I first saw Mario Lopez on March 14, 1987, on an episode of
The Golden Girls He played one of Dorothy's students who is in danger of being deported to Mexico. He was fourteen years old, but he already had the hair, the dimples, and the impish smile that made you want to smile back. It was impossible to be in a bad mood while looking at that smile.
The beefcake came later -- when Mario played A.C. Slater, the sullen working-class athlete who paired with smooth-talking operator Zack Morris on
Saved by the Bell and
Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1989-1993). Why wasn't his character Hispanic? Because nearly the only Hispanic characters on tv had names like Drug Dealer #1.
Mario broke away from teen hunk-types with the homoerotic (but gay-free) horror movie
The Journey: Absolution (1997). His character was not Hispanic.
In 1997, he played gay athlete Greg Louganis in
Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. Playing a gay character was quite brave in the 1990s; Hollywood insiders warned that it would end his career.
But he went on to play Dr. Mike Hamoui on
Nip/Tuck (2008-2010), getting naked in the shower room and causing unexplainable longings in the ostensibly heterosexual plastic surgeons.
And lots more. I could post a thousand beefcake photos of Mario Lopez, but really, there aren't many people in the world who aren't familiar with his physique. It's the most photographed in Hollywood. Maybe that's why he has been mostly playing himself lately.
But I'm still fixated on that smile. Has anyone ever seen Mario not smiling, except when he's acting on screen? He even smiles at the papparazzi who follow him on his morning jogs.
For that matter, has Mario ever said a bad word about anyone? Has anyone ever said a bad word about him? (Ok, I criticized him for
making a heterosexist statement on his website, but he has certainly made up for it by being a long-term gay ally.)
He's on lots of lists of "Hottest Celebrities," just below Adam Devine, but he probably should be on the list of "Nicest Celebrities," too.
Gemstone connection: Both Mario and Tony Cavalero have cooked with Corey B.
In case you haven't seen them for awhile, there are some Mario butts and bulges (and maybe one dick) after the break.