Mario López
Encyclopedia
Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. (born October 10, 1973) is an American
actor
who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway
. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell
, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years
. He has appeared in numerous projects since, including the third season of Dancing with the Stars
and as a celebrity guest host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra
. He currently hosts America's Best Dance Crew
for MTV
.
. He was raised in a large Catholic family with a younger sister Marissa. Lopez was a high school wrestler. In 1987, his freshman year, he took 7th place at the State tournament. He graduated from Chula Vista High School
in 1991.
comedy series a.k.a. Pablo
. That same year, he was cast as a drummer
and dancer on Kids Incorporated
. In March 1987, he was cast as a guest star on the popular sitcom The Golden Girls
as a Cuban boy named Mario who faces deportation. In 1989, Lopez was cast as A.C. Slater in the popular television sitcom Saved by the Bell
, a role which lasted five years. Lopez's character was a masculine, athletic student, helping to garner the actor a sizeable teenage-girl fan base. After Saved by the Bell ended in 1993, Lopez went on to reprise his role as A.C. Slater in the short-lived spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The College Years
.
In 1997, Lopez starred as Olympic diver Greg Louganis
in the television movie Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story
. The following year, he was cast as Bobby Cruz in the USA Network
series Pacific Blue
. Lopez left the series after two seasons and went on to guest star on Resurrection Blvd.
, Eve
, and The Bad Girl's Guide
. In March 2006, Lopez joined the cast of the daytime soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful
playing the role of Dr. Christian Ramirez. On July 18, 2006, he was released from his B&B contract. Later that year, he guest-starred as a plastic surgeon who drives Christian Troy
to jealousy when he sees him naked in the shower in an episode of FX Network's Nip/Tuck
during the show's fourth season, which began in Fall 2006. He also made an appearance on The George Lopez Show as a police officer in late 2006.
Lopez and his girlfriend, Courtney, have a reality show on VH1
called Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby
which premiered on November 1, 2010.
with professional partner and then-girlfriend Karina Smirnoff
who was making her series debut. They finished in second place, losing to the team of Emmitt Smith
and Cheryl Burke
, despite scoring higher than them on average and despite "breaking all the rules" when he broke the hold on both his 2nd and 3rd week during his Quickstep and Tango.
, where teens got to live out their dreams (working at Ben & Jerry's, being a roadie for Richard Marx
, etc.). One adventure involved a boy wanting to be a diver. His wish was fulfilled with Greg Louganis
coaching him. This was the very first time Lopez and Louganis met before the movie.
In 1995, he took over the hosting duties from J.D. Roth
when he became the new host of a kids game show, Masters of the Maze
.
In 2001, Lopez was one of the co-hosts of the syndicated talk show The Other Half
. The Other Half was a male version of the female ensemble talk show The View, featuring four male co-hosts, including Danny Bonaduce
, Dr. Jan Adams, and executive producer, Dick Clark. During the run of The Other Half, Lopez hosted Pet Star
on the Animal Planet
channel from 2002-2005. He has also co-hosted ESPN2
's ESPN Hollywood
In 2003, he hosted America's Most Talented Kid
on NBC. He also did a special episode featuring senior citizens showing their talent (America's Most Talented Senior). When the show switched to Pax, the titles pluralized (America's Most Talented Kids), and he was replaced by Dave Coulier
.
On January 12, 2006, Lopez was announced as a celebrity guest host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra
. His first assignment was covering the Golden Globes. In 2008, he became the permanent weekday host on Extra.
Lopez has also hosted prime time television pageants: Miss Teen USA
in 1998, 2003 and August 2007; Miss America
in January 2007, 2009 and 2010; and Miss Universe
in May 2007, giving him the distinction of being the only individual to have served in hosting capacity for both of the major pageant system organizations. The 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant Lopez hosted became particularly known for Caitlin Upton's
incoherent response to a question posed to her in the final question round of the competition, the video of which became an Internet meme
.
On December 5, 2006, Lopez was a guest speaker for Epcot
's Candlelight Processional.
On March 12, 2007, Lopez auditioned in a not-for-air episode of The Price is Right
to take over for the retiring Bob Barker
.
He also works part time as a boxing analyst for Top Rank
Promotions covering Manny Pacquiao
/Top Rank promoted fights worldwide.
He is currently hosting the MTV reality show America's Best Dance Crew
and MTV's Top Pop Group
. Lopez is both the host (with Carmen Palumbo) and co-executive producer of Sí TV
's Dating Factory.
Lopez has signed a deal with Celsius, a popular calorie-burning functional drink, to be their spokesperson in 2010.
On August 28, 2010, Lopez hosted the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California.
On November 13, 2011, Lopez hosted the Grove Christmas Tree Lighting in Los Angeles.
debut on April 15, 2008, in the revival of A Chorus Line
in the role of Zach.
). A cookbook, Extra Lean, with various recipes followed in early 2010 and became a New York Times
bestseller. A third book, Extra Lean Family, followed in May 2011. He plans to release a children's book entitled "Mario and Baby Gia" which will be released by Celebra Children’s Books (a division of Penguin Books
), on September 27, 2011. The book will be about Lopez and his infant daughter Gia.
on April 24, 2004, in a Catholic ceremony in front of 50 guests at the exclusive Las Alamandas resort outside Puerto Vallarta
, Mexico. Two weeks later their marriage was annulled over alleged infidelities committed by Lopez during the relationship. He dated Karina Smirnoff
, his DWTS partner, from 2006 to June 2008. Since Fall 2008, Lopez has been dating Broadway dancer, Courtney Laine Mazza. In March 2010, it was announced that Lopez and Mazza were expecting a child. The couple's daughter, Gia Francesca Lopez, was born on September 11, 2010, in Burbank, California
.
Lopez identifies himself as a conservative politically.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years is a sequel to the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 14, 1993 to February 8, 1994, lasting one season...
. He has appeared in numerous projects since, including the third season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
and as a celebrity guest host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
. He currently hosts America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Early life
Lopez was born in San Diego, the son of Elvia, a telephone clerk, and Mario Michael Lopez, Sr., who worked for the municipality of National CityNational City, California
National City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
. He was raised in a large Catholic family with a younger sister Marissa. Lopez was a high school wrestler. In 1987, his freshman year, he took 7th place at the State tournament. He graduated from Chula Vista High School
Chula Vista High School
Chula Vista High School in Chula Vista, California, was founded in 1947. It is part of the Sweetwater Union High School District. The school colors are "spartan" blue and white, and the mascot is Sammy Spartan. CVHS underwent a renovation to several classrooms and received a new ASB building in...
in 1991.
Acting career
Born in 1973 Mario Lopez's professional career began in 1984 when he appeared as younger brother Tomás in the short-lived ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy series a.k.a. Pablo
A.k.a. Pablo
a.k.a. Pablo is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from March to April 1984.-Synopsis:Produced by Norman Lear, it focuses on struggling Hispanic stand-up comic Paul Rivera and his large Mexican American family, who still called him by his given name Pablo...
. That same year, he was cast as a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and dancer on Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
. In March 1987, he was cast as a guest star on the popular sitcom The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
as a Cuban boy named Mario who faces deportation. In 1989, Lopez was cast as A.C. Slater in the popular television sitcom Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
, a role which lasted five years. Lopez's character was a masculine, athletic student, helping to garner the actor a sizeable teenage-girl fan base. After Saved by the Bell ended in 1993, Lopez went on to reprise his role as A.C. Slater in the short-lived spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years is a sequel to the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 14, 1993 to February 8, 1994, lasting one season...
.
In 1997, Lopez starred as Olympic diver Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis
Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
in the television movie Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story
Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story
Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story is a 1997 TV-movie about diver Greg Louganis based on the best-selling book Breaking the Surface co-written by Greg Louganis and Eric Marcus that stayed on top of the New York Times Best Seller list for 5 weeks.-Plot:In Seoul, 1988, Greg Louganis hits...
. The following year, he was cast as Bobby Cruz in the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
series Pacific Blue
Pacific Blue (TV series)
Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...
. Lopez left the series after two seasons and went on to guest star on Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd.
Resurrection Blvd. is an American dramatic series which aired on Showtime for three seasons from 2000 to 2002.-Plot:In East Los Angeles, California, the Santiago family has had three generations of boxers within the family. They continue their battle to become boxing champions while struggling with...
, Eve
Eve (TV series)
Eve is an American sitcom starring Eve, Jason Winston George, Ali Landry, Natalie Desselle-Reid, Brian Hooks and Sean Maguire. That aired on the UPN network from September 15, 2003 to May 11, 2006, with 66 episodes produced spanning 3 seasons...
, and The Bad Girl's Guide
The Bad Girl's Guide
The Bad Girl's Guide is an American television program starring Jenny McCarthy, Marcelle Larice, Christina Moore, Stephanie Childers and Johnathan McClain. The series aired on UPN from May 24, 2005 to July 5, 2005....
. In March 2006, Lopez joined the cast of the daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
playing the role of Dr. Christian Ramirez. On July 18, 2006, he was released from his B&B contract. Later that year, he guest-starred as a plastic surgeon who drives Christian Troy
Christian Troy
Dr. Christian Troy is a fictional character played by Julian McMahon on the FX Networks series Nip/Tuck. The show revolves around McNamara/Troy, the plastic surgery practice he runs with his business partner and best friend, Sean McNamara....
to jealousy when he sees him naked in the shower in an episode of FX Network's Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
during the show's fourth season, which began in Fall 2006. He also made an appearance on The George Lopez Show as a police officer in late 2006.
Lopez and his girlfriend, Courtney, have a reality show on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
called Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby
Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby
Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby was a reality series on VH1 about Mario Lopez and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza preparing for the arrival of a baby.-Season 1: 2010-2011:...
which premiered on November 1, 2010.
Dancing with the Stars
In the fall of 2006, Lopez signed on as a contestant on the third season of Dancing with the Stars on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
with professional partner and then-girlfriend Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
who was making her series debut. They finished in second place, losing to the team of Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
and Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Stephanie Burke is a professional dancer. She is best known for being one of the professional dancers on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, where she was the first woman to win the show and the first person to win twice ....
, despite scoring higher than them on average and despite "breaking all the rules" when he broke the hold on both his 2nd and 3rd week during his Quickstep and Tango.
Hosting duties
In 1992, he hosted his first series on NBC called Name Your AdventureName Your Adventure
Name Your Adventure is an American reality series that aired on Saturday mornings during NBC's TNBC line-up. Hosted by Mario Lopez, Jordan Brady, and Tatyana Ali, the series ran from September 1992 to September 1995.-Synopsis:...
, where teens got to live out their dreams (working at Ben & Jerry's, being a roadie for Richard Marx
Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard"...
, etc.). One adventure involved a boy wanting to be a diver. His wish was fulfilled with Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis
Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States....
coaching him. This was the very first time Lopez and Louganis met before the movie.
In 1995, he took over the hosting duties from J.D. Roth
J.D. Roth
James David Weinroth , better known as J.D. Roth, is an American television personality, actor, children's game show host, a voice-over performer on many television programs, and a television producer of reality shows. Roth is currently the announcer and co-creator of the reality show The Biggest...
when he became the new host of a kids game show, Masters of the Maze
Masters Of The Maze
Masters of the Maze is a children's television game show that aired on the Family Channel from August 29, 1994 to September 22, 1996. The first season was hosted by J. D...
.
In 2001, Lopez was one of the co-hosts of the syndicated talk show The Other Half
The Other Half (TV series)
The Other Half was an American daytime talk show which aired on NBC between 2001 and 2003. The show was hosted by music and game show host Dick Clark, former child actors Mario Lopez and Danny Bonaduce, and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams . It was intended as a male counterpart to the popular ABC...
. The Other Half was a male version of the female ensemble talk show The View, featuring four male co-hosts, including Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
, Dr. Jan Adams, and executive producer, Dick Clark. During the run of The Other Half, Lopez hosted Pet Star
Pet Star
Pet Star was a show on Animal Planet hosted by Mario Lopez.The show is a contest between owners and their trained pets who perform tricks. The tricks are graded by three celebrity judges on a scale of one to 10....
on the Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
channel from 2002-2005. He has also co-hosted ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
's ESPN Hollywood
ESPN Hollywood
ESPN Hollywood was a television program that aired on ESPN2 in 2005. The daily 30-minute show was centered on the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds, and was a part of the network's ESPN Original Entertainment programming effort, which was intended to spread the network's...
In 2003, he hosted America's Most Talented Kid
America's Most Talented Kid
America's Most Talented Kid was an American television series that originally aired on NBC on March 28, 2003. In each round, three age groups...
on NBC. He also did a special episode featuring senior citizens showing their talent (America's Most Talented Senior). When the show switched to Pax, the titles pluralized (America's Most Talented Kids), and he was replaced by Dave Coulier
Dave Coulier
David Alan "Dave" Coulier is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, television and voice actor, and television host. He is well-known for his role as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995....
.
On January 12, 2006, Lopez was announced as a celebrity guest host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
. His first assignment was covering the Golden Globes. In 2008, he became the permanent weekday host on Extra.
Lopez has also hosted prime time television pageants: Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
in 1998, 2003 and August 2007; Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
in January 2007, 2009 and 2010; and Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
in May 2007, giving him the distinction of being the only individual to have served in hosting capacity for both of the major pageant system organizations. The 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant Lopez hosted became particularly known for Caitlin Upton's
Caitlin Upton
Lauren Caitlin Upton , also credited as Caite Upton, is an American fashion model and a beauty queen from Lexington, South Carolina. While Miss South Carolina Teen USA, Upton became an Internet meme for her nonsensical response to a pageant question.-Career:Upton became Miss South Carolina Teen...
incoherent response to a question posed to her in the final question round of the competition, the video of which became an Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
.
On December 5, 2006, Lopez was a guest speaker for Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
's Candlelight Processional.
On March 12, 2007, Lopez auditioned in a not-for-air episode of The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
to take over for the retiring Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
.
He also works part time as a boxing analyst for Top Rank
Top Rank
Top Rank may refer to:*Top Rank, Las Vegas based boxing promotion company formed in 1973* Top Rank Records, 1950s subsidiary record label of the Rank Organisation, British company which ran from 1937 to 1996...
Promotions covering Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
/Top Rank promoted fights worldwide.
He is currently hosting the MTV reality show America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
and MTV's Top Pop Group
MTV's Top Pop Group
MTV's Top Pop Group was a competition consisting of nine pop groups looking to be the next Top pop group. The show aired on MTV and was hosted by Mario Lopez. The judges were Brian Friedman , Michelle Williams and Taboo...
. Lopez is both the host (with Carmen Palumbo) and co-executive producer of Sí TV
Sí TV
NuvoTV is an English-language cable network that caters to the bicultural Latino population of the United States. Programming includes lifestyle, reality, comedy, and more...
's Dating Factory.
Lopez has signed a deal with Celsius, a popular calorie-burning functional drink, to be their spokesperson in 2010.
On August 28, 2010, Lopez hosted the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California.
On November 13, 2011, Lopez hosted the Grove Christmas Tree Lighting in Los Angeles.
Stage career
Lopez made his BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut on April 15, 2008, in the revival of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
in the role of Zach.
Books
Lopez has published two non-fictional books so far. The first one, Mario Lopez Knockout Fitness, was published in 2008 and written together with Jeff O'Connell (who had previously written a fitness book with LL Cool JLL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
). A cookbook, Extra Lean, with various recipes followed in early 2010 and became a New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
bestseller. A third book, Extra Lean Family, followed in May 2011. He plans to release a children's book entitled "Mario and Baby Gia" which will be released by Celebra Children’s Books (a division of Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
), on September 27, 2011. The book will be about Lopez and his infant daughter Gia.
Personal life
Lopez claims himself to be a committed Catholic. He married Ali LandryAli Landry
Ali Germaine Landry is a former Miss USA , model and actress. She is perhaps best known as the Doritos Girl from her 1998 Super Bowl commercial, and for her portrayal of Rita Lefleur on the UPN sitcom Eve. In 1998, she was named by People magazine as one of 50 most beautiful people in the world.-...
on April 24, 2004, in a Catholic ceremony in front of 50 guests at the exclusive Las Alamandas resort outside Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
, Mexico. Two weeks later their marriage was annulled over alleged infidelities committed by Lopez during the relationship. He dated Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
, his DWTS partner, from 2006 to June 2008. Since Fall 2008, Lopez has been dating Broadway dancer, Courtney Laine Mazza. In March 2010, it was announced that Lopez and Mazza were expecting a child. The couple's daughter, Gia Francesca Lopez, was born on September 11, 2010, in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
.
Lopez identifies himself as a conservative politically.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1984–1986 | Kids Incorporated Kids Incorporated Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline.... |
Mario | TV |
| 1986 | Chartbusters | Direct-to-video release | |
| The Deacon Street Deer | Hector | TV movie | |
| 1987 | The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida... |
Mario | 1987 (1 episode) |
| 1987 | The Last Fling | Car rental clerk | TV movie |
| 1988 | Colors Colors (film) Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,... |
Felipe's Friend | |
| 1989 | Saved by the Bell Saved by the Bell Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell... |
A.C. Slater | 1989-1993 (87 episodes) |
| 1992 | Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style is a 1992 made-for-TV movie based on the television series Saved by the Bell and featured the regular cast of that series.-Synopsis:... |
A.C. Slater | TV movie |
| 1993 | Saved by the Bell: The College Years Saved by the Bell: The College Years Saved by the Bell: The College Years is a sequel to the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 14, 1993 to February 8, 1994, lasting one season... |
A.C. Slater | 1993-1994 (19 episodes) |
| 1994 | Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas is the series finale for the original Saved by the Bell series. It was presented as a two hour television movie that originally aired on NBC in 1994. When aired in syndication, it is commonly split into two double length episodes... |
A.C. Slater | TV movie |
| 1995 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise... |
A.C. Slater | "Goodbye, Bayside Part 2" |
| 1996 | Depraved | Jessie Mata | |
| Fever Lake Fever Lake Fever Lake is a 1996 horror film starring Corey Haim, Mario López and Bo Hopkins.-Plot summary:A group of teenagers visit a lake with intentions to spend the weekend there... |
Steve | Direct-to-video release | |
| Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise... |
A.C. Slater | "Fire at the Max Part 2" | |
| El Cóndor de oro | BodyGuard2 | ||
| 1997 | Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story is a 1997 TV-movie about diver Greg Louganis based on the best-selling book Breaking the Surface co-written by Greg Louganis and Eric Marcus that stayed on top of the New York Times Best Seller list for 5 weeks.-Plot:In Seoul, 1988, Greg Louganis hits... |
Greg Louganis Greg Louganis Gregory "Greg" Efthimios Louganis is an American Olympic diver and author.He received the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union in 1984 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.... |
TV movie |
| The Journey: Absolution | Ryan Murphy | ||
| Killing Mr. Griffin Killing Mr. Griffin Killing Mr. Griffin is a novel for young adults by Lois Duncan.It is about a group of teenage students at Del Norte High School who plan to kidnap their strict English teacher, Mr. Griffin. The book was adapted to film in 1997, sharing the same title as the book, starring Jay Thomas, Mario Lopez,... |
Dave Ruggles | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Eastside | Antonio Lopez | |
| 2000 | A Crack in the Floor A Crack in the Floor A Crack in the Floor is a horror movie directed by Sean Stanek and Corby Timbrook.- Plot :For the past 33 years Jeremiah Hill has lived alone, with no contact with the outside world, and he intends to keep it that way... |
Lehman | |
| Big Brother Trouble Big Brother Trouble Big Brother Trouble is a 2000 American G-rated comedy film directed by Rafe M. Portilo. It had a limited release and grossed less than US$600,000.00. It was released on video in 2003.-Cast:* Mario Lopez - Coach* Corey Ralston - Soccer Player... |
Coach | ||
| 2002 | Outta Time | David Morales | Alternative titles: The Courier Out of Time |
| King Rikki King Rikki King Rikki is a 2002 drama film starring Jon Seda, Mario López, Tonantzin Carmelo and Timothy Paul Perrez. This film was based on the play Richard III by William Shakespeare... |
Juan Vallejo | Alternative title: The Street King | |
| 2004 | The Soluna Project | Antonio | TV movie |
| 2005 | Aloha, Scooby-Doo! Aloha, Scooby-Doo! Aloha, Scooby-Doo! is the eighth of a series of direct-to-video animated films based upon the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons. It was released on February 8, 2005, and it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation, though it featured a copyright and logo for Hanna-Barbera Cartoons at the end... |
Manu Tuiama/Mainland Surfer (Voice) | Direct to video release |
| 2006 | Unaccompanied Minors Unaccompanied Minors Unaccompanied Minors is a 2006 comedy film directed by Paul Feig and starring Dyllan Christopher, Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Brett Kelly, Gina Mantegna, and Quinn Shephard. Unaccompanied Minors has been rated PG by the MPAA for "mild rude humor and language"... |
Substitute Minors watcher | Film |
| 2006–2010 | Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy... |
Dr. Mike Hamoui | TV |
| 2007 | George Lopez (TV series) George Lopez (TV series) "The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez... |
Police Officer | 2007 (1 episode) |
| 2007 | Holiday in Handcuffs Holiday in Handcuffs Holiday in Handcuffs is an American television movie that originally aired on ABC Family on December 9, 2007, as a part of the network's 25 Days of Christmas programming block. The film stars Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post and Timothy Bottoms.... |
David Martin | TV movie |
| 2008 | Husband for Hire Husband for Hire Husband for Hire is a 2008 comedy television film that premiered on Oxygen Network on January 24, 2008. Husband for Hire was written and directed by Kris Isacsson, and it starred Nadine Velazquez, Tempestt Bledsoe, Mark Consuelos, Erik Estrada and Mario López.- Cast :- Synopsis :Lola attempts to... |
Marco | TV movie |
| 2009 | The Dog Who Saved Christmas The Dog Who Saved Christmas The Dog Who Saved Christmas is a TV movie starring Dean Cain, Gary Valentine and the voice of Mario López. It was written by childhood friends Michael Ciminera and Richard Gnolfo, and premiered on ABC Family on November 29, 2009 during their Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas programming block... |
Zeus the Dog (voice) | TV movie |
| 2008 - Present | America's Best Dance Crew America's Best Dance Crew America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV... |
Himself | MTV |
| 2010 | Get Him to the Greek Get Him to the Greek Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director... |
Himself | |
| 2010–2011 | Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby Mario Lopez: Saved By the Baby was a reality series on VH1 about Mario Lopez and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza preparing for the arrival of a baby.-Season 1: 2010-2011:... |
Himself | VH1 (reality show) |
| 2010 | The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation The Dog who Saved Christmas Vacation The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation is a 2010 sequel to the ABC Family 2009 movie The Dog Who Saved Christmas. The movie stars Paris Hilton and Mario Lopez. It premiered on ABC Family on November 28, 2010 during the Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas programming block.-Plot:The movie starts off... |
Zeus the Dog (voice) | ABC Family TV Film, Sequel to The Dog Who Saved Christmas |
| 2011 | Honey 2 Honey 2 Honey 2 is a dance film which follows the 2003 film Honey. It stars Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Lonette McKee and Audrina Patridge... |
Himself | Film |
| 2011 | H8R H8R H8R is an American television series for The CW Television Network. The hour-long series, hosted by Mario Lopez, premiered Wednesday, September 14, 2011... |
Himself | Host |
| 2011 | The Talk The Talk The Talk may refer to:*A discussion of sexuality given to children, also euphemistically referred to as "the birds and the bees".*An episode of Mortified called "The Talk", about a teen attempting to avoid the above discussion.... |
Himself | Guest |
External links
- Mario Lopez at ExtraTV.comExtra (TV series)Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
- Mario Lopez on VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
- Interview with Mario Lopez at Vyuz.com
- Vivica A. Fox, Mario Lopez to Appear on "Dancing With the Stars"