Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez was honored Thursday with the 2,500th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, joined by celebrities including Jane Fonda and watched by screaming fans.
“I really am overwhelmed,” she said at the ceremony on Tinseltown’s star-studded sidewalk, a tourist favorite. “This all feels, I don’t know, kind of surreal, but so real. It’s awesome.”
US rapper Pitbull and Nigel Lythgoe, former executive producer on “American Idol” on which Lopez was a judge, were also on hand, as well as Gregory Nava, who directed Lopez in 1997′s “Selena.”
“She should have an entire block of stars,” said Fonda, who co-starred with Lopez in “Monster-in-Law” in 2005, adding: “In my opinion, she’s only scratched the surface of what she’s capable of.”
Nava called her “the hardest worker I have ever known,” and recalled how Lopez told him: “Greg, I’m going to become the first Latina superstar. I’m going to have a number-one movie and a number-one record at the same time.”
“And I said, ‘Impossible, nobody does that.’ Yeah. Impossible for everybody but Jennifer.”
Fighting back tears, Lopez thanked the crowd, saying: “I love you, thank you so much for going on this journey with me.
“This landmark moment inspires me to work harder and dream bigger for all that is the future. I hope you feel as I do that it was all worth it, and I hope that I have touched your hearts even in a small way.”
Known to her fans as J.Lo, Lopez made her leading lady movie debut in “Selena,” in 1997 — for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe — and went on to become a Grammy-nominated singer.
Her first studio album, “On the 6,” was released in 1999. She is soon to release her 10th album, possibly in November, according to media reports.
Lopez quit ratings-challenged “American Idol” last year, following fellow judge Steven Tyler out the door, although there have been rumors recently that she might return to the TV talent show.