Ben Affleck praises 'spectacular' performance by Jennifer Lopez in 'Unstoppable'

Jennifer Lopez is getting kudos from her soon-to-be ex-husband, Ben Affleck.

The actor praised his ex's performance in her upcoming movie "Unstoppable," calling her performance "spectacular."

Affleck made the comments to Entertainment Tonight while promoting his new film "Small Things Like These" with Matt Damon; the actors' company, Artists Equity, produced the film that also stars Jharrel Jerome, Don Cheadle and Michael Peña.

Affleck said the movie is "another one that we're really, really proud of."

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend ELLE's Women In Hollywood Celebration at Nya Studios on Dec. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend ELLE's Women In Hollywood Celebration at Nya Studios on Dec. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Lopez slays on Toronto red carpet, brings 'sass' to 'Unstoppable' role

"'Unstoppable' is a very different movie than this, but in a way, it's similarly rooted in the passion of really talented artists," he said. "(Director) Billy Goldenberg and Jennifer and Don Cheadle and Jharrel and Bobby Cannavale, all were really passionate about this film."

In the biopic, Jerome plays Anthony Robles, a real-life wrestler born with one leg, while Lopez plays his mother, Judy Robles. Cannavale plays Rick Robles, while Peña and Cheadle play coaches Bobby Williams and Shawn Charles, respectively. The film, which premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, is set for a wide release on Prime Video in January.

Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) shares a tearful moment with mom Judy (Jennifer Lopez) in "Unstoppable."
Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) shares a tearful moment with mom Judy (Jennifer Lopez) in "Unstoppable."

Meanwhile, the Cillian Murphy-led "Small Things Like These" is set for a Friday release in select theaters.

Affleck's comments come after Lopez filed for divorce from the actor in August, on the second anniversary of the estranged couple's Georgia wedding ceremony. It was the second marriage for Affleck and the fourth for Lopez. The two were engaged to each other twice: first in 2002, then again in 2021.

In October, the singer opened up for the first time, seemingly, about her breakup in a conversation with comedian Nikki Glaser for Interview magazine. In the cover story, she discussed picking herself back up after her "whole … world exploded."

"There's times when I thought I figured it out, and then life goes, 'Let's send you another thing and see if you fall for it. Let's see if you really have learned that lesson,'" Lopez said, alluding to the breakup. "And I hadn't. I understand that now in a much deeper way, which doesn't mean that I won’t make mistakes in the future, but again, when your whole house blows up, you're standing there in the rubble going, 'How do I not ever let that happen again?'"

Contributing: KiMi Robinson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jennifer Lopez's ex Ben Affleck praises her 'Unstoppable' performance