Hustlers star Jennifer Lopez admits she almost became a stripper

Jennifer Lopez filming on location for Hustlers. Photo / Supplied

Jennifer Lopez considered stripping in the early days of her career.

The 50-year-old singer and actress stars as a stripper named Ramona in Hustlers, but has now said she very nearly followed the career path in real life, as her early days as a dancer left her desperate for more cash to make ends meet.

When asked if she ever considered stripping, she said: "I did. There was a moment in my life when my friends, who were also dancers, told me about making thousands of dollars at clubs in New Jersey. They said, 'You won't need to be topless'. It sounded awfully good when I was broke and eating pizza every day, but I never did it."

Jennifer was "nervous" about taking part in 'Hustlers' - which she also produced - because she found Ramona's character "dark" and "complicated", but quickly fell in love with the role.

Jennifer Lopez plays Ramona in Hustlers. Photo / AP

Speaking to W magazine for their Best Performances issue, she said: "I was a little nervous about doing this movie because I had never played someone this dark or complicated. I liked that Ramona, the character I play, and the other strippers were looked at as equals to their patrons, the guys on Wall Street.

"Ramona reminded me of that girlfriend we all have who is exciting but can also get you into trouble. You always miss that friend when she's gone, but when you get together, you worry you might find yourself in some crazy situation. That's Ramona."

Meanwhile, the 'On The Floor' hitmaker recently gushed about her career and life choices, as she said she's living the dream of "every girl from the Bronx" following her engagement to retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez, who used to play for the New York Yankees.

She said: "I got what every girl from the Bronx dreams of: getting proposed to by a Yankee."