In ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ Jennifer Lopez is a star reborn

LOS ANGELES, USA – Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh (remember his name) are stars reborn and born, respectively, in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bill Condon’s 2025 adaptation of Manuel Puig’s novel and Terrence McNally’s stage musical.

Set in 1983, when Argentina was under a brutal military dictatorship, this latest Kiss of the Spider Woman iteration, as directed by Bill, harks back more to Manuel’s novel, reflecting 1970s Latin America coping with societal and political oppression and Terrence’s Tony Award-winning musical with composers John Kander and Fred Ebb.

With an all-Latin cast, this production veers from the 1985 film version, which starred the late Willian Hurt in the top role of Molina. This time, Tonatiuh, the son of Mexican immigrant parents, plays the gay window dresser imprisoned for his sexuality, with star-making aplomb.

Tapping both Manuel’s book and Terrence’s musical, this film retells the story of Molina, thrown into a prison cell with Valentin, a Marxist rebel (Diego Luna, equally good), and tries to survive the brutality by retreating into fantasy and reveries of his favorite movie, Kiss of the Spider Woman.

With Valentin as his initially reluctant listener, Molina reenacts the Technicolor melodrama starring glamorous movie femme fatale Ingrid Luna (Jennifer) as a woman trying to escape from a deadly mythical predator, the titular Spider Woman (also Jennifer), whose kiss is fatal to anyone. The two men slowly bond and find solace in each other amid the prison harshness and cruelty.

Ingrid Luna and Spider Woman, both dazzling figures, are roles that Jennifer was born to play and perform very well. It’s almost unthinkable that this is only J.Lo’s first screen musical. In the movie-within-a-movie, Jennifer also plays Aurora with Tonatiuh (Kendall Nesbitt) and Diego (Armando).

“I looked forward to doing it because I thought this was an opportunity for me to do something I had never done. I’ve never gotten an opportunity to be in a movie musical,” Jennifer said to Rappler in an in-person video interview with both the actress and Tonatiuh at The London Hotel in West Hollywood.

Other quotes in this piece came from a press conference with Jennifer, Tonatiuh, and Bill, also at The London. Diego could not join because he was filming.

Jennifer Lopez as the Spider Woman. All photos courtesy of Roadside Attractions

“I love the subject matter,” Jennifer added. “I love the statements that it makes. I love the idea of working with Bill Condon. There were a lot of different things, but more than anything, it was just like a dream come true to be able to do a movie musical for the first time.”

“I get asked this every day. And I never get upset, so please ask me a million times,” Tonatiuh answered with a smile when asked how to pronounce his name. “Tow-nuh-tyu,” offered the 30-year-old whose last name is Elizarraraz.

Many years from now, Kiss… will be remembered as the movie that made people sit up and take notice of the actor who grew up in West Covina, an LA suburb where many Filipino immigrants live. Of course, he has Filipino friends, loves Pinoy food, and knows a few choice Tagalog words, Tonatiuh told Rappler.

“If you’re from West Covina, you can call me ‘Tow-nay-sha,’ ”quipped the University of Southern California alumnus, who is simply called Tona by Jennifer and Bill.

Bill, the director of such acclaimed musicals as Chicago and Dreamgirls, shared how they cast Tonatiuh in his biggest film role. “I did something really smart — I pressed play on a self-tape that Tona sent in,” the Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated filmmaker said with a laugh.

“We went through a huge process and put Tona through the paces. Four different auditions. The final one with Diego. But I have to say, I had that feeling from the minute I saw his self-tape.”

“Just everything that you see on screen now is there in him. Just this incredible talent and openness, and that beautiful, expressive face. So, Tona was the one who cast himself, at the end of the day.”

Tonatiuh (left) and Diego Luna in a scene from ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman.’

Ironically, Bill and his team searched for their Molina in Mexico, Central and South America, Spain, Buenos Aires, Uruguay, and the US, only to find Tonatiuh right in LA.

Tonatiuh, whose Molina wins over the cynical rebel Valentin with his enthusiasm and tenderness, has always dreamed of acting in a musical. “When I was applying to schools to study acting, my mom took me to San Francisco for an audition. Wicked had come up. I begged her to get me tickets to go and see it.”

“I remember seeing the wizard singing Wonderful. I remember thinking, this man is in his 50s, 60s, just dancing and singing his ass off. I want that life.”

He continued, “Like, think of where he traveled, who he got to meet, what he got to do, and all the joy that he got to bring to the world. I was like, my God. That is the power of musical theater. What’s very unique to musical theater is the joy.”

“I think this is the most dynamic opportunity that I’ve ever had. I’ve always had a secret wish to be in a musical. If you ever are driving in Los Angeles and you see me in my car, I am belting songs. So to get the opportunity to not just tell such a great story, but to play multiple characters within it is the gift of a lifetime.”

For Bill and Tonatiuh, who are both openly gay, and Jennifer, the film’s nuanced queer representation was another powerful reason to make the film. “It’s important because it’s more relevant than ever,” stressed the actress. “The idea of a trans or gay character in this movie. The idea of two people loving each other.”

“The kind of divisiveness that we’ve experienced in the world in the past few years. Just a story about two people (Molina and Valentin) who are thrown together, who are so opposite, who are so different from each other, who would probably never even find themselves in the same circles.”

Jennifer added about the film where Bill consulted the LGBTQ+ community to ensure Molina is a humanized figure, “And find the humanity and fall in love with each other. I think that is more relevant than ever. It’s really important to have queer representation in movies.”

The film makes a stand for Latin representation as well. “In my own family, I know how important that is for people to see that,” Jennifer remarked. “In the same way, I needed to see Rita Moreno in West Side Story. Just because she was Puerto Rican. That mattered to me.”

“It changed the course of my life. It made me realize I could do things that nobody in my family had ever thought to do.”

She revealed, “Bill was very adamant about everybody being Latino in the cast. And the other iterations of this (Kiss…) didn’t have that. Even though it took place where it did.”

“I feel like that is a really important thing. And to see that, and to feel it. And for it to still feel universal. Any character, anybody can relate to it.”

Tonatiuh captivates in his first major role.

At a time when many gay rights activists view the Trump administration as hostile to their community, citing the sustained attacks on transgender people, among other issues, Tonatiuh said, “There’s a certain moment that’s happening right now that we need to remind ourselves that dignity, humanity, and love transcend gender. They transcend sexual orientation. They transcend all of those things.”

“Yes, we deal with queer themes in our film, but I do think that it is a love letter to diversity. It is a love letter to just humanity as a whole.”

On the diversity appeal of Kiss…, the actor pointed out, “And on a business standpoint, though, it really is just fascinating to remind everyone that casting Latin talent is incredible. Like, we sell, babe. We’re hot. And people seem to forget.”

“Andor (which starred Diego) was a success. I think Hollywood is sometimes a little trepidatious about casting an all-Latin cast.”

Elaborating on his Molina, where he avoids stereotypes and instead plays him with complexity and vulnerability, Tonatiuh shared, “It was such a beautiful script. Molina was a character that I could really sink my teeth into and allow myself to fully lose myself in.”

“I lost 45 pounds for the job.” He quipped with a laugh, “I was joking with Jennifer.  I was like, ‘Girl, I’m trying to get to that waist.’”

“I love being able to transform. I love allowing my body and my essence to be used to help create progress and love. Culture changes much faster than politics, and by casting me, we are making a statement.”

On his character’s relationship with Valentin, which in this version is depicted as a true love story and not a transactional one, Tonatiuh said, “Molina, his passion for movies and his relationship with Valentin, is such a necessary story. And it is becoming more and more relevant. That’s the power of cinema and that’s what drove me to sign on to the project and to shed the pounds (laughs).”

Bill explained, “I wrote this three years ago. And it was because I loved every version of this, and each one of them was revolutionary for its time. But when you read that novel, it’s taken us this long to really catch up to what that novel was saying.”

Citing the 2024 US presidential election that declared Trump as the winner, Bill commented, “Specifically, this was well before the election season and well before we knew what was going to happen. But it was clear that trans people were going to be demonized, that they were going to be a part of the conversation.”

“It wasn’t clear at that point that there might be tanks, troops on the street. That we didn’t know.  But it did feel that this was something that was bubbling up and happening. So that’s what made it feel very urgent.”

“The revolution that you’re saying that we need right now is exactly the reason why the movie is so important for people to see,” Jennifer chimed in. “Because it reminds you that at the end of the day, it’s about two people getting along and falling in love when you really forget about all of the other things, that we’re all just human. And it is about humanity.”

“Jennifer said it but I just want to repeat it,” Bill emphasized. “In this movie, these two men who could not be different in every single way, everything is stripped away from them in their lives.”

“So all of this stuff, the politics, class, education, go away, and they just start to see themselves as individuals. I do think that is the bit of hope, the ray of light in this movie.”

“I’ll also stress that, like we constantly see in the news, we see everything that’s going around and we wonder, what is it that I can do? I’m just one person,” Tonatiuh said. “But that mentality is the thing that gets us here. Every one of us has little actions to take.”

“And especially in a moment when Latinos in general in this country are experiencing massive negative PR, just attack after attack, it’s really wonderful to showcase what Latino dignity is and remind people of the talent, the joy that our culture adds to the United States and the world.”

Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh share why they love the themes tackled in the musical.

While Bill based his adaptation on the novel and musical, he acknowledged the 1985 film directed by Hector Babenco that starred William Hurt (who won the Oscar Best Actor for his performance) and Raul Julia, both sadly no longer with us, and Sonia Braga as “absolutely an inspiration.”

“That movie meant so much to me as a young gay man. To see William Hurt at the height of his popularity take on that role was extraordinary. It was so rare.”

“But it’s not so much the musical. I didn’t base it much on the musical. It’s really the novel. I do feel that the novel and that film are quite different. And as an example, again, this is something that’s groundbreaking in 1985, the fact that they got that movie made.”

He explained, “But what the audience maybe demanded there and also in the Broadway production is that the relationship between the two men have a more transactional aspect, that in both cases, as opposed to the novel, Valentin only sleeps with Molina when he knows he’s getting out and that he can manipulate him into giving information. And that’s an example of something I perfectly understand why that was necessary then.”

“But it was one of the reasons why being truer to the novel, as I said, I think we’ve caught up to what Puig was writing about.”

“I did see the film,” Tonatiuh replied when asked. “And, echoing what Bill said, both films are showcasing what is needed for the time. And it fostered a level of dialogue within the queer community and with the community at large.”

“It showcases where we are and how our understanding has shifted. And it’s really interesting when older audiences look at this film versus, let’s say when Gen Z looks at this film. Our understanding of what gender, sexuality, sexual orientation as a culture, as a community has shifted so much.”

“And so one of the challenges was like, how do we pay homage to the original film without being anachronistic?” the actor asked aloud. “And how do we absorb it now in 2025 with our new understanding of things that weren’t necessarily there? They were there, but they had a different texture in the 1980s.”

What is certain is that Jennifer dazzles as she sings and dances her way into the film. “My favorite moments were the musical numbers,” she exulted. “I had a lot of them. I didn’t have much else besides 12 musical numbers. So, it was really kind of a marathon that we had. It was like a sprint.”

“Because we did it in a short amount of time. There were all these musical numbers, and we didn’t have a lot of time to shoot. I wish we had a year and a half like some musicals get to have. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that.”

The Golden Globe-, Emmy-, and Grammy-nominated performer added, “So we were really like run-and-gun and getting them done. One day, it was this number, next day it was that number. And that was really my favorite part.”

“It’s what I always dreamed of doing — doing a musical movie. So I was living a fantasy for myself, the same way Molina had this fantasy in his mind. It was my fantasy (laughs).”

Jennifer Lopez showcases her singing and dancing prowess.

For Tonatiuh, who also sings and dances in the elaborate MGM musical-style scenes, “There are a lot of favorite moments, both from the prison scenes and everything else. But there was a personal favorite moment when Jennifer and I were shooting one of the ballroom scenes.”

“She complimented me, which was beautiful, but then they called action immediately after. I got to look up for a second. I was surrounded by all this incredible Broadway talent. Next to Jennifer, next to Diego.”

“And it hit me, two, three weeks into the shooting, when I was like, oh, this is amazing, and this is my life, I’m surrounded by other artists who are incredible, and whom I respect, and I’m having such a good time.”

“Then they called cut,” he recounted. “I burst into tears with gratitude. So it was this moment when I was like, man, I am so happy to be here.”

For Bill, it was seeing “Jennifer in that gold dress. We rehearsed so hard, but we decided to shoot it in the (Fred) Astaire style, which are single takes.”

“But even with that, at lunch, we were behind. So I said, I want to do the rest of the day in one take over a minute where Jennifer dances with six men and then winds up with Tona. It took a long time to set up. But we did it.”

“I’ve been asked a number of times what it was about Jennifer that made her the one and only choice,” the director explained why the actress’ consent to star got the project going. “And I realize my answer’s a little glib. It’s like, well, we don’t have that many divas, and she is playing this diva. But it’s something really more remarkable than that to me that happened in this movie.”

“She understood early on when we talked about the script that Aurora is actually Molina’s best version of what he could have of his life. She’s a character who’s never had love, who finds love in the course of this movie.”

“So Jennifer was playing in the style of the ’40s, but also connecting to what Tona was playing. Then she played the real actress who is an entirely different character, and then she played the dark version of that.  It’s not that she’s a diva. That’s not what made her perfect for this role. She’s a great actress.”

“And I felt the same way with Tona,” added the director whose other credits include Beauty and the Beast and Gods and Monsters. “When we were doing auditions for this part, usually in every production of it on stage, or in the play, you’re only casting one part. You’re casting Molina.”

“But Tona had to play Molina and this ’40s icon. And again, just seeing the way that he embodied that style. That, to me, was more exciting than us doing it with camera and technology. It was just watching these actors live in these two worlds.”

“I’m hiring you because I know that you can do the numbers from top to bottom without stopping,” Jennifer shared what Bill told her. “It was like doing live shows. You have to start the number. You have to finish the number. No matter what happens in between.”

Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh appreciate the all-Latino cast.

Working with choreographer Sergio Trujillo and cinematographer Tobias Schliessler, Jennifer said of the elaborate musical numbers, “It is also choreography with the camera. And so yes, I have a lot of respect for the fact that they (musical stars in the ’40s and ’50s) did it that way.”

“I also know that they rehearsed for weeks and months to do one number. Like in Singing in the Rain — it took a long time to do that.”

For a musical like Kiss…, the production wisely turned to Colleen Atwood, who won four Oscars for costume design, including for Chicago, and earned numerous nominations. “Colleen was very clear,” Jennifer said. “Like, she showed me boards for each change that I had. It was very specific.”

“It wasn’t somebody who’s like, here are 20 racks of clothes and let’s find the thing.  It was like, no, I think this should be a suit. I think this should be a gown. I think this should be a gold gown.”

“She knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish with everything. And sometimes I was just like, oh, is that what this scene is? Oh, I get it. Now, I know how to be. Now I know who to be Aurora in this movie.  I know who to be as the Spider Woman in this movie. The costumes, when they’re that good, really inform you.”

“The gown is 50 pounds,” Jennifer revealed about the gold gown that Bill cited. “People don’t think of that. This gown is really heavy. Colleen was like, ‘It’s gorgeous.  It’s perfect. Let’s make it tighter (laughs).’ ”

In these glamorous but heavy gowns, Jennifer had to gracefully dance in these elaborate sequences. “There was a lot of different things as far as the musical numbers,” the actress shared. “It was like what Ginger Rogers said, ‘You know, I do everything Fred Astaire does, only backwards and in heels.’”(The popular quote was actually penned by cartoonist Bob Thaves in his comic strip, Frank and Ernest.)

“It hasn’t changed (laughs). It’s still the same thing. Again, part of the thrill for me, are those challenges. And then to do it in this particular movie in a very long one-take.”

“It was not like, okay, maybe they can go back and fix this or that, or edit. These are going to be long takes. So that, to me, was the most challenging part of the whole thing.”

Jennifer cited one dance number that was perfect until a shoe got in the way. “You’re like, halfway or three-quarters of the way through, your heel gets stuck in your gown for whatever reason. You’re like, fuck, it was perfect until then. So, those things do happen.”

“But at the end of the day, somehow, God is always watching and guiding. Miracles happen on set. I do miracles. We did miracles (laughs) on this movie in a way.”

Still looking back at the making of Kiss…, Jennifer said, “I remember so many moments. All those moments I remember every single day. It was a very important moment in my life to be able to do this film. And there was a lot going on in my life at that time.”

The actress shot Kiss… while she was going through marriage problems with Ben Affleck. She, Ben, his best friend Matt Damon, and Diego are among the film’s executive producers.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a long career,” Jennifer remarked. “There are certain movies like Selena, Out of Sight, Maid in Manhattan that mark a certain time in your life. And this is definitely one of the very important ones for me.”

“I love it. I feel very lucky to do what I do. The battle for me has always been trying to find balance. And somehow, it just doesn’t work out.”

Asked to define what she considers balance in her life, the all-around performer replied, “I took a year off after I did this movie when I canceled the tour. I didn’t do another movie till the following March. So I realized that I could have a life a little bit.”

“And that I could sit still. And nothing was going to go away, which I think causes panic in most artists in this profession, that you think, oh, if I stop, it will all go away. But it doesn’t.”

“You’ve made your mark and you’re here, and you do what you do. Now, I’m back on it again. And enjoying myself. I guess I’ll stop when it’s not fun anymore (laughs).”

But she admitted, “As always, I wind up doing another thing after the thing. But yeah, I love it. I loved being on tour again this summer.”

“It was great to get back out there and to connect with people again on that level. And then now, even as I’m talking about this movie, I’m about to go do another film (The Last Mrs. Parrish) with Bob Zemeckis.”

“I’m super excited about the year and everything that’s coming up. I have Office Romance coming out, which is also fun. It’s hard to stop when everything is so fun (laughs).”

On what still makes her energetic, as compared to when she was 25, Jennifer cracked, “Am I not 25 anymore?” Looking fit and stunning at 56, she pointed out, “The dancing really helps. The fact that I started as a dancer and I’ve continued that my whole life. I also started as an athlete before I was a dancer. So, I just have that in my blood.”

“If I’m not moving my body, I’m not happy. I need to work out. I need to be active. I only feel my best when I’m doing that. And even though it’s gotten more challenging as I’ve gotten more mature, it still is a great joy for me.”

“When I push through the little bit of pain that we all have when we first start working out, when we first start dancing again, whenever I do take a break, it’s hard (laughs). And it’s harder now than it was before. But once I break through, it’s like I’m 25 again.”

“Of course, I still complain about like, why didn’t I know about that movie?” Jennifer candidly answered when asked if, at this stage in her career, she gets to see most of the hot scripts. “Why didn’t I know about (laughs) this thing? Always. And it’s frustrating.”

“But again, I could really get upset and angry about it or I could just do the best work that I can do every time I have an opportunity to do it.  And that’s the route that I have chosen for myself.”

“It took a lot of work to get there,” she mused. “I hope that there are other young Latina actresses and Latino actors who are already getting that in their 20s now.  It’s different now. And that makes me happy.”

“It’s a very good time. I actually can enjoy without the pressures of feeling like I’m not good enough or I’m not doing enough, or all the things that we fuck ourselves in our mind with. I can just go, I’m here, I love what I’m doing. I am so fortunate and really enjoy it without putting pressure on myself to prove anything anymore.”

When Rappler asked Tonatiuh how he would have reacted if someone told him 10 years ago that he would be singing, dancing and acting someday with Jennifer in a musical, he answered:

“I wouldn’t have believed it. It really was a surreal moment. Getting to work with Jennifer, Bill and Diego was one of those out-of-body experiences. But the funny thing about my brain is, as soon as they say action, I’m like, let’s do it. We’re in the moment.” – Rappler.com