Just Between Us by Mario Lopez

Author:Mario Lopez
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

TURNING POINTS

It began as a sort of flirtation in the late 1990s, then turned into a fling that would deepen into a solid relationship over the next four or five years. At a certain point, I realized we just fit together. However, with other interests and opportunities that came along, I always held back from that exclusive commitment I really did want to make—but somehow couldn’t.

Oh, wait. You don’t think I’m talking about my love life, do you? Nope, not at all, even though I could have been. I’m talking about the unexpected passion I found in my late twenties for . . . hosting! That’s right, my path to becoming a host in the wide, wide wonderful world of entertainment was a lot like dating at first. In fact, earlier in my career, back when I was eighteen and on Saved by the Bell, I had started to dabble in off-season hosting jobs—and had a ball doing them.

The suggestion first came from an executive at NBC, SBTB’s network. The late Linda Mancuso (may she rest in peace after losing her battle to cancer in recent years) gave me that first shot and I would be eternally grateful to her for it. When she called me in for a meeting, Linda was complimentary, saying, “I love your personality, Mario, and I think you’d be a terrific host for a project that we have in the works.”

The project was a reality show based on the premise of making kids’ dreams come true. The show was to be called Name Your Adventure and would air on Saturday mornings just like our series. When she asked if I’d be interested in hosting it, I was intrigued enough to take the job. Of course, my focus overall was my acting career. But this was an opportunity to play myself—not A. C. Slater—and a chance to explore a side job to acting that seemed made to order.

Name Your Adventure was positioned to be educational yet still entertainment—what’s sometimes called “edutainment.” The challenge was to find new ways to casually introduce the educational elements. As a result, I learned to do research on my own to come up with all those fun facts, a skill that would serve me well in time to come. Our format included showing up at the home of that episode’s lucky teen and, along with our guides and professional experts, provide the tools for that kid to go off on the adventure of his or her dreams. We climbed mountains, swam with sharks, and went on a cattle drive in Montana. Probably the highlight of the three seasons we shot was fulfilling the dream of one teen to interview the president of the United States—President Bill Clinton. Also right up my alley were the different action sports I had a chance to play alongside our guest athletes. That was quite possibly my favorite gig ever.

Name Your Adventure was that first exposure that made me think hosting, which is not acting per se, could still open up other avenues for me as a performer.

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