How Mayan Lopez’s TV show helps her reconnect with her dad, comedian George Lopez
Anyone searching for evidence that the comedy gene is passed on from parents to children should tune in the freshman NBC sitcom “Lopez vs. Lopez,” which has been renewed for a second season. In the series — loosely based on the TikTok videos of comedian George Lopez’s daughter, Mayan Lopez — a young woman reconnects with her once-estranged father and experiences the difficulties and joys of her dysfunctional family life. Her father co-stars.
“I know that I’m very lucky, and I’ve had the unique perspective of seeing my father’s career from a time when he was just on the radio and doing stand-up shows,” the 27-year-old writer, actor and executive producer says during a recent Zoom chat. “There were times when my parents couldn’t pay their bills on time. I was only 5 years old when his show [‘George Lopez’] went on the air. I was on the set all the time, because sometimes that was the only way I could see him. My mom is also a producer and a casting director, so I fell in love with the industry, and I was able to learn a lot. I saw how hard my parents worked. He was one of the few Latino comedians working at the time, and he carved out a space for himself. So, he provided quite a blueprint for me to follow and expand upon in my own way.”
Can you tell us a little bit about how you landed your own sitcom?
About three years ago, I was making some TikTok videos talking about my life and dynamic with my divorced parents, which is the essence of “Lopez vs. Lopez.” So, when Debby Wolfe, who is our showrunner and co-creator, caught the videos, she thought they were hilarious and would be a great idea for a show. Debbie is good friends with Bruce Helford, who co-created “George Lopez.” In a way, it was all kismet. The stars aligned. I’m a co-creator, producer and actor on the show, so I wear many hats.
‘Lopez vs. Lopez,’ a network comedy with a mostly Latino cast, remains a rarity on TV — even if many of its most familiar genre tropes do not.
My dad and I never thought that we’d ever do anything like this. At some point, we actually thought the show was going to be animated! The truth is that we’ve had this real history and real hurt between us, and obstacles that we’ve had to go through and years of disconnecting and reconnecting again. But we have a strong foundation and love for each other. Hopefully, viewers will be able to see themselves and recognize their own family dynamics in our show. We want them to know that they’re not alone and they don’t have to be perfect to heal.
Your dad loves telling the story of how he knew you were funny when you were only 5, putting your mom’s bra on your head for laughs. When did you know that you had an interest in comedy?
I used to get sent to the headmaster’s office all the time. My dad was excited when he realized that I was following in his footsteps, like when a rock star discovers that his son can play the drums! I’m very quick like my dad, and things just kind of pop into my head, but I had to create a filter. I would just sometimes say the first thing that came into my head and people would laugh. That used to get me in trouble. I’d be like, “Mom, I can’t help it. It just comes out of my mouth!” She said, “Well, you have to own it when it’s mean!” I guess my inner child has that comedic timing. I also loved watching Lucille Ball on TV.
What are some of your favorite memories of growing up?
My dad taught me how to ride a bike and got me a set of golf clubs because he tried to get me to play golf with him. We would always be making jokes, and we’d rag on my poor mom, who is funny in her own right. We’d communicate through jokes, and that’s how you develop a thick skin. He’d chase me around the house, and what I remember most is that was always a home filled with laughter. So being able to do this show with my dad is the greatest dream come true.
The show has been streaming since November. Do any of the episodes or guest stars stand out in your mind?
Our Christmas episode where we had a cameo of the original cast of “George Lopez” was very cathartic, because they’ve known me since I was 5. To be able to share the scenes with them, who were my teachers almost as much as my dad, was beautiful and overwhelming. Another big highlight was having Rita Moreno on our show. She gave me some great advice about dealing with the hurt in the past. She said, “You know you can tell that little girl to go to your room. You don’t have to live in that pain.” That helped me a lot. As an actor and comedian, I want to tell the truth. It was such a dream to work with her, because all of us came after her.
Are there times when you confuse the sitcom Mayan with the real-life one?
It can be a little confusing with my character’s name also being Mayan. When we were first filming, some of the people on the crew would tell me, “Wow, you read the line a little angry.” I realized that I’d just looked at my dad, and that’s what came out naturally. I needed to learn to react like my character, who’s been in therapy and is a very self-realized woman. She’s a mother who is paving a way for herself after having a child at a young age. There were times when my reconnection with my dad was still new, and we had never really spent that much time with each other for so long. When we were filming the show, I was able to see that my character was connecting better with my dad. So the TV Mayan helped our relationship get stronger off the stage.
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