Jennifer Lopez may be playing the part of a woman who conceives twins through artificial insemination in her latest flick The Back-Up Plan, but the views of her character could not be further from her own.

In an interview with the US edition of Elle magazine, the actress and singer admitted to being a traditionalist when it came to family planning and said she would have accepted not having children if she could not conceive.

“I just felt like you don't mess with things like that,” said Lopez.

“Because... when it comes to family and relationships, I'm quite traditional. Just because of the way I was raised.

“And I also believe in God and I have a lot of faith in that, so I just felt like you don't mess with things like that.”

Lopez, who is married to Latin singer Marc Anthony, gave birth naturally to twins Max and Emme nearly two years ago.

“And I guess deep down I really felt like either this is not going to happen for me or it is... And, if it is, it will. And if it's not, it's not going to,” she continued.

Lopez, 40, dismissed the idea that she could not continue with her career as a performer simply because she was married with children, joking that she would probably still be in showbiz when she was 71.

“Everything I wanted before, I want twice as much now. And that doesn't mean material things; it means to explore more, to think more,” she said.

“Being an artist doesn't start because you're 21 and it doesn't end because you're 51. You are who you are until the day you die.”