Checking in with MARIO LOPEZ

For Mario Lopez, hosting the new CBS game show “Candy Crush” starting Sunday, July 9, is just a natural extension of what he already does.

“Well, I love games; I’m a big game guy,” the 43-year-old actor and presenter explains, “whether it’s game boards or just (having) a game night at my house. And I’ve been on all the game shows on TV and just a huge fan generally speaking and was a fan of (the mobile game) ‘Candy Crush’ and thought it would be a lot of fun.

“It’s family entertainment and there’s no better feeling than giving away money to people. So I wanted to give it a shot and people had a great time on it . ... But what I discovered was some of the other people that I know are playing it, people from like hardcore guys at my boxing gym to highlevel executives. It was very surprising.”

In the TV incarnation of “Crush,” players compete on enormous, interactive game boards, trying to match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles and progress through more than 2,000 levels. The competitor who advances the farthest is crowned champion.

“I like the competition factor,” Lopez says, “and people that were so passionate about the game. And you get to team up, whether it’s with your son or significant other, a parent, whatever the case may be – you get an opportunity to win $100,000 every week, so that was fun giving that away, seeing people’s lives change.” Name: Mario Lopez Jr. Birth date: Oct. 10, 1973 Birthplace: San Diego Family ties: He and wife Courtney are parents of daughter Gia, 6, and son Dominic, 3 TV credits include: “Simon & Simon,” “a.k.a. Pablo,” “Kids Incorporated,” “”The Golden Girls,“”Saved by the Bell,“”Saved by the Bell: The College Years,“”Pacific Blue,“”The Bold and the Beautiful,“”George Lopez,“”Robot Chicken“(voice), ”Extra,“”Nip/ Tuck,“”The Chica Show,“”Nashville,“”NCIS: New Orleans,“”General Hospital,“”Mario Lopez: One on One,“”Celebrity Name Game“