Mario Lopez
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2009) |
Mario Lopez | |
|---|---|
 Mario Lopez with his co-star from A Chorus Line Jessica Lee Goldyn on August 14, 2008 | |
| Born | Mario Lopez, Jr. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Host |
| Years active | 1984 ─ present |
| Spouse | Ali Landry (2004 - 2004) Annulled |
| Website | http://www.mariolopez.net |
Mario 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.
Early life
Lopez was born in San Diego, the son of Elvia, a telephone clerk, and Mario Lopez, Sr., who worked for the municipality of National City.[1] Lopez was a high school wrestler, and graduated from Chula Vista High School in 1990.[2]
Acting career
Lopez's professional career began in 1985 when he appeared as younger brother Tomás in the short-lived ABC comedy series a.k.a. Pablo.[2] That same year, he was cast as a drummer and dancer on Kids Incorporated. 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 1994, 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.[3] 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.
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 ABC with professional partner Karina Smirnoff who was making her series debut. They finished in second place, losing to the team of Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke.
Hosting duties
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. He has also co-hosted ESPN2's ESPN Hollywood.
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;[4] Miss America in January 2007; 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.
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.
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.[5]
Stage career
Lopez made his Broadway debut on April 15, 2008, in the revival of A Chorus Line in the role of Zach.[6][7]
Personal life
Lopez was briefly married to actress Ali Landry. The marriage was annulled after Landry accused him of infidelity throughout their relationship.[8] He then dated former dancing partner Karina Smirnoff for two years. The couple broke up in June 2008.[9]
In 2007, Lopez became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.[10] Lopez was named People magazine's "Hottest Bachelor" in June 2008.[11]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Chartbusters | Direct-to-video release | |
| 1988 | Colors | Felipe's Friend | |
| 1996 | Depraved | Jessie Mata | |
| Fever Lake | Steve | Direct-to-video release | |
| El Cóndor de oro | BodyGuard2 | ||
| 1997 | The Journey: Absolution | Ryan Murphy | |
| 1999 | Eastside | Antonio Lopez | |
| 2000 | A Crack in the Floor | Lehman | |
| Big Brother Trouble | Coach | ||
| 2002 | Outta Time | David Morales | Alternative titles: The Courier Out of Time |
| King Rikki | Juan Vallejo | Alternative title: The Street King | |
| 2005 | Aloha, Scooby-Doo | Manu Tuiama/Mainland Surfer (Voice) | Direct to video release |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | a.k.a. Pablo | Tomas Del Gato | Unknown episodes |
| Simon & Simon | Roberto | 1 episode | |
| 1984-1986 | Kids Incorporated | Dancer | Unknown episodes |
| 1986 | Kids Incorporated: Rock in the New Year | Dancer | Television special |
| The Deacon Street Deer | Hector | Television movie | |
| Comedy Factory | Johnny Vega | 1 episode | |
| 1987 | The Last Fling | Car Rental Clerk | Television movie |
| The Golden Girls | Mario | 1 episode | |
| 1989-1993 | Saved by the Bell | Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater | 86 episodes |
| 1992 | Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style | A.C. Slater | Television movie |
| 1993 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Ray Sanchez | 1 episode |
| 1993-1994 | Saved by the Bell: The College Years | A.C. Slater | 19 episodes |
| 1994 | Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas | A.C. Slater | Television movie |
| 1994-1996 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | A.C. Slater | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story | Greg Louganis | Television movie |
| Killing Mr. Griffin | Dave Ruggles | Television movie | |
| Union Square | Guillermo | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | USA High | Raphael Banderas | 2 episodes |
| 1998-2000 | Pacific Blue | Police Officer Bobby Cruz | 44 episodes |
| 2000 | Resurrection Blvd. | Ramon Perez | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Cover Me | Lazaro Chaveco | 1 episode |
| Popular | Pablo | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | Eve | Roberto | 1 episode |
| 2004 | The Soluna Project | Antonio | Television movie |
| 2005 | The Bad Girl's Guy | Ricardo | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Mind of Mencia | Carlo's Friend | 1 episode |
| The Bold and the Beautiful | Dr. Christian Ramírez | 49 episodes | |
| Nip/Tuck | Dr. Mike Hamoui | 2 episodes | |
| 2007 | Eight Days a Week | Peter Lee | 1 episode (never aired) |
| George Lopez | Officer Hector Sanchez | 1 episode | |
| Holiday in Handcuffs | David Martin | Television movie | |
| 2008 | Husband for Hire | Marco | Television movie |
| Robot Chicken | A.C. Slater/Borg Employee (Voice) | 1 episode | |
| 2009 | I Get That a Lot | Worked at a hot dog stand | Television special (1 episode) |
References
- ^ Mario Lopez Biography (1973-)
- ^ a b Allis, Tim (1992-11-30). "Saturday's Star". People. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Kroll, Dan J. (2006-07-02). "Lopez's B&B Stay Over". soapcentral.com. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "Mario Lopez to Host Miss Teen USA Pageant". people.com. 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ Twomey, Colin (2006-11-09). "Which Host is Right?". The Harvard Independent. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
- ^ "PHOTO CALL: Mario Lopez Honored with Painting at Tony's Di Napoli". Playbill News.
- ^ Mario Lopez Joins 'A Chorus Line' on April 15 (BroadwayWorld.com)
- ^ Celizic, Mike (June. 18, 2008). "'Hottest Bachelor' Lopez laughs about loincloth pose". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff Split". People Magazine. June 5, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- ^ "Celebrity Friends of RMHC". McDonald's Corporation.
- ^ "PEOPLE's Hottest Bachelor Mario Lopez Talks Dating". People Magazine. June 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
External links
- Official site
- Mario Lopez at IMDb
- Template:Tvtome person
- Interview with Mario Lopez at Vyuz.com
- Vivica A. Fox, Mario Lopez to Appear on "Dancing With the Stars"
- 1973 births
- American child actors
- American infotainers
- American Roman Catholics
- American soap opera actors
- American television actors
- American television personalities
- Actors from California
- Dancing with the Stars (US TV series) participants
- Hispanic American actors
- Living people
- American sports announcers
- Boxing commentators
- Mexican Americans
- People from San Diego, California
- Reality television participants