Lopez, George (1961-…), is a popular American comedian and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of a factory worker husband and father on the television situation comedy “George Lopez” (2002-2007). Lopez draws much of his humor from his experiences growing up in a Mexican American community in Los Angeles.
Lopez was born on April 23, 1961, in Mission Hills, California. Both of his parents had abandoned him by the time he reached the age of 10, and he was then raised by his grandparents. Lopez began performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles in 1979. He started working in motion pictures and television in the 1980’s. His first major film role was in Ski Patrol (1990). In 2000, Lopez began hosting a popular morning radio show in Los Angeles. Around that time, the American actress Sandra Bullock approached Lopez after seeing one of his stand-up comedy shows. She was looking for material for a new Latino-oriented TV show. Bullock helped launch “George Lopez” in 2002 and served as the show’s executive producer. Lopez also starred in the cable television comedy specials Why You Crying? (2005) and America’s Mexican (2007). From 2009 to 2011, he hosted the late-night television variety show “Lopez Tonight.”
Lopez’s other films include Bread and Roses (2000), Real Women Have Curves (2002), The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005), Valentine’s Day (2010), and Spare Parts (2015). He also provided the character voice of a chihuahua in Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008).
Lopez’s comedy albums include Alien Nation (1996), Right Now Right Now (2001), and Team Leader (2003). He wrote the best-selling autobiography Why You Crying? (2004, with Armen Keteyian) and the memoir I’m Not Gonna Lie: And Other Lies You Tell When You Turn 50 (2013).
