Jennifer Lopez says she 'worked for free' on 'Hustlers'

Jennifer Lopez says that she didn't get paid for her work on the movie Hustlers.

But before we all start up a GoFundMe page for her, it's worth noting that she is one of the film's producers - so she’ll likely make a few quid in the end.

Lopez plays veteran stripper and hostess Ramona Vega in the movie, which tells the true story of a group of dancers who scammed wealthy businessmen customers out of huge sums of money during the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008.

Speaking to GQ, she said: “I do things because I love them. I didn't get paid a whole bunch of money for Hustlers.

Read more: Ex-hostess threatens to sue makers of Hustlers

“I did it for free and produced it. I bank on myself. That's the Jenny From the Block. I do what I want, I do what I love. But it was kind of a really different mindset to get into to play Ramona.”

The movie has been written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, who's made movies like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Meanwhile, it's produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions, the spin-off of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, which focusses on 'female voices in comedy', Lopez's own company Nuyorican Productions and Megan Ellison's Annapurna.

Lopez goes on to say: “This is our movie where we run s**t. They know it's all women producers, women director, women writer, all women starring in it.

“And they kind of took ownership of that. We've been watching men take advantage of women in movies a long time. And so it was a fun kind of ride to see the tables turn.”

Read more: Strippers not happy with Hustlers movie

As for the focus of the story, Ramona, she adds: “Whether she was doing great things or bad things, she was very clear about what she wanted and what her goals were. And that she could do it on her own.

“Like, you never see a man in her life. There's men. But she was so self-sufficient. For me, who grew up with my sister sleeping in the same bed, and then went from one relationship to the other, playing that character, and having to be that independent and in charge, I was just like, 'God, this is so empowering.'”

Lopez is already getting Oscar buzz around her performance, alongside fellow stars Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo and Cardi B.

And the movie has already made nearly $150 million from its $20 million budget.