Mario Lopez

Lopez was married to actress Ali Landry in 2004, but their marriage was annulled two weeks after the ceremony. He married Broadway dancer, actress, and producer Courtney Mazza in 2012, and they have three children, Gia, Dominic, and Santino.

Lopez was raised in a Catholic family and has said that he attends church every week. In 2018, he was baptized by immersion in the Jordan River by a Catholic priest.

Lopez began working professionally as a child after a talent agent discovered him at a dance recital when he was 10. He appeared in local advertisements before making his television debut as Tomás in the ABC comedy series a.k.a. Pablo in 1984. That year, he also became a dancer and drummer on Kids Incorporated, performing on three seasons. He later guest-starred on The Golden Girls and appeared in the film Colors.

In 1989, Lopez was cast as high school athlete A.C. Slater on NBC's Saved by the Bell. The role became his signature performance, and he continued as Slater in Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and the 2020 Peacock sequel series. In 2015, he reunited with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Dennis Haskins, and Tiffani Thiessen for a Saved by the Bell sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

After Saved by the Bell, Lopez played Olympic diver Greg Louganis in the 1997 television film Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. He also played police officer Bobby Cruz on Pacific Blue, Dr. Christian Ramirez on The Bold and the Beautiful, and Dr. Mike Hamoui on Nip/Tuck. His other screen appearances include Eastside, Outta Time, Grease: Live, and the voice role of Zeus the dog in several family films.

Lopez made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Zach in the revival of A Chorus Line. He also executive-produced and appeared in the VH1 reality series Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby, which followed his family life with Courtney Mazza. In 2020, he played Colonel Harlan Sanders in the short film A Recipe for Seduction.

Lopez began hosting television with NBC's Name Your Adventure in 1992. His presenting credits include The Other Half, Pet Star, Masters of the Maze, America's Best Dance Crew, MTV's Top Pop Group, and the Miss America pageant. He also hosted Candy Crush and the Game Show Network program Blank Slate.

He hosted Extra from 2008 to 2019 before moving to Access Hollywood. In 2012, he co-hosted the second season of The X Factor with Khloé Kardashian, then became the show's sole host for its third and final season. Lopez has also hosted the nationally syndicated radio program ON With Mario Lopez and the iHeartRadio Countdown.

Lopez has written fitness and family books, including Mario Lopez Knockout Fitness, Extra Lean, and Extra Lean Family. He also published the children's book Mario and Baby Gia, which centers on his daughter.

He trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu beginning in 2017 and received a blue belt in 2018 and a purple belt in 2022. He has also participated in amateur boxing.

In 2022, Lopez became involved in an effort to revive the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. He oversaw auditions for the project Menudo: A New Beginning, became the group's manager, and was associated with its 2023 single "Mi Amore."