Former Saved by the Bell star and longtime Access Hollywood host Mario Lopez isn’t just a ’90s icon and enduring TV personality, he’s also a holiday movie staple. Lopez has been in a variety of Lifetime Christmas movies, including Holiday in Santa Fe, Steppin’ Into the Holiday, Feliz NaviDAD and A Very Merry Toy Store, and earlier this year, he signed a contract with one of the biggest players in the seasonal cinema game, Great American Family, and his first movie for the channel is coming soon.
Read on to see what Lopez, who previously spoke to First for Women about his career and his brand partnership with TOTO toilets, has to say about his heartwarming new holiday movie, Once Upon a Christmas Wish.
What to expect from Once Upon a Christmas Wish
Once Upon a Christmas Wish premieres on the Great American Family channel on Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m. EST, and it marks the start of what’s sure to be a long and fruitful relationship with the network. “I’m really excited about it,” Lopez tells FIRST. In the movie, the actor stars as a small-town mayor who discovers that his childhood Christmas wishlist is magically coming true and develops a spark with an old friend in town for the holidays.
Once Upon a Christmas Wish brings up even more warm and fuzzy feelings than the typical Christmas movie, as it’s a true family affair. “My wife [Courtney Lopez] is in it, and my son Dominic is in it,” Lopez says. “I love working with my family. I work with my wife all the time on my radio show, and my son and I have done a bunch of stuff, so I like keeping it with them. My family gives me inspiration.”
Not only does Once Upon a Christmas Wish feature Lopez’s family, it also has some wholesome throwback vibes. “It’s got a musical element to it. We’re singing and dancing, and it’s got a lot of heart,” Lopez shares.
Mario Lopez’s work with the Great American Family channel
“Great American Family has been so wonderful and very supportive,” says Lopez, and Once Upon a Christmas Wish isn’t his only movie on the channel this year, as he’s also moving behind the camera. “I just executive produced another movie, Get Him Back for Christmas [premiering on December 14 at 8 p.m. EST] that I’m not in,” he notes. “It stars Carlos and Alexa PenaVega, and we had a lot of fun doing it.”
Asked just what draws him to Christmas movies, Lopez says the answer is simple: “It’s my wheelhouse right now. I’ve got three young kids. It’s about representing family and faith and being together. That’s what I’m all about—positive vibes.”
Lopez has also emphasized the importance of bringing diverse stories to the channel, and says, “I’m thrilled and blessed to be doing what I’m doing. I hope to continue doing more of it. I’d like to do more producing and create more projects and build that portfolio up.” Once Upon a Christmas Wish may only be the star’s first Great American Family movie, but we know there are many more future holiday classics to come.
