Biography
Born in California, George Lopez performs as a standup comedian, actor, writer, and producer whose candid observational humor draws directly from his Mexican-American background. Ranked among the most successful comedians of his era and among the most prominent Latino figures in U.S. television history, he has led four series that carry his name: the sitcom George Lopez, which ran from 2002 to 2007, the late-night program Lopez Tonight, broadcast from 2009 to 2011, and the sitcoms Saint George in 2014 and Lopez from 2016 to 2017. Additional screen credits include numerous films, among them voice roles in the animated franchises The Smurfs, Rio, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. As a touring comedian whose work earned Grammy nominations, he issued the comedy albums and specials Team Leader in 2003, America's Mexican in 2007, and Tall, Dark & Chicano in 2009.
George Lopez entered the world in Los Angeles during April 1961. His grandparents raised him amid economic hardship in the Mission Hills section of the San Fernando Valley, supplying the childhood and family experiences, along with related social and political themes, that anchor much of his standup material. After sharpening his skills onstage throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he produced depictions that, like the reenactments of his hero Richard Pryor, connected with wide audiences. Roughly a decade spent on the national comedy circuit preceded the 1996 release of his debut album, Alien Nation, issued by Uproar Entertainment; the project expanded his following while he maintained a steady club schedule. By the time he delivered his second album, Right Now Right Now, through Oglio Records in 2001, actress Sandra Bullock had contacted him about creating a television series drawn from his comedy. Serving as co-writer, co-executive producer, and star, he saw George Lopez, also known as The George Lopez Show, debut on ABC in March 2002.
His third comedy album, Team Leader, appeared in 2003 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. The following year brought the Showtime concert special Why You Crying?, which shared its title with the autobiography he published via Touchstone/Fireside (Simon & Schuster). In April 2005 he underwent a kidney transplant donated by his then-wife, actress and producer Ann Serrano, and later used his series to discuss kidney disease and increase public awareness. Guest appearances during the same period included episodes of Freddie, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as roles in the comedy films Real Women Have Curves in 2002, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 2005, and Balls of Fury in 2007. The 2006 album El Mas Chingon became his first entry on the Billboard 200 and reached number three on the Comedy Albums chart. George Lopez concluded its six-season run with a final episode in May 2007.
Back-to-back Grammy nominations followed for the HBO specials America's Mexican in 2007 and Tall, Dark & Chicano in 2008, both released by Comedy Central Records and each peaking at number two on the Billboard comedy chart. He supplied the voice of Papi for Beverly Hills Chihuahua in 2008 and later reprised the role for the direct-to-video sequels Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 in 2011 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! in 2012. Lopez Tonight, his late-night series on TBS, premiered in November 2009 and continued for two seasons. The HBO special It's Not Me, It's You, recorded at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, aired in July 2012, while a return to scripted television came with the ten-episode FX sitcom Saint George in 2014. Film contributions in that span encompassed voice work in The Smurfs in 2011, Rio in 2011, The Smurfs 2 in 2012, and Rio 2 in 2014.
He resumed a cable presence in 2016 with Lopez, a semi-autobiographical single-camera sitcom on TV Land that followed a successful stand-up comedian navigating fame while remaining connected to his origins; the series lasted two seasons. The HBO special The Wall, taped at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., after the Trump inauguration, captured his standup in August 2017. Following a digital release one month later, the project received a physical-format edition from 800 Pound Gorilla Records/Warner Music in 2018.
George Lopez entered the world in Los Angeles during April 1961. His grandparents raised him amid economic hardship in the Mission Hills section of the San Fernando Valley, supplying the childhood and family experiences, along with related social and political themes, that anchor much of his standup material. After sharpening his skills onstage throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he produced depictions that, like the reenactments of his hero Richard Pryor, connected with wide audiences. Roughly a decade spent on the national comedy circuit preceded the 1996 release of his debut album, Alien Nation, issued by Uproar Entertainment; the project expanded his following while he maintained a steady club schedule. By the time he delivered his second album, Right Now Right Now, through Oglio Records in 2001, actress Sandra Bullock had contacted him about creating a television series drawn from his comedy. Serving as co-writer, co-executive producer, and star, he saw George Lopez, also known as The George Lopez Show, debut on ABC in March 2002.
His third comedy album, Team Leader, appeared in 2003 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. The following year brought the Showtime concert special Why You Crying?, which shared its title with the autobiography he published via Touchstone/Fireside (Simon & Schuster). In April 2005 he underwent a kidney transplant donated by his then-wife, actress and producer Ann Serrano, and later used his series to discuss kidney disease and increase public awareness. Guest appearances during the same period included episodes of Freddie, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as roles in the comedy films Real Women Have Curves in 2002, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 2005, and Balls of Fury in 2007. The 2006 album El Mas Chingon became his first entry on the Billboard 200 and reached number three on the Comedy Albums chart. George Lopez concluded its six-season run with a final episode in May 2007.
Back-to-back Grammy nominations followed for the HBO specials America's Mexican in 2007 and Tall, Dark & Chicano in 2008, both released by Comedy Central Records and each peaking at number two on the Billboard comedy chart. He supplied the voice of Papi for Beverly Hills Chihuahua in 2008 and later reprised the role for the direct-to-video sequels Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 in 2011 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! in 2012. Lopez Tonight, his late-night series on TBS, premiered in November 2009 and continued for two seasons. The HBO special It's Not Me, It's You, recorded at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, aired in July 2012, while a return to scripted television came with the ten-episode FX sitcom Saint George in 2014. Film contributions in that span encompassed voice work in The Smurfs in 2011, Rio in 2011, The Smurfs 2 in 2012, and Rio 2 in 2014.
He resumed a cable presence in 2016 with Lopez, a semi-autobiographical single-camera sitcom on TV Land that followed a successful stand-up comedian navigating fame while remaining connected to his origins; the series lasted two seasons. The HBO special The Wall, taped at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., after the Trump inauguration, captured his standup in August 2017. Following a digital release one month later, the project received a physical-format edition from 800 Pound Gorilla Records/Warner Music in 2018.
Albums
Singles
