Lopez Seeks Enlightenment After Working With Sage Gere

Jennifer Lopez is considering studying Buddhism after working with devout celebrity Buddhist Richard Gere on the set of her new movie Shall We Dance.

12:30 05 October 2004

Jennifer Lopez is considering studying Buddhism after working with devout celebrity Buddhist Richard Gere on the set of her new movie Shall We Dance. Lopez, who grew up a devout Catholic, admits she was impressed with her co-star's attitude towards spirituality and his ability to say the right thing at the right time. And now she's planning to look at the belief system adopted by Gere and Tina Turner among others. She says, "I would say to Richard, 'God, I'm always worried about being so strong.' He said, 'Maybe it's time to be strong in a different way.' "I just remember that one thing on the set and I've thought about it often since then. He didn't say, 'You need to convert,' but he did give me some good advice. "Now I kind of like to read books on spiritual philosophies like The Power Of Now. It's complicated and it makes you think. "I've also explored on my own with different spiritual philosophies. I use what works for me but I do pray a lot and I know that there's a force in the world; there's an energy that if you put out good and you put out love that it comes back to you. "I think that's a pretty simple and basic thing to follow that works for me."