Mario Lopez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mario Lopez
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Lopez in 2023
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| Born | October 10, 1973 Chula Vista, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Kailee Wong (brother-in-law) |
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is a famous American actor and television host. You might know him as A.C. Slater from the TV show Saved by the Bell. He has been in many TV shows and movies. He has also hosted popular shows like Extra and Access Hollywood. Mario Lopez also hosted America's Best Dance Crew for MTV.
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Mario Lopez's Early Life and Family
Mario Lopez was born on October 10, 1973, in Chula Vista, California. His parents, Elvira and Mario, came to the U.S. from Mexico. Mario grew up in a Catholic family. His younger sister, Marissa, is married to a former NFL player named Kailee Wong.
Mario was a very talented child. He started dancing when he was just three years old! He learned tap and jazz. He also did tumbling, karate, and wrestling at his local Boys and Girls Club. In high school, he was on the wrestling team. He graduated from Chula Vista High School in 1991.
Mario Lopez's Career in Entertainment
Mario Lopez was discovered by a talent agent when he was 10 years old. This happened at a dance show. He first appeared in local ads and commercials. Soon after, he started acting on TV.
Acting Roles and TV Shows
Mario began acting in 1984. He played a younger brother named Tomás in the ABC show a.k.a. Pablo. In the same year, he joined Kids Incorporated as a drummer and dancer. He was on that show for three seasons. In 1987, he was a guest star on The Golden Girls. He played a boy named Mario who faced deportation. He also had a small part in the movie Colors in 1988.
In 1989, Mario got his big break. He was cast as A.C. Slater in the Saturday-morning sitcom Saved by the Bell. This show was very popular. He continued playing A.C. Slater in the spin-off Saved by the Bell: The College Years. In 2015, he reunited with his Saved by the Bell co-stars on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In 2020, he played A.C. Slater again in the new Saved by the Bell series on Peacock.
In 1997, Mario starred as Olympic diver Greg Louganis in a TV movie. It was called Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. He also joined the show Pacific Blue as Bobby Cruz for two seasons. Later, he appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful as Dr. Christian Ramirez. He also guest-starred on Nip/Tuck and George Lopez.
In 2006, Mario competed on Dancing with the Stars with his partner Karina Smirnoff. They finished in second place! Mario and his wife Courtney Mazza had a reality show on VH1. It was called Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby. In 2012, he was a reporter for Extra Sesame Street on Sesame Street. In 2020, Mario played Colonel Sanders in a short film called A Recipe for Seduction.
Hosting Many Shows
Mario has hosted many TV shows. In 1992, he hosted Name Your Adventure on NBC. He hosted the entertainment news show Extra for many years. He also hosted the MTV reality shows America's Best Dance Crew and MTV's Top Pop Group.
From 2012 to 2014, he hosted the singing competition The X Factor. He first co-hosted with Khloé Kardashian, then hosted alone. From 2002 to 2005, he hosted the Animal Planet show Pet Star. Mario has also hosted the Miss America pageant several times. In 2019, he started hosting Access Hollywood. In 2024, he began hosting the Game Show Network series Blank Slate.
Stage and Books
In 2008, Mario made his Broadway debut. He played Zach in the musical A Chorus Line.
Mario has also written books. His first book, Mario Lopez Knockout Fitness, came out in 2008. His book Extra Lean became a New York Times bestseller. He also wrote a children's book called Mario and Baby Gia about him and his daughter.
Music Projects
In 2022, Mario helped bring back the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. He oversaw auditions for a project called "Menudo: A New Beginning". In 2023, Menudo released their first song under Mario's guidance, called "Mi Amore".
Mario Lopez's Personal Life
Mario Lopez married actress Ali Landry in 2004, but their marriage ended two weeks later. He later dated dancer Karina Smirnoff.
In 2008, Mario met Broadway dancer Courtney Mazza. They married in Punta Mita, Mexico, on December 1, 2012. They have three children: a daughter named Gia (born 2010) and two sons named Santiago (born 2013) and Dominic (born 2019).
Mario is Catholic and goes to church every week. In 2018, he was baptized in the Jordan River. He is very focused on health and fitness. Mario is also an amateur boxer and has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He started training in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Lopez (actor) para niños
