California Official Visitor's Guide 2018 - 29

Television host and actor
Mario Lopez shares his favorite
Golden State memories and mustsees for families like his own

California
Dreamer
By Amy Spencer

ario Lopez fondly recalls
the family trips he took as
a child-to see the woods
and waterfalls of Yosemite,
and the redwood trees in
Northern California-but one excursion stands
out: Universal Studios Hollywood. "I remember
going as a kid," says the actor and television
host, 44. "I always loved TV and film, so the
tram ride where you learn about where everything was made, and about the studio jobs and
all that stuff? I loved that."
Life has taken this California dreamer full
circle, right back to Universal Studios, where
he films his celebrity entertainment TV show
Extra five days a week. And the fact that he
now works at the center of all that magic he
looked up to as a boy? "It doesn't get old,"
Lopez says with some amazement, humbled
by the path he's taken through California-
which formed his roots and paved his way. For
awhile he may have traveled far in his career
since he was a boy, in his heart he has always
stayed close to home.

Lopez was born in Chula Vista, Calif.,
halfway between downtown San Diego and the
Mexican border. "You can't do much better as
far as geography and people and the beaches
and the climate," he says. "I'm a child of immigrants," adds Lopez, speaking of his Mexicanborn parents. "I had very blue-collar folks."
His father, also named Mario, who worked for
the city street department, and his mother,
Elvia, who worked for the phone company, still
live in his hometown, where they raised him
and his sister Marissa. And Lopez is grateful to
have been raised among the strong MexicanAmerican influences that thrive in California
today. "It's part of the culture, it's part of the
beauty, and it wouldn't be California without
that flavor," he says.
Bitten by the acting bug at an early age,
Lopez earned his first recurring role at age 11
on the comedy series a.k.a. Pablo, followed by
a collection of spots and guest appearances on
popular sitcoms. When he auditioned for Saved
by the Bell as a teenager, he walked in with a
confident approach he believes earned him

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2018