‘Saved By The Bell’ Star Mario Lopez Recalls Spending Youth On Show And With Boys And Girls Club [Interview]

Mario Lopez, a star on Saved by the Bell, got to re-live his experiences on the hit sitcom this past with his co-star, Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Gosselaar played Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell, while Lopez portrayed A.C. Slater. This wasn’t the first time Saved by the Bell was able to reunite for an evening. On Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, the cast executed a skit to perfection. Mario Lopez was also there to help fans re-live their childhood.

Saved by the Bell won multiple awards in its time on television. Lopez won a Young Artist Award for “Best Young Actor in an Off-Primetme Series.” According to IMDB, the hit-TV show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award in 1992, and won more than just Lopez’s Young Artist trophy.

Lopez is all about giving back to the fans. Not only did he give fans some nostalgia when he talked about Saved by the Bell, but the former-Young Artist award winner is experienced in giving back to the community. What makes this case special is the relationship Lopez has with this particular project. The Boys and Girls Club is partnering with Mario Lopez to help launch the My.Future campaign with Comcast NBCUniversal.

As a former-member of the Boys and Girls Club, Lopez remembered back to the old days of the program.

“I’m a former-member of the Boys and Girls Club. Back when I was a kid, it was just the Boys Club, so that’s how old I am. It was a very important part of my life. It holds a special place in my heart. I’ve remained a supporter and being an alumni, I’m now an ambassador as well,” said Lopez.

He is a big supporter of helping programs reach their potential and understanding how they can succeed. Lopez noted that he’s aiding the future generation with technology that young children are already understanding better than most.

“We’re essentially giving club kids access to the digital world and helping these kids learn the skills to compete in the work force in the fields of engineering, math, science and technology.”

“They’re going to learn so much that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. In this program, the kids will learn things like coding, web skills, robotics and it’s going to make it fun and expose them to something they could have a career in.”

In the last 20 years, Mario Lopez has had a bigger impact than most people comprehend. His association with Saved by the Bell was the start of Lopez’s rise to the top of Hollywood, but not many celebrities are able to give back to the community they were once in. As it was mentioned above, Lopez was a member of the Boys and Girls Club.

When celebrities give back to charities like Make-A-Wish and the Susan G. Komen foundation, they do it because it is the right thing to do. It’s a rare occasion when that celebrity knew what it was like. Lopez has that fortunate situation to assist the boys and girls in that program, due to the platform he has today.

“It’s one of things I’m very blessed about, to have the platform and raise awareness for important things like this. Being that I was a former member, it just makes you feel good.”

Mario Lopez won’t halt giving back to the community he once called another home. Just like Saved by the Bell, Lopez will not forget his roots. He may not go into other clubs acting like his former-character, A.C. Slater, but Mario Lopez is using his notoriety to do the proper thing all over the country.

[Images via youtube.com and Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown]