With Oscar talk heating up this season, Jennifer Lopez weighs in on the buzz surrounding her performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman. The movie is based on the Manuel Puig novel of the same name, which was later adapted into a stage musical. Like that of the stage rendition, the Lopez-led film is also set to get a song-filled treatment.
The film is releasing imminently on October 10. Prior to this release date, Lopez participated in an interview with Sunday Morning, wherein she discussed her Oscar chances for Kiss of the Spider Woman. In the interview, she mentioned that while she is not getting her hopes up, “it’s great to be in the conversation.”
Check out her full quote below:
“I don’t [put those expectations anywhere.] I learned my lesson last time. But also, the joy, for me, is in doing it. Every single moment. It’s great to be in the conversation, among… like, you’re doing work that people recognize, and that they love. That’s enough.
It’s not that you can’t want more, or that you don’t wanna stand up there and say thank you. Of course, we all want that. But I realized that I don’t need it in the way that maybe I thought when I was younger. Not that I wouldn’t love it. I just wanna do that little disclaimer! I’d be very grateful for that, too.”
Lopez is referring to a very specific awards season lesson that she learned back in 2019. She played a pivotal role in the film Hustlers, which earned her widespread acclaim from critics. This led to early claims that Lopez could be a frontrunner for a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars.
Those chances were looking even likelier when she managed to score significant nominations such as the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards. But when it came time for Oscar nominations that season, Lopez did not make the cut.
It seems that the actor has fears that this could happen again with Spider Woman, given her experience with Hustlers. But this time, she will take a more level-headed outlook going into the coveted awards season, not expecting anything in either direction.
There are still over three months to go until Lopez’s Oscar nomination fate is revealed, and even longer before winners will be announced. This season, Oscar nominations are planned for the morning of Thursday, January 22, 2026.
While Hustlers proves that this is not an absolute indicator, key awards leading up to the Oscars will partially indicate how likely Lopez’s chances will be. Both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, for instance, release their nominations in early December.
Kiss of the Spider Woman does have decent early reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer currently at 83% with 52 reviews. Reviews are not the only thing that can lead an actor to an Oscar victory, but they certainly help.
All these factors will influence whether Lopez ultimately walks away with a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Kiss of the Spider Woman. The question will still remain for several months: will this be a first for Lopez, or a repeat of her Hustlers snub?
