Mario Lopez Dishes on His Surprising Wellness Secret and How He Feels About the ’90s Style Comeback

Over the course of more than 30 years in Hollywood, Mario Lopez has been instantly recognizable for his boyish charm and easygoing personality. From his early days on Saved by the Bell to his current gig as Access Hollywood host, Lopez is a pop culture mainstay, and has even made cameos playing himself in a variety of movies and shows (“I think I’ve played myself like 20-something times,” he says with a laugh. “I might have the record”).

Currently, Lopez is gearing up for the release of My Grown-Up Christmas Wish, his first Christmas movie with Great American Family, coming the weekend after Thanksgiving. He’s also recently partnered with TOTO — yes, the high-end toilet company! — to promote their line of NEOREST Smart Bidet Toilets. 

Mario Lopez spoke to FIRST for Women about the steps he takes to be happy and healthy, how he’s stayed grounded after all these years in the spotlight and what he really thinks of the ’90s comeback.

FIRST for Women: Toilets aren’t typically something people like talking about in public, so how did you get involved with TOTO?

Mario Lopez: It’s so funny. I actually saw a South Park episode that featured it, and I thought it seemed awesome. That’s obviously comedy, and it’s supposed to be fun, but I thought I’m at a certain age, and you want to start taking care of yourself. You want to start treating yourself to certain things, so why not get the Ferrari of toilets? After all, everyone uses one.

I started looking into it and talking about it on my radio show, and then we connected and I ended up getting one in the master bedroom and one in the guest hallway. My wife and I love it. It’s a game changer, and I can’t say enough nice things about it. I love baths, hot showers and steam rooms, and I’ve added the toilet to this list of things I enjoy and have as part of my wellness routine.

FFW: What are some other elements of your self-care routine?

ML: I’m going to be 51 soon, and I’ve always tried to make fitness a top priority because if you don’t have that, nothing else really matters. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to preach that gospel a little bit more and live by those words. 

I like to break a sweat every day and working out makes me feel alive, energetic and sharp. I like boxing and sparring, which I probably shouldn’t be doing at my age, but it makes me feel alive and it’s a big de-stressor. I always say I train more for sanity than for vanity. And I like jiu jitsu, which is basically physical chess. I’ve got my boys doing it, so I like to live vicariously through them and show that you’re never too old. 

Aside from that, I’ll take a fun class with my wife, whether it’s a spin class or a tennis class. I like being active, I like to dance. I think it’s important to keep your body moving. Once it starts slowing down, that’s when you start to age.

FFW: You became a ’90s teen icon with your role as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell. How do you feel about ’90s style making such a big comeback?

ML: It’s a trip. I see kids running around with the hairstyle I used to have. It’s funny how things come full circle, and I just get a kick out of it. My son is starting to rock a fluffy alpaca-looking hairdo that looks very Slater-ish — not by design, I think that’s just what’s in. He asked me for a perm. I was dying. 

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My mom tried to get my kids to watch Saved by the Bell a little bit, but they didn’t really dig it. I think they’ve got enough of dad at home, and the last thing they want to do is see more of me.

FFW: You’ve also established yourself as a TV personality. What has it been like going from being a celebrity to covering celebrities as the host of Access Hollywood?

ML: I love hosting and being myself, whether it’s a TV show, my radio show, game night at my house — whatever the case may be — so being on Access Hollywood every day is my favorite project. I just like people, and I like to learn and I’m a fan of entertainment, so I still love doing it 15 years in. And usually the bigger the celebrity is, the cooler they are as a person, to be honest.

FFW: What entertainments have you been enjoying lately?

ML: I’m reading a great book right now, The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. And then we watch a bunch of true crime documentaries. My wife can’t go to bed unless somebody’s getting killed. We watched American Murder: Laci Peterson on Netflix and we’re watching Face to Face With Scott Peterson on Peacock.

FFW: You’ve been in the spotlight since childhood. How have you managed to stay down to earth?

ML: My parents were very much together and pretty strict with me, so they kept me on a straight line. I’ve never forgotten where I came from, and I realize all these jobs are all just temp jobs that could go away at any moment, so I’m not taking it for granted. I feel very blessed to be as busy as I am right now.