GETTING TO KNOW ACTOR MARIO LOPEZ

The announcement that Mario Lopez is playing Col. Sanders in an upcoming mini-movie from Kentucky Fried Chicken and Lifetime should surprise no one who has followed his vast and varied career.

His resume includes everything from appearing on “The Golden Girls” to writing children’s books to Broadway to, this year, helping to host the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And that’s on top of his regular day jobs, which include hosting “Access Hollywood” on TV and “On With Mario Lopez” on the radio.

2020 has also included the debut of a reimagined “Saved by the Bell,” in which he reprises his role as A.C. Slater all grown up. It was just named one of the 10 best TV shows of 2020 by The Los Angeles Times.

“Ironically this has been the busiest year of my life, I think,” Lopez said in a recent interview with the Name Drop San Diego podcast.

He joined hosts Abby Hamblin and Kristy Totten to talk about his childhood, how he got his start in the entertainment business, upcoming projects and where his loyalty lies in the sports world.

On his upbringing in Chula Vista:

I love Chula Vista. My parents still live there. That’s my hometown, and I still consider it home. Obviously a world of difference only being a few hours away

from L.A.

I go back often. Not as often as I’d like, but I go back pretty often. I miss all the mariscos, all my favorite places to eat. I’ll go see the family, but a lot of them come up and visit. But, you know, I was born and raised there. First generation. I went to Chula Vista Junior High and Chula Vista High School.

It’s never left my heart. I’ve got a lot of love for where I’m from and always try to give back and never forget where I’m from, so I can always proudly represent.

On getting into performing:

When I was a kid I was pretty hyper. My mom, I think, her whole deal was to keep me busy and keep me out of trouble in Chula Vista. She put me in dancing, wrestling, theater, karate — I had an afterschool activity every day. When I was about 10, I was at Grossmont High School doing this little dance recital and my mom was approached by a local talent agent after she saw me dance and asked if I would be interested in doing print work and commercials locally there. My mom was like, “Yeah, he reads really well and he’s not shy, so why not?”

So then I just sort of got into it, and once I got into it, I fell in love with it, and the rest is history, as they say.

On the social media whirlwind surrounding “A Recipe for Seduction”:

That was a trip that it had such a strong reaction. A lot of people have played Col. Sanders. It wasn’t like I was the first one — everyone from Reba Mcentire to Rob Lowe. I was honored to get asked because it is an honor to play him. We did like a soap opera kind of spin on it, and people just, I don’t know why, they kind of just freaked out.

I guess they liked it a lot with a soap-y kind of romantic Col. Sanders.

It’s funny, but I’ll take it. I was very flattered. It’s a mini-movie that’s going to premiere this Saturday along with my other holiday film, “Feliz NAVIDAD,” so it will be a double feature.

On why he’s a Los Angeles Dodgers fan despite growing up nearer to the Padres:

When I was a kid, I watched Fernando Valenzuela pitch in the ’81 World Series and I was a little kid and to see a Mexican guy pitching and winning Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award was pretty special for a Mexican kid from Chula Vista, so in that moment I became a Dodgers fan.

I’m not ashamed of that. I felt a connection. I was 9 or 10. That’s why.

Then I’ve been coming [to L.A.] since I was 10, off and on, and when I was 18, I moved here on my own and I happen to live, now, not even 10 minutes from Dodgers Stadium, so I got to a lot of games.