Diane Lane won critical acclaim for the part, which Lopez was apparently offered first.
There was a lot of Oscar buzz for Jennifer Lopez this year for "Hustlers," and while she was ultimately snubbed by the Academy, one role she walked away from could have earned her a nom way back in 2002.
Appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood Issue alongside Eddie Murphy -- who was also snubbed this year -- and Renee Zellweger -- who earned a nom for "Judy" -- J.Lo opened up about the one movie she passed on that she really regrets.
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View Story"There was a movie called 'Unfaithful.' And it was offered to me and the script, for me, wasn't all the way there," she told the publication. "I should have known that [director] Adrian Lyne was going to kill it, but I didn't."
The role of Connie Sumner -- a woman whose affair turns deadly -- then went to Diane Lane, who earned both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for the film. (Nicole Kidman would ultimately pip Lane to both, for her turn as Virginia Woolf in "The Hours"). Lane also won acting awards from the National Society of Film Critics and New York Film Critics.
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View Story"Diane Lane was so perfect for it," admitted Lopez, "and it was obviously meant to be her, but when I think about that ... I want to literally, like, shoot my toe off. I do."
During the interview, Lopez was also asked about stepping into a new version of that infamous green Versace dress last year, nearly 20 years after she all but created Google Images wearing it in 2000.
"The first time I wore it, I actually didn't have another dress. Usually I have choices. It was a last-minute thing that caused a sensation that was unexpected," she recalled. "The second time was very planned-out. It started at the Met ball; Donatella said, 'You know, this year is the 20th anniversary of the jungle dress,' and I said no, I didn't. And she goes, 'I think I'm going to do a whole show about it. Would you come?' And I said, 'Of course. Just call me.'"
"It's all timing—schedules and stuff. And then she wound up calling and said, 'I want you to walk at the end, and I want you to come out in the dress.' 'The same dress?' 'The same dress. We'll make a new one for you," she continued. "The second time I wore it and walked out there, it was such an empowering thing. Twenty years had gone by, and I think for women, knowing you can put on a dress 20 years later—it resonated. It was like, 'Yes, you know, life is not over at 20!'
Check out the gallery below for more stars who walked away from some seriously big parts -- and whether they regretted it in the end!