Behind the Scenes of George Lopez & Daughter Mayan's Lopez vs. Lopez

What's going on, Young Hollywood? Hanging with me, I have the George Lopez and Mayan Lopez. George and Mayan, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.

Oh, no, thank you for coming, Nicole. I'm so excited. Right, Dad?

Yes, of course.

It's it's early in the morning right now, though, so we're all still waking up. Um, but yes, everyone can see we're on your beautiful set of Lopez Versus Lopez. We're in a bar right now, which is awesome.

It is awesome. I've been in a bars during the day, it's awesome.

Yes. I've actually gotten to hang out with you guys for the last couple of months, capturing content. I've seen the incredible talent and hard work that you've put through the show, and I love it so much. I'm genuinely such a fan. But for anyone watching who might be new, might not know how the show came about, please tell us the story.

Well, you know, but my dad and I have had quite a history, a relationship. We're good now. Just have to say that. But um in 2020, I was just getting out of college, and we were going through some things and I was just making content of what I knew, and I made a TikTok, um kind of talking about some family issues, because people had been posting about it. I wanted to set the record straight, and I twerked upside down on TikTok, just like clarifying the family drama, and our showrunner, Debbie Wolfe, I was on her For You page. Thank you, TikTok algorithm, before you get banned. Hopefully not, but you know, it's uh I got a show out. She saw it, saw the potential, got into a meeting, and now here we are, almost a full season of Lopez Versus Lopez.

The first time they presented the the show to us. Yes. Uh Bruce and Debbie, and Bruce L. and I thought it was animation because I thought there's no way that two people could have this relationship in real life. These had to be like yellow or blue people, not regular people.

Yeah. Yellow or blue people.

Yeah, I was like, Gilmore Girls, we're trying to be like Gilmore, like they would be like, oh, it's like that Gilmore Girls, mother, father, daughter, but no, it's a really, base I feel like it's brought our relationship together. And I feel like our relationship um means more. It can represent a lot of relationships through the father and daughter, mother and son, and just within the family. And it's about healing, it's about reconnection, and I think the authenticity brings a level of comedy that you don't see in a lot of shows.

Exactly. I think that's why it works so well, because it does touch on, you know, those lessons, the healing, but it's so funny. So you get that a little bit of relief, you go back and forth, and I I think it's just great. So you guys are doing such a good job. Really love it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And going back to TikTok, because it is so TikTok focused. Bryce Gonzalez of Enkyboys, he stars in your show. But has Bryce taught you any tips? How's it been working with Bryce?

Tell them. You know what's so funny, is that even the other day, Matt and Bryce were hanging out because they have such a beautiful relationship on set. And he just posted it and you know, all it got all these views, and like Matt doesn't understand how it works. But like with Bryce, like he's so good. I don't I never try to pressure him or anything. Um if he wants to do it on his own accord, I'll do it with him, but he's just a little performer. Like everything that he learned on TikTok is completely into the show. Like and he's just not just a TikTok star, he is a comedian and he is a little actor. Like he's knows his beats. He makes all of us laugh. He just already at seven years old, the instincts that he has. We found him from TikTok as well, so that yeah, TikTok has a lot to do with this show.

You chose him and like how's the casting work?

We started to see uh videos of him. I remember some of the guys like Don Cheadle, those guys sent me a video and they said, have you seen this kid? And you know, I saw him and I think Mayan had seen him already.

Yeah, Debbie and I both sent it. I was it's at the same time we're like, this kid. I love that. That's good.

But that's, you know, really how we found him. I mean, there was there wasn't I think some other kids auditioned, but I think it was clear that he was uh far and above the best choice for to play our son.

Definitely. You've also had some really good guest stars on this show, like Rita Moreno, Jessica Marie Garcia, just incredible names across the board. But I want to know if you could have any other celebrity guest star, who would you call like tomorrow and be like, you're coming on.

Ooh. That's that's been a tough one. I feel like I've been thinking of either Pitbull or Bad Bunny, eventually someday. I would love to have just bring it Latinos, like all of them over. Or like really we've been talking like trying to be like Snoop. Trying to get Snoop on. Yeah.

Mhm. George, you have something with Snoop too, don't you? A movie?

Yeah, I did. I did Snoop's movie uh Underdogs, where he plays uh high school uh football player, who was very successful when he was young, and then his life doesn't really work out the way he thought it it ends up being a football coach to this inner city team. And they explained it it was like the Bad News Bears of football, but it's worse. The language is is way more coarse and those kids are hilarious. If you're you know, if you've ever seen a little little teenager cuss, it can be funny.

Yeah. Especially with a rhino on a football field with Snoop in a purple suit. Yeah. Already. Already hooked. Already sold. Signing him.

But it's been, you know, he called me and I said, yeah, of course, you know, and I I went and did that with him. And uh you know, I I'm going to say right here, like we all know about his extracurricular activities, and he's done some he's done some acting. But I told him, and I've I've done scenes with him that if he could pull this movie off, that I think that Snoop can be really taken as a comedic actor and a serious actor. If if this movie works. Because he's he's burning all day. He had a page and a half, I go, Snoop is ready. I go, there's no way he could be ready. It was just ten minutes ago. Goes in there, and he's got it all, he's got all the beats, so I'm going to say that he can be incredible.

Mayan, I know you are great at collaborating with people on TikTok, so if you could just bring someone on as well, who would you choose?

One person that I would love, I think she does a lot acting, it's Megan Trainor. Like she we've fought we're mutuals on and she's inspired me. And I think maybe Mayan needs some more friends, and she can come around or be a music teacher for Chance or something. Like that could be something that'd be really cool. And just uh yeah, like I love I just love her, she's always inspired me. And me, any girl that's wearing pajamas and then jumps and she's in a formal gown, would be welcome here. Charlie, Addison, like.

We're going to we're going to tweet this at them. Are you cool with that, George?

Yeah, come on, let's do it. DM it to them.

It used to be easy to get people to do shows. I like, oh, you know, it's kind of not my thing. Because that whole world of of social media is its own business.

Absolutely.

This to them is, you know, being in one place, seems like maybe a little bit uh traditional for for social media.

Yeah, absolutely. The show also touches on very real and vulnerable plot points, some that you've taken from your own relationship. So I'm curious, what would you tell people who are watching if they really want to reconnect with their parents or loved ones?

Um I would say for the parent, that your experience of yourself may be different than what you thought your child experienced, but your your child's experience, that is valid. And you may not agree with what you did or your own choices, you have to be able to look aside from that and see how you hurt your child. And if you just listen to them, and you know, something as simple as what he has told me when I've shared. He's like, if I knew what that would have done to you or affected you, I would have never have done it. Something just as simple as that phrase is healing. Like you I've heard like my therapist said, it may have been your parent's mistake, but it's your responsibility. So you have to do your own healing. It's not just someone saying those words is not going to heal everything. You have to create your own healing, but I think with a parent, just hearing your child and just accepting that means a lot.

Yeah. Absolutely. And and I would say for a parent who's estranged from their child is is not to give up, you know, even to leave messages even if you know that you're not going to get a message back because you're you're pretty sure that they're going to listen to that message.

And at least if you keep trying, you're you're still doing something because you're going to have to accept the responsibility, but also if you've given up, you just get further away from making up. So I would just say, you know, to own up to it and whatever you do, don't give up because it is it is part of you and it is like no other person in the world can take the place of somebody that is your your child or your parent.

That's true. I love you guys. Honestly, everyone, Young Hollywood, I've teared up before watching them in scenes. Like, really, you guys are incredible. Thank you so much for sharing that.

And for me, you know, I just love to be able to see Mayan every day and to see her do something that I wanted to do from when I was a kid. So when you see your daughter doing it and you see um how difficult or, you know, my first show was 20 years ago, and I was in my 40s. And Mayan's able to do it at at 26, is is phenomenal to me. Like, I I would not have been able to I was doing standup at 26, but there's no way that I would have been able to do any part of what Mayan does on this show when I was 26.

Yeah. Now I'm 27.

Yes, Aries Queen. She just had her birthday.

Thank you. And George, you're a Taurus.

I'm a Taurus. Yeah, the 23rd. I'm getting up there.