Mario Lopezwears many hats in his career as an actor, television and radio host, and dancer.
Many were first introduced to him as A.C. Slater in"Saved by the Bell.
He also shared some of his favorite holiday traditions.
What inspired Steppin' Into the Holiday
What first made you want to do this film?
Well, I kind of came up with the premise.
We come up with all our premises for the holiday films.
I love doing them.
My daughter was in the last one, and my wife was in this one.
She does a great job, by the way.
We shot it down in Nashville, and it was a lot of fun.
His mom persuades him to come home after being gone for many years.
Do you have any favorite memories from behind the scenes?
The whole process was a lot of fun.
We had to stop twice because of tornadoes while filming.
Other than that, it went smoothly.
What was it like working with the whole cast?
The cast was great.
Our young actor, Enzo [Rodriguez], was the kid that plays my nephew.
He did a great job.
Mario Cantone and Cheri Oteri were great.
The lady that played my mom [Terri Hoyos] she’s fantastic.
Jana was a lot of fun.
We got along great, and we were really lucky to have a good cast.
Keeping the holidays all about family
You’ve done several Christmas movies.
What is it you like about the holiday genre?
It fits for my brand, being all about family.
My kids are at that age right now, so they love them.
Then the next week, I light the tree for the Rockefeller [Center] Christmas tree.
We’re all holidayed out.
Do you have any other favorite family holiday traditions that you’re looking forward to this year?
It’s like everyone else we get together with the family.
My sister and her four kids usually come to us, or we’ll go to Texas.
It’s a big Mexican-Italian family, so there’s a lot of good food.
We’re eating a lot and drinking a lot.
We’ll go to Mass, and after Mass, we’ll have a go at see a movie.
What do you hope viewers take away from this movie?
I hope they feel it’s the official kickoff to the holidays.
It’s a little look back at all of the fun films of yesteryear with some dance and romance.
[It has] a throwback feel to it, and it makes you feel good and warm.
It’s a fun family film with those fun elements.
Incorporating dance into the film
As you said, dance is a big part of the movie.
How did you enjoy the dancing scenes?
I really liked it.
It was a lot of fun, and we had a great choreographer.
Spencer Lift was fantastic, and he took it to another level.
Do you like to find projects where you’re able to incorporate dancing and acting together?
You have all these things that you do.
You’re dancing, acting, hosting, and doing a bit of everything.
Do you ever find it hard to balance all of it?
It’s a fun balance.
People ask that, but I like it.
I’ve always been one to juggle a lot of things and have balls in the air.
I like being able to mix it up and do different things.
It keeps it fresh and keeps it diverse and entertaining, absolutely.
Do you have any other upcoming projects that you’re excited about right now?
This movie [has] consumed me, for the most part.
Your wife was also in this movie.
What was it like working together on that?
We work together all the time.
She’s very good in it and very funny.
She plays my ex, and I lose my job to her.
“Steppin' Into the Holiday” premieres on November 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT on Lifetime.
This interview was edited for clarity.
