Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez is an American actor and television host born on October 10, 1973. He is widely recognized for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on the television series Saved by the Bell, its spinoff Saved by the Bell: The College Years, and the 2020 sequel series. Over the course of his career, he has appeared in numerous television series, films, stage productions, and nationally syndicated entertainment news shows.

Lopez was raised in a Catholic family in Chula Vista, California, by his parents Elvira Soledad Trasviña and Mario Alberto López Pérez, who both emigrated from Mexico. He began dance training in tap and jazz at age three, and took up tumbling, karate, and wrestling at his local Boys and Girls Club at age seven. While attending Chula Vista High School, Lopez competed on the wrestling team, placing second in the San Diego Section competition and seventh in California during his senior year before graduating in 1991.

Discovered by a talent agent at a dance recital when he was 10 years old, Lopez started his career appearing in local advertisements. In 1984, he made his television acting debut in the comedy series a.k.a. Pablo and joined the cast of Kids Incorporated as a drummer and dancer for three seasons. After guest appearances on shows such as The Golden Girls and a small part in the 1988 film Colors, he secured his breakthrough role as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell in 1989.

Following his early sitcom success, Lopez starred as Olympic diver Greg Louganis in the 1997 television film Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story and played Bobby Cruz on Pacific Blue. He later appeared in daytime and prime-time series including The Bold and the Beautiful, Nip/Tuck, and George Lopez. In 2008, he made his Broadway debut playing Zach in the revival of A Chorus Line. His later acting projects include playing Colonel Sanders in the 2020 short film A Recipe for Seduction and signing a multi-year deal with Great American Media in 2024.

Lopez has also established a prolific career as a television and radio host. He has hosted programs such as Name Your Adventure, Pet Star, MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, the Miss America pageant, and both co-hosted and hosted seasons of The X Factor. After serving as host for the entertainment news show Extra, he transitioned to rival program Access Hollywood in 2019, and in 2024 he began hosting the Game Show Network series Blank Slate. In radio, he launched the syndicated program ON with Mario Lopez in 2012 and later hosted the Hot AC edition of the iHeartRadio Countdown.

In addition to acting and broadcasting, Lopez has published fitness books—including the New York Times bestseller Extra Lean—and a children's book. In 2022, he took on the role of manager to help revive the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Outside of his professional endeavors, Lopez practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu and amateur boxing. He married Courtney Mazza in 2012, with whom he has three children, following a brief marriage to Ali Landry in 2004.