Living Color, Lopez left to work as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and appeared
in the music video for "That's the Way Love Goes".[29] She was scheduled to tour with
Jackson on her Janet World Tour in late 1993 but opted to pursue an acting career
instead.[37] Lopez hired In Living Color producer Eric Gold as her manager. He
advised Lopez to lose weight if she wanted to succeed as an actress.[38]

Lopez's first professional acting job was a small recurring role on the television
show South Central (1994). She was invited to audition for the pilot by a casting
director who had seen her speak to camera during a behind-the-scenes In Living
Color segment.[17] She then acquired an agent and was cast in
the CBS show Second Chances; the series was quickly cancelled, but her popularity
with viewers led to her being cast in its spin-off Hotel Malibu.[39] She subsequently
appeared in the television film Lost in the Wild (1993).[40] For her first major movie
role, in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama Mi Familia, Lopez received a nomination for
the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress.[41] She then starred in the
action comedy Money Train (1995). The film was not a box office success, though
her performance was reviewed positively,[42] which led to her being further noticed in
Hollywood.[43] In 1996, Lopez had a supporting role opposite Robin Williams in the
comedy Jack, which director Francis Ford Coppola cast her in after seeing her
performance in Mi Familia.[42] She next starred opposite Jack Nicholson in the neo-
noir thriller Blood and Wine (1996), where David Rooney of Variety felt she delivered
in "juggling" the "smoldering and soulful sides" of the character.[44]