Lifestyle

My Day With J. Lo

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

I was gazing into J. Lo’s brown eyes. We were inches away from each other, locked in an even gaze, her face tilted up slightly toward mine. I could smell her hair spray. Then the director called, “Cut!”

It was the summer of 2016, and I was acting in an episode of an NBC crime drama called “Shades of Blue.” I use the term “acting” loosely because I had exactly one line.

I had never watched “Shades of Blue” before I tried out for it. All I knew was that it was a cop show set in New York City starring Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta. To be honest, I thought of the role as a potential stopgap at a time when I was in a figuring-things-out phase of my life. Although I had appeared on a soap opera years earlier, since its cancellation I had mostly checked out of the audition circuit.

The audition was held in an office building in Midtown. The casting director, Rob, had me read for three roles: “F.B.I. Commander,” “Bailiff” and (horrifyingly) “Old Cop.”

Before I left, Rob told me: “Look, if you get one of these, just be cool, OK? Be cool.”

There were no callbacks. I was hired for the part of “Bailiff.” My duties consisted of asking a character named Harlee, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

Once I got the part, I Googled “Harlee on ‘Shades of Blue’” and gasped. Harlee was played by Jennifer Lopez. This sent my imagination off the deep end, as I briefly entertained the notion of bonding with Jenny from the Block. I thought of all the things I could say to her: You were terrific in “Selena.” I cried at the end of “Maid in Manhattan.” You never should have been with Marc Anthony anyway!

Then I stopped myself. I was hired for a job. I was a professional. I was going to be cool. Besides, even small TV jobs were hard to get, and I was determined not to mess this one up.

The shoot took place at the Bronx County Courthouse. When I got there, I put on my assigned uniform and was ushered into a courtroom for rehearsal. I met the actor playing the judge and a young woman who was Ms. Lopez’s stand-in. Before I could ask her name, I was distracted by the props guy, who pulled me aside and pinned a badge on my uniform. Then he handed me a Bible, and the director called, “Places!”

I returned to my spot in front of the courtroom. A buzz swept through the background actors playing spectators in the courtroom. In a moment, I was face to face with my scene partner. She smiled, extended her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Jennifer.”

I nodded and shook her hand. I felt like an idiot, because I couldn’t verbalize a simple greeting. Then the director started rehearsal. I held out the Bible and we did a run-through.

The star of the scene was not me or even Ms. Lopez. It was her left hand, which she placed on the Bible. This gesture had its own close-up, and the director spent much time making sure he got the shot.

“Raul, can you raise the Bible? Great. Now, er, Raul, can you lower it a bit? Great.”

Again and again, a woman tended to J. Lo, applying makeup, lotion and a nail spray. My hand was perspiring, and my arm was cramping from holding the Bible in place. We spent well over an hour on this shot.

Perhaps because she had heard the director shouting my name from across the set, Ms. Lopez glanced at my name tag, which read “Smith.”

“Oh, that’s not you, right?” she asked with a laugh.

I shook my head. I still wanted to introduce myself, or speak actual words like a normal person, but I couldn’t.

“Ha-ha, that’s funny,” she said.

Then a small army of hair and makeup personnel helped get her camera-ready. They fussed over her, like bees swarming a hive. She had one makeup artist whose sole responsibility seemed to be her lashes.

During a break, a young production assistant mentioned that the day was going well, because there were no fans or paparazzi lurking outside the courthouse.

“We don’t list Jennifer on the call sheet,” she said, “because it might get leaked, and then we have to shoo off these weirdos.”

At lunchtime, the cast and crew ate in the courthouse basement. Although the atmosphere was convivial, I was annoyed at myself for having been so flustered in J. Lo’s presence. I was fine once the cameras were rolling. It was only when I had to engage as a real person that I was inept. I resolved to be cool around her in the afternoon.

After lunch, we continued the courtroom scene, where Harlee took the stand and was cross-examined by a handsome prosecutor. Their dialogue crackled. Envious of their rapport, for a second I wished I had his part.

Later, as the cameras were being repositioned, Ms. Lopez, the actor playing the judge and I sat down on canvas chairs in a nearby hallway. The judge asked J. Lo for a selfie, and she obliged.

I pulled out my book. Next to me, Jennifer was texting and conferring with an assistant. It was warm in the hallway, because the building’s air-conditioning had been shut off for shooting. I tugged at my collar. Jennifer looked over and asked, “What are you reading?” Once again unable to speak, I held out the book, showing the title. “Nice!” she said.

Right then, I could’ve punched myself. I was probably one of the few people she had encountered who acted aloof with her. What was wrong with me?

As I was leaving at the end of the day, I passed her and her assistant as they were walking back to their trailer.

“Thank you,” I managed to say.

“Bye!” she said.

When the episode aired, it was titled “Eye of the Hurricane.” The courtroom scene was interspersed with steamy shots of Harlee in bed with the handsome prosecutor. I was only briefly on camera, in a single wide shot. My line was practically a voice-over. J. Lo’s hand looked great.

Raul A. Reyes is a contributor to NBC Latino and CNN Opinion.

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Lifestyle

Sunday Puzzle: Sweet Treat

Published

6 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Press Room

Sunday Puzzle

NPR

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NPR

This week’s challenge

Every answer today is a flavor of ice cream or sorbet.
What flavor of ice cream …

1. … has a two-word name in which each word starts CH-?

2. … has a two-word name in which each word starts RO-?

3. … is hidden in this sentence: That’s the caravan I’ll announce.

4. … has the string of letters UTTI in its name twice?

5. … has a silent P as its fourth letter?

6. … would spell some men’s facial hair if you changed its first two letters from PI to MU?

7. … consists of the names of two trees starting with M and W?

8. … is a fruit flavor that would become the name of another fruit flavor if you interchanged its first and third letters?

9. … is an anagram of TEENAGER (2 wds.)?

Last week’s challenge

Last week’s challenge came from Michael Schwartz, of Florence, Ore. Think of a musical instrument. Add two letters at the end, and you’ll get the names of two popular automobile models reading left or right. What musical instrument is this?

Answer

Accordion –> (Honda) Accord + (Hyundai) Ioniq

Winner

Nell Newton of Austin, Texas

This week’s challenge

This week’s challenge comes from Benita Rice, of Salem, Ore. Name a famous foreign landmark (5,4). Change the eighth letter to a V and rearrange the result to make an adjective that describes this landmark. What landmark is it?

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it below by Thursday, April 16 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle.

Lifestyle

Ask Imran Anything: On Boring Fashion, the Meaning of Luxury and Building Outside the System

Published

7 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Press Room

Ask Imran Anything: On Boring Fashion, the Meaning of Luxury and Building Outside the System

In the second instalment of the BoF Podcast’s Ask Me Anything series, Imran Amed takes on listener questions about creative energy returning to the industry, what luxury really feels like, why independent brands don’t need the old gatekeepers, and how to keep going when the world feels uncertain.

Lifestyle

Trump touts newly released plans for D.C. triumphal arch

Published

18 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Trump touts newly released plans for D.C. triumphal arch

Artist renderings and diagrams for President Trump’s proposed triumphal arch released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on April 10, 2026.

Jon Elswick/AP

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Jon Elswick/AP

President Trump on Friday unveiled official architectural renderings for the triumphal arch he plans to add to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The proposed monument would stand at one end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge next to the Arlington National Cemetery.

In addition to the president’s post on Truth Social, the plans were released by the Commission on Fine Arts, a federal agency that has review authority over the design and aesthetics of construction within Washington, D.C., and produced by Harrison Design, an architecture, interior and landscape design firm with offices in six U.S. cities, including D.C. The mockup shows a structure very similar to the 3D model that Trump touted at a fundraising dinner at the White House last October.

This model of President Trump’s proposed triumphal arch was shown at a White House press conference on Oct. 15, 2025.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

At 250 feet tall, the overall height of the structure is intended to serve as, “a fitting recognition of America’s 250th birthday,” the White House said in an email to NPR.

A monument aimed at honoring what and whom?

The proposed arch bears a striking resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris — though would stand almost 100 feet taller — and is topped with two golden eagles and a winged, crowned figure reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty (which was gifted to the U.S. by France in 1884.) On one side, the words “One nation under God” appear, with the phrase “Liberty and justice for all” on the other.

The structure would also loom over the nearby Lincoln Memorial — at more than twice the height.

“The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle in an email to NPR. “It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.”

When asked by CBS political correspondent Ed O’Keefe whom the monument was intended to honor after Trump initially unveiled his plans in October, Trump responded: “Me.” The exchange was captured in a social media video.

A group of Vietnam War veterans launched a lawsuit in February seeking to bar the Trump administration from constructing the arch. The plaintiffs argued the project violates statutes requiring express congressional authorization for the erection of commemorative works or any “building or structure” on federal park grounds in D.C., among other issues.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris as part of the city’s Christmas celebrations (2007).

Christophe Ena/AP

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Christophe Ena/AP

“It’s textbook Trump,” said Sue Mobley, director of research at Monument Lab, of the proposed plans for the arch, in an interview with NPR. The nonprofit design studio based in Philadelphia reimagines public art and structures. “It has to be the biggest. That’s the authoritarian impulse.” Trump has repeatedly pushed back on accusations of authoritarianism, rejecting the label of dictator.

Mobley added that she doesn’t think the plans will come to fruition. “It will likely get tied up in court,” she said.

Approval process

The White House said it will “follow all legal requirements” in constructing the triumphal arch. As part of that process, it mentioned the National Park Service’s recent request to present potential designs to the Commission on Fine Arts. The plans are scheduled to be reviewed next week. At this point, that commission is composed entirely of members appointed by Trump. (In October 2025, Trump took the unusual step of firing six sitting members of the commission.) The National Capital Planning Commission, the federal government’s central planning agency for the National Capital Region, is also expected to weigh in on the plans.

The White House said the estimated cost of the project, which it anticipates will draw on a combination of public and private funds, is still being calculated. Harrison Design, the architecture firm behind the plans, did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for information about the price tag.

Multiple D.C. makeover projects

The arch plans are the latest in a series of current and potential architectural interventions from the White House in and around Washington, D.C.

Most dramatically, the administration is pushing for the creation of a $400 million neoclassical ballroom at the White House. A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily allowed the construction of the ballroom to move forward while the administration challenges a March ruling that it required congressional approval. Whatever the outcome, the historic East Wing has already been demolished to make room for the new structure.

Trump has converted the White House Rose Garden into a stone-covered patio. He aims to shut down The Kennedy Center for two years to facilitate a major renovation (a coalition of groups including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Institute of Architects, and the D.C. Preservation League, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March opposing the plans.) And he has proposed architectural changes to the Washington Dulles International airport through an initiative the Department of Transportation launched late last year to overhaul the Northern Virginia airport. Several prominent architecture firms including Zaha Hadid Architects and Adjaye Associates have submitted proposals.

In August, the president also signed an executive order requiring that new federal buildings with construction budgets of more than $50 million be designed in “classical” or “traditional” styles.

Anastasia Tsioulcas contributed to this story.