Jennifer Lopez used new action film as therapy amid divorce drama

Jennifer Lopez will always have a special place in her heart for her new action movie Parker - because it allowed her to act out her emotions following her marriage split.

The actress/singer had no idea how she'd portray a woman struggling through the pain of a divorce when she signed up to star opposite Jason Statham in the film - because she was still happily married to Marc Anthony at the time.

But when it came to shoot the movie, Lopez didn't have to dig too deep to find her character.

She tells news show Extra, "The timing was crazy because when they offered me the role it hadn't happened. So I was kind of just thinking about the character and that she was at the worst time in her life.

"But, when we actually started shooting the film, I was in the worst time of my life, one of the worst times in my life. You know, going through my own divorce."

And the film provided her with a chance to release the heavy emotions she was trying to hide from her children.

She explains, "When you have kids and you go through something like that, you can't show them what you're going through, you know. So you have to be so strong all day... and when you're working you have to be professional all day.

"In front of the camera, I got to act like how I felt... It was like therapy for me."