Table of Biography
Mario Lopez is an American actor and entertainment journalist who has appeared in many television series, films, and on Broadway. Mario Lopez is also known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater in Saved by the Bell and Savel by the Bell: The College Years.
Early Life and Childhood
Mario Lopez was born on October 10th, 1973 in San Diego, California. He is the son of a telephone clerk, Elvira, and a worker of the municipality of National City Mario Sr. Lopez.
He was even a member of a large Catholic family. Mario belongs to the American nationality. He is 47 years old.
Caption: Mario posing for a photo with his father and son (Source: Instagram)
Mario attended Chula Vista High School. He used to wrestle for the school in the state of California. In 1992, he graduated and participated in the wrestling tournament.
Body Measurements
Mario Lopez has a height of 5ft 9 inches. He has dark brown eyes and black hair.
Social Media
Mario is active on social sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He has around 887,138 followers on Facebook, 1.7M followers on Instagram, and 25.8K followers on Twitter.
Professional Life
Lopez started his career in 1984 when he appeared in the short-lived ABC comedy series a.k.a Pablo as a younger brother Tomas.
He also worked with Kids Incorporated a kids’ show as a drummer in the same year. Moreover, he also made several TV appearances.
In 1989, Mario was cast as A.C. Slater in the sitcom Saved by the Bell. In addition, he also hosted a game show Masters of the Maze, and a reality series Name Your Adventure.
He also appeared in Killing Mr. Griffin and Fever Lake movies. Mario played a role in Breaking the Surface in 1997 which earned him significant recognition from both viewers and critics.
Caption: Mario in a private photo shoot at Ron Wolfson’s Studio on June 17, 1990
Mario Lopez was featured in Pacific Blue as an undercover officer in the following year. In 1998, he also co-hosted Miss Teen USA 1998.
Mario also hosted the 2002 talent show, Second Chance: America’s Most Talented Senior. He acted in Outta Time and also helped produce it. The following year, he hosted Miss Teen USA in 2003.
Mario was already very famous for his acting and TV-hosting career. However, 2006 was his turning point. He participated in the Dancing with the Stars show and became a runner-up.
In the same year, he was featured in the popular series The Bold and the Beautiful. Mario also hosted America’s Best Dance Crew and Extra in 2008.
He also appeared in the musical A Chorus Line which marked his debut Broadway role. Thus, in 2011, he became the host of the ON With Mario Lopez radio show.
In 2020, he appeared in The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia in a recurring role. He is also a co-creator and executive producer.
Likewise, he appeared in the main role in Saved by the Bell as A.C.
Books
In 2008, Mario published his first book named Mario Knockout Fitness. He published his second book Extra Lean in 2010.
This is a cookbook that became a bestseller’s book. Moreover, he also released a children’s book named Mario and Baby Gia in 2011. In the following year, he published his second cookbook Extra Lean Family.
Mario Lopez – Achievements
Mario Lopez won the Young Artist Award in 1989 in the category of Best Young Actor in an Official Primetime Series for his role in Saved by the Bell.
Moreover, in 1994, he also won a Young Artist Award in the category Outstanding Youth Host in a TV Magazine, News or Variety Show for hosting the reality show Name Your Adventure.
In addition, he also won People magazine’s Hottest Bachelor in 2008.
Mario Lopez – Net Worth 2024
Mario has an estimated net worth of around $20 million and earns around $6 million per year as a salary. He has earned that sum of money from his professional career.
Relationship Status
Mario Lopez dated Ali Landry for six years. The couple married in April 2004. However, after two weeks, they annulled the marriage.
Ali found out that Mario was unfaithful to her during his bachelor party just a few days before their wedding.
After that incident, Mario started dating Karina Smirnoff, a professional dancer in 2008. The relationship did not last long either.
Thus, he began a relationship with Courtney Mazza, a Broadway dancer, producer, and actress. Later in December 2012, the couple exchanged their wedding vows.
The couple has a daughter Gia Francesca, born in 2010, and a son Dominic, born in 2013.
In January 2019, they announced her pregnancy with their third child, and in July 2019, Lopez announced the birth of a son on social media.
According to Mario, his first kiss was Fergie. The two were briefly together while they were both on the show Kids Incorporated.
He has stated that he is Catholic and goes to church every week. In March 2018, he underwent baptism by immersion at the Jordan River, which was administered by a Catholic priest.
Moreover, he is a proponent of health and fitness and was the cover feature for the November 2013 issue of FitnessRX For Men magazine.
To complement his fitness regime, he is a boxer and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he began training in early 2017 and received his blue belt in February 2018 under Professor Robert Hill of Gracie Barra Glendale.
Caption: Mario with his wife Courtney, and children, Gia and Dominic, during National Caramel Day on April 5, 2018
Scandals
On July 31, 2019, Mario said that he thinks it’s “dangerous” for parents to allow 3-year-olds to make major life decisions about their gender and sexuality.
This statement was supported by conservatives and criticism by liberals. Thus, just hours later he apologized for the insensitivity and ignorance of his comments.
Moreover, Mario was also accused of date rape in 1993 but prosecutors found no evidence to support the allegation and the case was dropped.