Jennifer Lopez is all about rom-coms these days. And this time around, she took to the Dominican Republic (although the movie is set in the Philippines) for Jason Moore’s Shotgun Wedding. The film stars Lopez and Josh Duhamel as a couple whose destination wedding gets overrun by pirates.
While the film is full of action scenes and dangerous stunts, it also features a lot of laughs, thanks to Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge. And just when everyone thought that they’ve seen everything, the film also sees music legend Lenny Kravitz play Lopez’s ex-boyfriend in the movie.
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Did Lenny Kravitz Audition For Shotgun Wedding?
The simple answer is no. Turns out, Kravitz agreed to do the film after Lopez reached out. “Jennifer called me and I was happy to go down there and have fun with a lot of really wonderful people,” the singer told Access Hollywood.
After Kravitz agreed to do the film, he flew to the Dominican Republic where he posted a photo of himself reading a script on Instagram. In the caption, he wrote, “Up in this script. #ShotgunWedding.”
Meanwhile, for Moore, who hails from theater, having Kravitz star as Lopez’s ex also made a lot of sense. Kravitz helped complete Moore’s “brilliant” ensemble, which is always critical.
“This isn’t a big secret, but casting is everything. I always try and think about who can bring ideas and different takes and things to make the movie funnier,” the director said.
“They don’t have to be improv-ers, per se, but they need to always have something that they’re giving in a reaction shot. So thinking about that, casting the kind of actors that are bringing it all the time like you are in theater was a big part of it.”
The Cast Had The Best Time With Lenny Kravitz, Especially Jennifer Coolidge
As Lopez’s photos have shown, the cast had the time of their lives while making the film in the Dominican Republic. And Coolidge admired Kravitz for being “just the guy” in between takes.
“So there was incredible camaraderie ’cause everyone was there at the end of the day, and, you know, who would think that Lenny Kravitz would be—he’s such a legend, but there he was at dinner and, you know, cracking jokes and not, you know, not the rock star, just the guy,” the actress said.
“He is the rock star and he really looks like that and, you know, he’s got it going on, but he’s just so—I didn’t think he was gonna be that normal. He’s just so normal, you know, just so down to earth. So incredibly down to earth.”
It also turns out that Coolidge got to see more of Kravitz since their rooms were situated near each other. “Lenny Kravitz had a room that [you could see] out my balcony,” she also told Access Hollywood. “It, like, zeroed in it somehow. The point of view was just on Lenny’s balcony so I saw everything.”
And as expected, Kravitz also brought some music to the island with him. “He does have a guitar, but he also has a ghetto blaster [a boombox] with the best music because he has his compilation of music,” Coolidge continued.
“I was hoping he would give me one of those tapes… He’s so sexy. I’m gonna ask him tonight [for a tape]. I’m so glad he’s here tonight. I’m gonna ask him for a lot of things.”
Shotgun Wedding May Have Also Inspired Lenny Kravitz’s Latest Business Venture
Now, Lopez, Duhamel, Coolidge, and the rest of the cast, may have been quite busy working on a film while in the Dominican Republic. But of course, they had some downtime, and they made the best of it too. That’s also when Kravitz discovered his latest business venture.
While on the island, a “secret bottle” was sent over to Kravitz. The singer then took to a cast dinner and had a shot himself. He was “immediately intrigued.” In particular, Kravitz loved the liquor’s “flavor and complexities.”
“I love smoke, meaning smokiness. Whether it’s in food or a fragrance, I’ve always gravitated toward that smoky feeling. And the first thing I noticed was how wonderful the smokiness was,” he said.
It was also a hit among the cast. “I started pouring shots for everybody,” Kravitz recalled. “Everybody was digging it.” One of the film’s stars, Cheech Marin, even mixed the spirit with different juices and fruits until they finished the liquor.
Turns out the mysterious liquid was sotol, which comes from Mexico’s Chihuahuan Dessert. Kravitz knew he had to learn more about it. Soon enough, he made his way to Chihuahua where he met with fourth-generation sotol maker Maestro Vinatero Don Eduardo Arrieta. They became friends and struck a partnership.
“I hung out in Chihuahua and I spent time watching the whole process, talking with them, learning, getting my education. Then I became partners with them,” the singer said. He later added, “These folks that I met have been doing this for generations. It’s something that they’re really proud of. It’s their culture, it’s their art form.”
Meanwhile, after working on the film together, Kravitz and Lopez may just collaborate again in the future. After all, it seems the two co-stars have become quite close. Kravitz even gave Lopez’s young teen, Emme Muñiz, private guitar lessons for their (Lopez announced that Muñiz prefers gender-neutral pronouns) 13th birthday.
