Mario Lopez addresses confusion about his Mexican roots and code-switching

Mario Lopez had X, formerly known as Twitter, ablaze this week. The actor and TV host shared a video in September on TikTok enjoying mariscos, which made its way onto Twitter. It sparked a conversation about code-switching, with some people shocked to find out he was Mexican-American.

In the original video, Lopez, who just turned 50, seems to have more of an accent, even using slang words like “fool” and “orale.” “Did I just hear Mario Lopez say “fool” reads one of the top-liked comments. “Oh, this is the REAL Mario Lopez,” “Code switch is UNMATCHED,” and, “I’ve NEVER imagined Mario Lopez spoke any other way besides his TV news anchor voice,” reads more.

People shared the video on X and put it side by side with his hosting videos, which went viral. Amid the conversations about code-switching and Latin-American representation in entertainment, some people admitted they believed he was Hawaiian or Italian.

The Access Hollywood host shared a video on social media clearing the air Wednesday, clarifying that he is a Mexican-American in entertainment, and there is a level of expectation in media. “People don’t think I’m Mexican with a name like Mario Lopez,” he says in the clip. Lopez was born in Chula Vista, which is a border town of Tijuana, and his parents are from Culicán, Sinaloa.

When it comes to the slang he uses in the food videos enjoying time with his homies, he explained, “I can’t be like that on Access Hollywood or my radio show. I’m trying to cash these checks, I can’t be sounding all hood like that, I gotta keep it more polished and buttoned up, but my whole circle is Mexicano.”

Lopez kept the joke going Thursday with a collaboration post with the popular Instagram account Foos Gone Wild. The Saved by the Bell star dressed up as one of their characters, “Lil Mr. E.” He wore the mask, clown nose, hoodie, long plaid shorts, and high socks, and looked very down.