1 00:00:06,923 --> 00:00:09,509 [ Theme music plays ] 2 00:00:09,634 --> 00:00:11,678 ** 3 00:00:11,803 --> 00:00:14,431 >> There's very few entertainers who can sell out arenas 4 00:00:14,556 --> 00:00:16,933 or sell hit TV shows with just one name. 5 00:00:17,058 --> 00:00:18,560 That name is Lopez, 6 00:00:18,685 --> 00:00:20,770 and it simply translates into comedy success. 7 00:00:20,895 --> 00:00:21,980 Kind of like I can only be talking about one man. 8 00:00:22,105 --> 00:00:23,690 You should know. 9 00:00:23,815 --> 00:00:25,483 Please show some love to George Lopez. 10 00:00:25,608 --> 00:00:26,818 Come on out, man. -Alright! 11 00:00:26,943 --> 00:00:28,111 [Applause] -How you doing? 12 00:00:28,236 --> 00:00:29,529 -Kev. -Good to see you. 13 00:00:29,654 --> 00:00:30,780 -Good to see you. -Good to see you. 14 00:00:30,905 --> 00:00:32,699 Sit down. 15 00:00:32,824 --> 00:00:34,409 First and foremost, man, thank you. 16 00:00:34,534 --> 00:00:36,578 -Of course. -I appreciate you coming on. 17 00:00:36,703 --> 00:00:38,788 -Yeah. -We drink wine, George. 18 00:00:38,913 --> 00:00:40,707 -Is this your brand of wine? -You know what? 19 00:00:40,832 --> 00:00:42,584 This isn't my brand. I do have wine, 20 00:00:42,709 --> 00:00:45,337 but this is not it. -Mr. Hart, Mr. Lopez, 21 00:00:45,462 --> 00:00:47,797 a wonderful single-vineyard Syrah. 22 00:00:47,922 --> 00:00:49,674 Just about three hours north from here, 23 00:00:49,799 --> 00:00:51,384 San Luis Obispo County... -Mm. 24 00:00:51,509 --> 00:00:52,886 -...which is the great Edna Valley. 25 00:00:53,011 --> 00:00:54,637 -You damn right it is. -Yes, indeed. 26 00:00:54,763 --> 00:00:56,514 May I pour you a taste? -I've seen a lot of wine poured, 27 00:00:56,639 --> 00:00:58,308 but never with a dude in a parka. 28 00:00:58,433 --> 00:01:00,810 -[ Chuckling ] That's right, that's right, that's right. 29 00:01:00,935 --> 00:01:03,897 -Usually, they got...but... -Mmm. 30 00:01:04,022 --> 00:01:06,524 -But they got wine, I mean, really kind of, 31 00:01:06,649 --> 00:01:08,401 you know, um... -Yes, absolutely. 32 00:01:08,526 --> 00:01:09,819 -Oh, you can -- You send 'em back? 33 00:01:09,944 --> 00:01:11,404 -Well, I just, I make sure it's good, 34 00:01:11,529 --> 00:01:13,114 If it ain't what it's supposed to be... 35 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:14,282 Give it a taste, give it a little swirl. 36 00:01:14,407 --> 00:01:15,492 -Spice, leather, nutmeg, vanilla. 37 00:01:15,617 --> 00:01:17,327 -Huh? -It's fantastic. 38 00:01:17,452 --> 00:01:18,787 A lot of earth. Great minerality. 39 00:01:18,912 --> 00:01:20,455 -Man, well, you talking your shit, ain't you? 40 00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:22,123 -Indeed. -Get outta here, D. 41 00:01:22,248 --> 00:01:23,875 Get outta here man. Talking that sommelier shit. 42 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,794 -Are you a somme-- sommelier? -Yeah. Sommelier. 43 00:01:25,919 --> 00:01:27,712 -Yeah? -Yeah. 44 00:01:27,837 --> 00:01:29,172 -Where did you get your appreciation of wine? 45 00:01:29,297 --> 00:01:31,383 -You know what? Dinner. 46 00:01:31,508 --> 00:01:34,427 Going out to dinner with people 47 00:01:34,552 --> 00:01:37,097 that really had, like, a real love for it. 48 00:01:37,222 --> 00:01:38,765 Like, that's where my love for it came from, 49 00:01:38,890 --> 00:01:40,600 and it hasn't stopped. -Yeah. I like that. 50 00:01:40,725 --> 00:01:43,645 I think -- You know, I think in, like, 51 00:01:43,770 --> 00:01:47,107 being a person of, you know, this kind of career 52 00:01:47,232 --> 00:01:48,900 where you create, like, 53 00:01:49,025 --> 00:01:51,027 sometimes a lot of people feel uncomfortable sitting 54 00:01:51,152 --> 00:01:53,446 in a place for like an hour or two and talking about stuff. 55 00:01:53,571 --> 00:01:56,157 You know, you kind of get that trigger to cut out or whatever. 56 00:01:56,282 --> 00:01:58,284 -Yeah. -But I think, you know, 57 00:01:58,410 --> 00:02:00,370 when you're working and you're able to enjoy conversation 58 00:02:00,495 --> 00:02:04,290 and sit around and drink wine, I think it's another level 59 00:02:04,416 --> 00:02:05,959 that I don't think a lot of entertainers 60 00:02:06,084 --> 00:02:07,544 can really appreciate the shit that's happening to 'em, 61 00:02:07,669 --> 00:02:10,130 in the moment, or where they've been 62 00:02:10,255 --> 00:02:12,465 and what they've done, I think. -Mm. 63 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:13,967 Well, you know, that's a great segue 64 00:02:14,092 --> 00:02:16,302 to get to where I want to start off, man. 65 00:02:16,428 --> 00:02:18,096 When we're talking about where they've been 66 00:02:18,221 --> 00:02:19,889 and what they've done, I said, 67 00:02:20,015 --> 00:02:22,684 "This is about giving flowers." I gotta talk to you, man, 68 00:02:22,809 --> 00:02:24,602 and simply celebrate you, at the top of this, 69 00:02:24,728 --> 00:02:27,313 by saying what a phenomenal career 70 00:02:27,439 --> 00:02:29,190 that you have put together... -Aww. 71 00:02:29,315 --> 00:02:30,817 -...and that you still are currently putting together. 72 00:02:30,942 --> 00:02:32,694 You know, you're not a comedy-club act. 73 00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:35,989 You're a real arena act. You have been a real arena act. 74 00:02:36,114 --> 00:02:37,741 And I think, through the years, 75 00:02:37,866 --> 00:02:40,827 even by getting down to the place of comedy specials 76 00:02:40,952 --> 00:02:43,163 and transferring that over to sitcoms... 77 00:02:43,288 --> 00:02:44,664 -Yeah. -...and not just one, 78 00:02:44,789 --> 00:02:46,624 but being able to do it twice, late night. 79 00:02:46,750 --> 00:02:48,960 Like, you've crossed the bridge 80 00:02:49,085 --> 00:02:53,965 and acted as, like -- acted as a nice merger of -- 81 00:02:54,090 --> 00:02:57,469 of community that is misunderstood 82 00:02:57,594 --> 00:02:59,554 but, "Through my voice you'll get a better understanding." 83 00:02:59,679 --> 00:03:01,056 -Yeah. -You've done a great job 84 00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:03,808 of storytelling on behalf of the culture. 85 00:03:03,933 --> 00:03:06,061 -Thank you. -And to do that at a high level 86 00:03:06,186 --> 00:03:07,854 and have success, I mean, that's a big win man. 87 00:03:07,979 --> 00:03:09,522 So, congrats, first and foremost. 88 00:03:09,647 --> 00:03:11,066 -Thank you very much. That's very kind. 89 00:03:11,191 --> 00:03:12,275 I don't think anybody's ever said that to me. 90 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:13,902 -Well, I mean it. I mean it. 91 00:03:14,027 --> 00:03:15,570 It's not an accident that you are where you are 92 00:03:15,695 --> 00:03:17,155 and that you've been here for this long. 93 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:18,990 I want to know, why comedy, though, George? 94 00:03:19,115 --> 00:03:21,076 It's always easier to talk about the success of it, 95 00:03:21,201 --> 00:03:24,371 but what is it that drove you to comedy? 96 00:03:24,496 --> 00:03:26,581 What made you start with stand-up? 97 00:03:26,706 --> 00:03:28,333 Or was that even the first thing you started with, 98 00:03:28,458 --> 00:03:29,876 or was it something else before? 99 00:03:30,001 --> 00:03:31,836 -You know, so, I grew up in San Fernando. 100 00:03:31,961 --> 00:03:33,797 It's probably like maybe 8 miles away from here. 101 00:03:33,922 --> 00:03:37,258 I'm an only child. I didn't know my father. 102 00:03:37,384 --> 00:03:39,260 My mom wasn't well mentally. 103 00:03:39,386 --> 00:03:40,553 My grandma was pretty hard on me. 104 00:03:40,679 --> 00:03:45,392 And, um, I don't think that I'm related 105 00:03:45,517 --> 00:03:48,103 to the people that I grew up around. 106 00:03:48,228 --> 00:03:51,398 I know I'm my mom's son, but I never knew my father. 107 00:03:51,523 --> 00:03:56,236 But I think my father took off because... 108 00:03:56,361 --> 00:03:58,738 I -- I don't think I'm his son. 109 00:03:58,863 --> 00:04:00,323 I don't think I know who my father is. 110 00:04:00,448 --> 00:04:02,742 But there was somebody, a photographer, in San Fernando, 111 00:04:02,867 --> 00:04:04,953 that everybody -- he was darker, creative, 112 00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:06,413 and my father was very like Ralph Fiennes, 113 00:04:06,538 --> 00:04:07,706 like a Chicano Ralph Fiennes -- 114 00:04:07,831 --> 00:04:09,833 Very skinny, man. One picture -- 115 00:04:09,958 --> 00:04:11,501 We have a lot of pictures and I'm like -- 116 00:04:11,626 --> 00:04:13,211 there's no way that you would look at somebody 117 00:04:13,336 --> 00:04:14,754 and say, you know, with that -- 118 00:04:14,879 --> 00:04:16,840 even the bone structure that's like, 119 00:04:16,965 --> 00:04:18,383 "That's not that dude's kid, clearly." 120 00:04:18,508 --> 00:04:20,093 -Okay, okay. -So, my mom used to -- 121 00:04:20,218 --> 00:04:24,639 was not mentally, uh, well and couldn't read. 122 00:04:24,764 --> 00:04:26,766 -Okay. -And when they would have 123 00:04:26,891 --> 00:04:29,811 those open houses in elementary school 124 00:04:29,936 --> 00:04:32,605 and, you know, the parents would come in 125 00:04:32,731 --> 00:04:34,733 and they'd sign their name, you know, 126 00:04:34,858 --> 00:04:37,402 I would always keep my mom from writing her name. 127 00:04:37,527 --> 00:04:38,778 She couldn't write. -Okay. 128 00:04:38,903 --> 00:04:41,156 -It was really kind of, like, thing -- 129 00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:43,450 so I remember I told her, "Just put a X" you know? 130 00:04:43,575 --> 00:04:44,701 "The fucking X will pass as a signature." 131 00:04:44,826 --> 00:04:46,619 -Okay. -I mean, amazing 132 00:04:46,745 --> 00:04:48,121 how you could steal somebody -- you know, 133 00:04:48,246 --> 00:04:49,914 you go home and try -- you practice the X. 134 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,418 So she would -- I mean, it's all fucking embarrassing 135 00:04:53,543 --> 00:04:55,086 and it really hurts man. You know, 136 00:04:55,211 --> 00:04:57,213 like your mom would put an X in there, man. 137 00:04:57,339 --> 00:05:02,302 You'd be like, "Who wrote X, you know, here, you know?" 138 00:05:02,427 --> 00:05:05,889 And I think, of all of the things that hurt, 139 00:05:07,265 --> 00:05:10,393 I think that's where maybe the comedy came from. 140 00:05:10,518 --> 00:05:13,355 You know? -Yeah. 141 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,024 -When I was 7, you know, we went to the court in LA. 142 00:05:16,149 --> 00:05:18,360 My grandmother, you know, was a working woman. 143 00:05:18,485 --> 00:05:20,111 My mom, you know, not smart, 144 00:05:20,236 --> 00:05:22,113 so you know, she had to take the stand to have -- 145 00:05:22,238 --> 00:05:25,033 I think they were going to declare my father legally dead. 146 00:05:25,158 --> 00:05:29,162 So, in the car, my grandmother said, "Hey, Freida, 147 00:05:29,287 --> 00:05:30,705 when we're driving up there and you get on the stand, 148 00:05:30,830 --> 00:05:32,499 look at me," 'cause she wouldn't 149 00:05:32,624 --> 00:05:34,668 really understand -- "Look at me, 150 00:05:34,793 --> 00:05:36,544 and I'll tell you -- by nodding my head 151 00:05:36,670 --> 00:05:39,506 or go like that, I'll tell you how to answer. 152 00:05:39,631 --> 00:05:40,840 So, you know, the lawyer would say, you know, 153 00:05:40,965 --> 00:05:43,843 'Is your name Frieda?,' it's a yes." 154 00:05:43,968 --> 00:05:45,261 And there's like a lawyer comes across 155 00:05:45,387 --> 00:05:47,097 and is standing by where my grandmother is. 156 00:05:47,222 --> 00:05:48,807 He says, "Well, you're here for the sole custody 157 00:05:48,932 --> 00:05:50,892 of George Lopez?" She says "No." 158 00:05:51,017 --> 00:05:53,353 And she says, "So, are you here 159 00:05:53,478 --> 00:05:55,980 because you want to keep your custody of George Lopez?" 160 00:05:56,106 --> 00:05:57,941 She says, "No, I don't think so." 161 00:05:58,066 --> 00:05:59,901 And my grandmother's, you know, looking like this, man. 162 00:06:00,026 --> 00:06:01,820 It's al l-- So they stop the proceedings 163 00:06:01,945 --> 00:06:03,613 and you know, say "Hey, you know, 164 00:06:03,738 --> 00:06:07,450 she's really kinda not able to, you know, speak correctly." 165 00:06:07,575 --> 00:06:09,911 And then they just did it through the nuts-and-bolt stuff. 166 00:06:10,036 --> 00:06:12,122 But I was like, "Shit." I mean, it was like that. 167 00:06:12,247 --> 00:06:13,915 -Real pain, real trauma attached to... 168 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,417 -You know, that stuff was -- -...things you control. 169 00:06:15,542 --> 00:06:18,253 -Yeah, man. 170 00:06:18,378 --> 00:06:20,547 And you know, not to make anybody feel bad for anybody, 171 00:06:20,672 --> 00:06:22,799 but you know, those are all of the -- 172 00:06:22,924 --> 00:06:25,885 Like in this wood, man, they're all of the things 173 00:06:26,011 --> 00:06:27,971 that make that piece of wood beautiful, 174 00:06:28,096 --> 00:06:30,015 knots and lines and twists and stuff. 175 00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:32,559 -Yeah. -So, being an only child, 176 00:06:32,684 --> 00:06:38,898 and being really ignored and introverted, 177 00:06:39,024 --> 00:06:41,568 I think those things just led me to, like, 178 00:06:41,693 --> 00:06:44,070 TV and drawing and stuff like that. 179 00:06:44,195 --> 00:06:47,365 And we would listen to Richard Pryor albums. 180 00:06:47,490 --> 00:06:49,242 I think the main thing, kind of, 181 00:06:49,367 --> 00:06:50,910 was that my friends had older brothers, 182 00:06:51,036 --> 00:06:52,704 so they would bring Richard Pryor around, 183 00:06:52,829 --> 00:06:54,748 or, you know, Cheech & Chong, or George Carlin and stuff. 184 00:06:54,873 --> 00:06:56,249 So we'd sit around and listen to that. 185 00:06:56,374 --> 00:06:59,210 And I think, out of the fact, Kev, you know, 186 00:06:59,336 --> 00:07:02,797 you don't have a lot, so the humor is to deflect. 187 00:07:02,922 --> 00:07:04,090 You know, it's like, "Hey, where's your jacket?" 188 00:07:04,215 --> 00:07:05,842 "Oh no, I'm not wearing my jacket. 189 00:07:05,967 --> 00:07:07,761 It's freezing. No fucking jacket." 190 00:07:07,886 --> 00:07:09,512 -Yeah. -You know? And all that stuff. 191 00:07:09,637 --> 00:07:11,264 So, I think, more of a bounce. -Well, humor is your weapon. 192 00:07:11,389 --> 00:07:13,016 -It's totally a weapon. -Humor's your weapon 193 00:07:13,141 --> 00:07:14,601 at that point. You know what I mean? 194 00:07:14,726 --> 00:07:17,479 -Yeah, and you know, you're, you know, 195 00:07:17,604 --> 00:07:25,528 fucking introverted and, uh, you know, um, shy. 196 00:07:25,653 --> 00:07:28,156 And you know, I was always the kid 197 00:07:28,281 --> 00:07:30,867 that would have to be taken by one of the parents 198 00:07:30,992 --> 00:07:32,911 to the Little League game, or walk back. 199 00:07:33,036 --> 00:07:35,622 You know, so you're -- So I think all of those things 200 00:07:35,747 --> 00:07:38,792 lead to the beautiful place. 201 00:07:38,917 --> 00:07:42,003 I mean, I had friends that had both parents, 202 00:07:42,128 --> 00:07:46,174 and you know, were really kind of very disconnected early, 203 00:07:46,299 --> 00:07:48,968 and I think I just connected to being, you know, safe. 204 00:07:49,094 --> 00:07:50,887 You know, even though my grandfather was 205 00:07:51,012 --> 00:07:52,806 not my biological grandfather, you know, 206 00:07:52,931 --> 00:07:56,351 he -- oh, fuck it, man, he would get drunk. 207 00:07:56,476 --> 00:08:00,647 And you know they pick on, you know -- "Who are you?" 208 00:08:00,772 --> 00:08:02,315 And you know, he didn't speak English. 209 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,567 And then when he was drinking, he'd be like, 210 00:08:04,693 --> 00:08:07,987 "Who do you think you are?" I'm like, "The fuck is..." 211 00:08:08,113 --> 00:08:11,950 [ Laughter ] And he'd go "George! George." 212 00:08:12,075 --> 00:08:14,244 Why? I look at my grandmother. 213 00:08:14,369 --> 00:08:16,162 So, he would, um -- 214 00:08:16,287 --> 00:08:18,748 He would flick me, man, in my temple. 215 00:08:18,873 --> 00:08:20,750 He'd make me stand in front of him, 216 00:08:20,875 --> 00:08:23,420 and he'd flick me on my temple right here. 217 00:08:23,545 --> 00:08:26,715 Like, just hitting me, man. I was just like, "Fuck, dude." 218 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:33,096 And, uh, when, uh, he died, 219 00:08:33,221 --> 00:08:36,766 when the guy came and said, 220 00:08:36,891 --> 00:08:39,019 "Does anybody want to say a farewell?" 221 00:08:39,144 --> 00:08:40,353 Uh... 222 00:08:40,478 --> 00:08:41,730 And I went over there and I went... 223 00:08:41,855 --> 00:08:43,815 -Flicked him. -In the temple. 224 00:08:43,940 --> 00:08:45,567 -Flicked him in the goddamn temple. 225 00:08:45,692 --> 00:08:48,028 Here's what I get from everything you just said, man. 226 00:08:48,153 --> 00:08:49,821 Like, you're talking about, of course, trauma. 227 00:08:49,946 --> 00:08:52,198 You're talking about... -Yeah. 228 00:08:52,323 --> 00:08:55,201 -...like, a real place of memory where you know and understand, 229 00:08:55,326 --> 00:08:57,704 like, "Yo, my humor comes from the fact 230 00:08:57,829 --> 00:08:59,372 that I had nothing else to kinda hold on to 231 00:08:59,497 --> 00:09:01,249 or fall back on. -Mm-hmm. 232 00:09:01,374 --> 00:09:05,253 -"So the idea of the laugh, well, that was my crutch, 233 00:09:05,378 --> 00:09:08,757 that was my support tool, that helped me stand-up, 234 00:09:08,882 --> 00:09:11,384 even helped me become accepted." 235 00:09:11,509 --> 00:09:14,888 At what age do you think that you really got 236 00:09:15,013 --> 00:09:18,141 a handle on understanding, "Okay, I'm funny. 237 00:09:18,266 --> 00:09:21,102 I'm a personality that, although I may be an introvert, 238 00:09:21,227 --> 00:09:23,063 although I'm a little reserved, 239 00:09:23,188 --> 00:09:25,607 when I do let it out, people do love to be around me"? 240 00:09:25,732 --> 00:09:28,360 When do you think that started to come into play? 241 00:09:28,485 --> 00:09:32,113 -My friend Ernie Auriano, my first friend, you know, 242 00:09:32,238 --> 00:09:34,115 he went to Kennedy High School that's out here, 243 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,035 and there was a guy whose name was Don Nielson. 244 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,330 He was doing stand-up as a -- 245 00:09:40,455 --> 00:09:41,956 you know, Chappelle did stand-up when he was like 15 or 16. 246 00:09:42,082 --> 00:09:43,625 -Yeah. -And this dude went 247 00:09:43,750 --> 00:09:45,377 to Kennedy High School. Think he was in 11th grade. 248 00:09:45,502 --> 00:09:49,047 And he was, you know, going to the Comedy Store 249 00:09:49,172 --> 00:09:52,092 in Westwood at that time. -Okay. 250 00:09:52,217 --> 00:09:53,385 And they wrote about him in the school paper, 251 00:09:53,510 --> 00:09:55,261 but another school. You know? 252 00:09:55,387 --> 00:09:56,888 So, Ernie went to that school and he brought it to me, 253 00:09:57,013 --> 00:09:58,264 and he said "Hey, look at this dude, man. 254 00:09:58,390 --> 00:10:00,141 Like, he's doing stand-up in high school. 255 00:10:00,266 --> 00:10:01,726 You know, we should, you know, try to write some stuff 256 00:10:01,851 --> 00:10:03,269 and go down there." -Wow. 257 00:10:03,395 --> 00:10:04,979 -So, we said, "Yeah, you know, let..." 258 00:10:05,105 --> 00:10:06,606 So we tried to write some stuff, 259 00:10:06,731 --> 00:10:08,400 and the strike happened in '79. 260 00:10:08,525 --> 00:10:10,902 And then, when the strike was over, 261 00:10:11,027 --> 00:10:13,154 went to the Comedy Store, 262 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:14,781 and we went there early to sign up and stuff. 263 00:10:14,906 --> 00:10:19,160 So, I went up there and went onstage 264 00:10:19,285 --> 00:10:22,747 for the first time in Westwood, 265 00:10:22,872 --> 00:10:25,125 and not very good the first time. 266 00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:27,377 Not very good the second time. -[ Chuckling ] 267 00:10:27,502 --> 00:10:29,587 -And then I went and kind of redid some stuff, you know? 268 00:10:29,713 --> 00:10:31,214 A set is just three minutes. 269 00:10:31,339 --> 00:10:32,966 Three minutes, is a fucking hour. 270 00:10:33,091 --> 00:10:34,467 And the third time, I got put in there 271 00:10:34,592 --> 00:10:38,972 like at 9:00, 10:00 in the morn-- at night. 272 00:10:39,097 --> 00:10:41,933 Prime time. Guy comes by, "You're next." 273 00:10:42,058 --> 00:10:43,268 And I was like, "Fucking next?" Go up there. 274 00:10:43,393 --> 00:10:45,186 I don't even know what I'm doing. 275 00:10:45,311 --> 00:10:46,730 You're just on a ride, you know, just people are laughing. 276 00:10:46,855 --> 00:10:48,106 All this stuff, like this, and they're laughing, 277 00:10:48,231 --> 00:10:49,649 and Freddie Prinze had passed. 278 00:10:49,774 --> 00:10:51,651 You know, it's the accents and you know. 279 00:10:51,776 --> 00:10:53,778 There was a -- You know, remember PSA Airlines? 280 00:10:53,903 --> 00:10:55,405 You know, that had the smile, right? 281 00:10:55,530 --> 00:10:57,741 So my last joke was, 282 00:10:57,866 --> 00:10:59,659 "You know the PSA? They fly to Mexico, you know? 283 00:10:59,784 --> 00:11:01,244 They have the smile. 284 00:11:01,369 --> 00:11:02,996 You could tell which planes go to Mexico, 285 00:11:03,121 --> 00:11:04,414 because the smile has a gold tooth." 286 00:11:04,539 --> 00:11:06,207 -[Laughs] -'79. 287 00:11:06,332 --> 00:11:07,667 -That was it? That was the punchline? 288 00:11:07,792 --> 00:11:09,169 -That was in '79. "Good night." 289 00:11:09,294 --> 00:11:10,670 And fuck it, they were [Inaudible], you know? 290 00:11:10,795 --> 00:11:12,339 -Did you fall in love with the spotlight? 291 00:11:12,464 --> 00:11:13,798 Did you fall in love with the laugh there? 292 00:11:13,923 --> 00:11:15,050 -Yeah. You know, that third time 293 00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:18,303 that it happened, and you know, 294 00:11:18,428 --> 00:11:21,431 really kinda just holding on, and maybe it was 295 00:11:21,556 --> 00:11:25,226 probably the most incredible feeling that I've ever had, 296 00:11:25,352 --> 00:11:27,145 and I was with the guy I grew up with, you know? 297 00:11:27,270 --> 00:11:29,022 And I tape-recorded it, you know. 298 00:11:29,147 --> 00:11:31,066 I had, like, a tape recorder. I still tape all the shows. 299 00:11:31,191 --> 00:11:33,401 And we were, like, running the street, up and down, 300 00:11:33,526 --> 00:11:35,362 like stray dogs, man, looking for a place to... 301 00:11:35,487 --> 00:11:37,572 So, we sat across from the Comedy Store, 302 00:11:37,697 --> 00:11:40,075 at this orthopedic thing, and we sat on the steps, 303 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,035 and just played it over and over and over, man. 304 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:43,495 It's like -- And I don't think that -- 305 00:11:43,620 --> 00:11:45,497 You know I've done better, longer 306 00:11:45,622 --> 00:11:47,540 for the last, you know, 40 years. 307 00:11:47,665 --> 00:11:49,376 But I don't think that there's anything 308 00:11:49,501 --> 00:11:50,877 that has affected me so much... -40 years? 309 00:11:51,002 --> 00:11:54,798 -...as -- 42, 43. -43 years in comedy? 310 00:11:54,923 --> 00:11:57,175 -I started, I was 18. I was still in high school. 311 00:11:57,300 --> 00:11:59,302 -Holy shit man. -Yeah. 312 00:11:59,427 --> 00:12:00,512 It's insane. 313 00:12:00,637 --> 00:12:02,222 But let's pause here for a second. 314 00:12:02,347 --> 00:12:04,766 Let's take a break. Hey, when welcome back, 315 00:12:04,891 --> 00:12:06,434 we'll have more "Hart to Heart" with George Lopez. 316 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:07,686 Don't go nowhere. How old are you now, George? 317 00:12:07,811 --> 00:12:11,898 Hey! How you doing man? 318 00:12:12,023 --> 00:12:14,567 Long time, big guy. You look good. 319 00:12:14,693 --> 00:12:16,569 -Take some pictures in there. -Thanks. 320 00:12:16,695 --> 00:12:18,363 -Alright, here we go. Look up, right this way. 321 00:12:18,488 --> 00:12:20,448 Big smile. Good. One, two, and three. 322 00:12:20,573 --> 00:12:22,409 Love it. Done. 323 00:12:22,534 --> 00:12:25,912 ** 324 00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:32,961 ** 325 00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:34,796 -A couple shots. 326 00:12:34,921 --> 00:12:37,090 [Inaudible] Here we go. Good. 327 00:12:37,215 --> 00:12:40,885 Alright, good, perfect. Love it. Nice. 328 00:12:41,011 --> 00:12:42,387 -Welcome back to "Hart to Heart." 329 00:12:42,512 --> 00:12:44,472 Still talking to George Lopez. 330 00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:48,351 So, after, of course, going onstage the first time, 331 00:12:48,476 --> 00:12:50,020 what was the consistency? 332 00:12:50,145 --> 00:12:51,396 Like, how often were you going up? 333 00:12:51,521 --> 00:12:53,356 -Bam. That's a good question. 334 00:12:53,481 --> 00:12:58,653 You know, I went for the summer of '79, on and off. 335 00:12:58,778 --> 00:13:02,240 But then, what I realized that I had was, 336 00:13:02,365 --> 00:13:04,409 I quit when shit got tough. 337 00:13:04,534 --> 00:13:06,161 And it was no matter what it was. 338 00:13:06,286 --> 00:13:07,620 You know, if it was, you know, karate classes, 339 00:13:07,746 --> 00:13:09,581 or my grandmother paid for some accordion -- 340 00:13:09,706 --> 00:13:11,124 the fucking accordion. 341 00:13:11,249 --> 00:13:12,417 Who wants to fucking play the accordion? 342 00:13:12,542 --> 00:13:14,210 So, all the kids in the neighborhood 343 00:13:14,336 --> 00:13:15,462 signed up for accordion. You had to go rent an accordion. 344 00:13:15,587 --> 00:13:17,172 And, yeah, I went to Granada Hills. 345 00:13:17,297 --> 00:13:18,923 I had to lug this fucking thing up the stair, 346 00:13:19,049 --> 00:13:21,092 like a block of fucking ice, to go in there and try to learn 347 00:13:21,217 --> 00:13:22,510 how to play that fucking accordion. 348 00:13:22,635 --> 00:13:24,346 So, maybe, out of 10 lessons... [ Laughter ] 349 00:13:24,471 --> 00:13:26,181 ...I maybe took three, and then 350 00:13:26,306 --> 00:13:27,640 if I ever asked my grandmother for anything, she's like, 351 00:13:27,766 --> 00:13:30,268 "The fucking accordion?!" You know, 352 00:13:30,393 --> 00:13:32,062 the fucking accordion for my whole life, man. 353 00:13:32,187 --> 00:13:34,064 "Grandmother, can I play Little League?" 354 00:13:34,189 --> 00:13:35,690 "Why don't you fucking learn how to play that accordion 355 00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:37,692 and then play Little League?" [ Laughter ] 356 00:13:37,817 --> 00:13:41,696 So, for seven lessons on the fucking accordion, 357 00:13:41,821 --> 00:13:44,699 she probably saved herself $50,000 over the years. 358 00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:46,951 So I quit, right? 359 00:13:47,077 --> 00:13:51,539 So, my high school baseball, where I played baseball, 360 00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:55,919 and we were supposed to have a car wash. 361 00:13:56,044 --> 00:13:58,046 We had to sell tickets. And I was a fucking introv-- 362 00:13:58,171 --> 00:13:59,923 I'm not gonna fucking sell tickets. 363 00:14:00,048 --> 00:14:01,966 So, he goes, "Hey, I need that money for the car wash tickets," 364 00:14:02,092 --> 00:14:03,593 and I'm like, "I didn't sell any." 365 00:14:03,718 --> 00:14:06,471 So I go in there, and he's like, "Where's the money at?" 366 00:14:06,596 --> 00:14:07,722 And I said, "I didn't sell any tickets, man. 367 00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:09,182 I'm not a fucking salesman." 368 00:14:09,307 --> 00:14:11,142 And he was like, "Well, you owe me $275." 369 00:14:11,267 --> 00:14:13,311 I go, "I'm not paying you $275." 370 00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:15,188 So he bought like a batting cage and all that stuff. 371 00:14:15,313 --> 00:14:16,815 So, he got in my face, and he's like, 372 00:14:16,940 --> 00:14:18,692 "So, you're gonna use all this equipment for free, 373 00:14:18,817 --> 00:14:21,528 and I expect..." I said, "Well I didn't know." 374 00:14:21,653 --> 00:14:23,488 So we end up nose-to-nose, and he says to me, 375 00:14:23,613 --> 00:14:25,281 "You know, you're a fucking quitter. 376 00:14:25,407 --> 00:14:26,700 And when shit gets tough, you fucking pack it in." 377 00:14:26,825 --> 00:14:28,368 Story of my review -- "Fucking pack it." 378 00:14:28,493 --> 00:14:31,287 We're like this. I'm like -- I just turned 18, 379 00:14:31,413 --> 00:14:33,164 and we're nose-to-nose -- with my baseball coach, 380 00:14:33,289 --> 00:14:34,457 who I had been with three years. 381 00:14:34,582 --> 00:14:37,168 -Yeah. -And he's like, 382 00:14:37,293 --> 00:14:39,295 "You know, I want to see where you are in fucking 10 years, 383 00:14:39,421 --> 00:14:41,923 because when you fucking quit, you'll never get anywhere. 384 00:14:42,048 --> 00:14:44,050 You pack it in and fucking quit. 385 00:14:44,175 --> 00:14:46,219 Come back in 10 years and let me know how you're doing." 386 00:14:46,344 --> 00:14:47,846 I said, "Fuck you." I turned around, 387 00:14:47,971 --> 00:14:49,973 my friends were like [Gasps]. 388 00:14:50,098 --> 00:14:52,809 So I started to play golf. 389 00:14:52,934 --> 00:14:55,437 And it's very frustrating, and when it got to be tough, I quit. 390 00:14:55,562 --> 00:14:57,105 -Wow. -Said to all these dudes, 391 00:14:57,230 --> 00:14:58,690 "Hey, I'm gonna take off, man." "Where you going?" 392 00:14:58,815 --> 00:15:00,275 "Out. You know, I have to go do something." 393 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:01,985 But I knew I was-- 394 00:15:02,110 --> 00:15:03,528 so it didn't dawn on me until one time I was playing 395 00:15:03,653 --> 00:15:05,447 and those guys were still playing. 396 00:15:05,572 --> 00:15:06,948 We're having a good time. I don't know what I'm doing. 397 00:15:07,073 --> 00:15:11,286 And, uh, I quit because I wasn't playing well, 398 00:15:11,411 --> 00:15:12,787 and I look over and those guys were having fun. 399 00:15:12,912 --> 00:15:14,622 And I was like, "Man," and then I was driving 400 00:15:14,748 --> 00:15:16,791 along the street, and almost like in the movies, 401 00:15:16,916 --> 00:15:18,752 where the dude comes in the corner your head, 402 00:15:18,877 --> 00:15:20,670 and I realized that the coach was right. 403 00:15:20,795 --> 00:15:22,714 Like, I quit when shit got tough. 404 00:15:22,839 --> 00:15:24,507 I quit on people, I quit on family, 405 00:15:24,632 --> 00:15:26,426 I quit on sports, I quit on the shit that I love, 406 00:15:26,551 --> 00:15:28,178 because it was tough. 407 00:15:28,303 --> 00:15:30,013 I didn't have a father to say, "Hey, man, you know, 408 00:15:30,138 --> 00:15:32,223 when it gets tough it's gonna get good," you know? 409 00:15:32,349 --> 00:15:35,060 And I went to, uh -- 410 00:15:35,185 --> 00:15:37,062 I was probably out of high school for five years, 411 00:15:37,187 --> 00:15:39,814 and I went to the school and waited till practice was over, 412 00:15:39,939 --> 00:15:41,941 was collecting the bases like I always did, 413 00:15:42,067 --> 00:15:43,818 and I walked across that field and he saw me, and he's like, 414 00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:46,279 "Is that my third bases?" "Hey, Coach, what's up?" 415 00:15:46,404 --> 00:15:47,906 He goes, "What are you doing here?" 416 00:15:48,031 --> 00:15:49,657 And I say, "Man, you know, I just came to tell you 417 00:15:49,783 --> 00:15:51,534 I'm sorry for the way I acted when I was here." 418 00:15:51,659 --> 00:15:53,995 He's like, "What?" I said, "Yeah, you know, 419 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:55,955 I fucking treated you bad, disrespected you, 420 00:15:56,081 --> 00:15:57,707 and you know, you said that I was a quitter, all that shit." 421 00:15:57,832 --> 00:15:59,918 I said, "You know what, man? You're right, you know? 422 00:16:00,043 --> 00:16:02,545 I just came to tell you, apologize, and you're right. 423 00:16:02,671 --> 00:16:06,049 It really changed my life." So he said, 424 00:16:06,174 --> 00:16:08,802 "You came to tell me that you were sorry for the way you be--" 425 00:16:08,927 --> 00:16:10,679 I said, "Yeah." Fucking shook my hand. 426 00:16:10,804 --> 00:16:12,472 He goes, "You know, might be hope for you yet." 427 00:16:12,597 --> 00:16:15,183 And you know, Kev, I don't think that -- 428 00:16:18,937 --> 00:16:21,648 Uh, I don't think I could have gone forward... 429 00:16:21,773 --> 00:16:24,651 -Yeah. -...without telling that guy 430 00:16:24,776 --> 00:16:26,736 that I was sorry... -That's huge, man. 431 00:16:26,861 --> 00:16:29,447 -...because I was so flagrant and so disrespectful 432 00:16:29,572 --> 00:16:32,242 to somebody who was a teacher. 433 00:16:32,367 --> 00:16:34,035 You know, have respect for teachers. 434 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,997 But, I just -- If the fucker lived in New York, 435 00:16:38,123 --> 00:16:40,208 I would have probably gone to New York. 436 00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:44,087 It was just no way that I would have continued my life 437 00:16:44,212 --> 00:16:46,172 or been good at anything 438 00:16:46,297 --> 00:16:48,591 if I didn't tell that guy that he was right about me. 439 00:16:48,717 --> 00:16:50,427 -When you say that, when you say, 440 00:16:50,552 --> 00:16:51,845 "If I didn't tell that guy" -- right? -- 441 00:16:51,970 --> 00:16:53,722 and he was right about you... -Yeah. 442 00:16:53,847 --> 00:16:55,682 -...at that point, you're making a conscious effort to go, 443 00:16:55,807 --> 00:16:58,018 reach out to him, and say, like, "Hey, man, 444 00:16:58,143 --> 00:17:00,228 I did some wrong things, but you were right." 445 00:17:00,353 --> 00:17:02,313 -Yeah. -Was that moment a moment 446 00:17:02,439 --> 00:17:04,524 where you said, "But the quitting stops today"? 447 00:17:04,649 --> 00:17:07,736 -Yeah. You know, I was dating a woman 448 00:17:07,861 --> 00:17:10,572 that was older than me, like 13 years older. 449 00:17:10,697 --> 00:17:12,741 I always liked the older women, you know? 450 00:17:12,866 --> 00:17:15,660 And older white women, like, kinda like, 451 00:17:15,785 --> 00:17:19,039 you know, a Morgan Fairchild thing. 452 00:17:19,164 --> 00:17:20,623 -Okay. Right. -So... 453 00:17:20,749 --> 00:17:22,584 -A hump in the back, not humping -- 454 00:17:22,709 --> 00:17:24,294 -Like that, yeah. -Okay, alright, I got it. 455 00:17:24,419 --> 00:17:27,339 -So, um... [ Laughter ] 456 00:17:27,464 --> 00:17:30,050 So, you know, I was at a time 457 00:17:30,175 --> 00:17:33,595 where my grandfather asked me for the key to the house back. 458 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,180 Said, "You didn't live here anymore. 459 00:17:35,305 --> 00:17:36,639 You know, give me the key. 460 00:17:36,765 --> 00:17:38,266 You have to knock when you come over." 461 00:17:38,391 --> 00:17:39,726 So I was living with my friend Arnold, on his couch. 462 00:17:39,851 --> 00:17:42,312 And it was my birthday, April 23, 1984. 463 00:17:42,437 --> 00:17:44,856 I lost my job. 464 00:17:44,981 --> 00:17:47,609 I was living on my friend's couch. 465 00:17:47,734 --> 00:17:49,903 Had already done stand-up, you know, maybe 50 times 466 00:17:50,028 --> 00:17:52,489 over the last, you know, five years. 467 00:17:52,614 --> 00:17:54,824 And I would stop and thing. 468 00:17:54,949 --> 00:17:57,911 But you know, when I was 18, they would put me on first. 469 00:17:58,036 --> 00:17:59,621 There was nobody there, then, you know, 470 00:17:59,746 --> 00:18:01,915 'cause the alcohol is still -- so, that morning, 471 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,585 when I woke up at like 6:15, it was a Monday. 472 00:18:05,710 --> 00:18:10,632 And I was just -- I had no job, had no money. 473 00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:13,009 And I was like, "Man, you know, what the fuck would I -- 474 00:18:13,134 --> 00:18:15,220 What do I wantto do?" 475 00:18:15,345 --> 00:18:17,138 It was like, "I want to do stand-up." 476 00:18:17,263 --> 00:18:19,808 So, in that duplex, back on that dude's couch, 477 00:18:19,933 --> 00:18:22,811 I said, "I'm going tonight, 478 00:18:22,936 --> 00:18:24,979 and I'm not gonna quit no matter what happens. 479 00:18:25,105 --> 00:18:27,065 If I make it, I make it, and if I don't make it, 480 00:18:27,190 --> 00:18:29,067 I'm not gonna quit." 481 00:18:29,192 --> 00:18:30,860 I don't really have quit at anything since, you know? 482 00:18:30,985 --> 00:18:32,862 And went back there that night. Those guys see me, 483 00:18:32,987 --> 00:18:35,031 "Man, we thought you died man. What the fuck you doing here?" 484 00:18:35,156 --> 00:18:37,409 Kinda those jokes were a little bit dated, but I went. 485 00:18:37,534 --> 00:18:39,869 And I started to keep going and keep going and keep going. 486 00:18:39,994 --> 00:18:42,831 And that was all part of that thing 487 00:18:42,956 --> 00:18:44,833 after I talked to the coach. -What was the first moment 488 00:18:44,958 --> 00:18:48,628 of, like, real success, where you said, "Oh, fuck, 489 00:18:48,753 --> 00:18:52,924 I can do this at the highest level, 490 00:18:53,049 --> 00:18:55,260 I can actually get there"? 491 00:18:55,385 --> 00:18:58,179 I was at the Capital City Comedy Club in Austin, 492 00:18:58,304 --> 00:19:00,432 and Chappelle had been there the week before. 493 00:19:00,557 --> 00:19:02,767 And Sandra Bullock lived in Austin, 494 00:19:02,892 --> 00:19:04,477 and she went to see Chappelle. 495 00:19:04,602 --> 00:19:08,773 And the manager of the club said to me, 496 00:19:08,898 --> 00:19:10,692 "Sandra Bullock is gonna come to the second show." 497 00:19:10,817 --> 00:19:12,027 And I was, you know, fucking drinking and shit. 498 00:19:12,152 --> 00:19:13,945 I was like, 499 00:19:14,070 --> 00:19:15,697 "Man, I don't want fucking Sandra Bullock to come see me." 500 00:19:15,822 --> 00:19:16,698 So I, fucking dressing room, I went up like this, 501 00:19:16,823 --> 00:19:18,241 I said, "Please, whatever, 502 00:19:18,366 --> 00:19:20,160 don't allow Sandra Bullock 503 00:19:20,285 --> 00:19:22,078 to come to the second show." 504 00:19:22,203 --> 00:19:25,040 Because she would have seen a guy that didn't have an act. 505 00:19:25,165 --> 00:19:27,208 It was just fucking drinking, trying to get through it. 506 00:19:27,334 --> 00:19:29,085 -Why not your best? -So, not at my best, you know? 507 00:19:29,210 --> 00:19:31,755 And before the show started, the first guy was up, 508 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,175 "She's not coming." I said, "Oh, my God," you know? 509 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:37,344 And then, two years later, somebody saw me 510 00:19:37,469 --> 00:19:41,056 for an idea that somebody had. Didn't know who it was. 511 00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:43,308 And it was Sandra Bullock. 512 00:19:43,433 --> 00:19:46,811 So, Sandra Bullock came to see me two years later. 513 00:19:46,936 --> 00:19:49,022 I was pretty much dry, not drinking as much, 514 00:19:49,147 --> 00:19:51,232 really on a better path. 515 00:19:51,358 --> 00:19:56,488 And saw me at The Improv, and she -- backstage, 516 00:19:56,613 --> 00:20:00,200 she was like, "Wow, I mean, can we sit and talk, you know, 517 00:20:00,325 --> 00:20:02,118 about maybe there's an idea?" 518 00:20:02,243 --> 00:20:05,080 I think their idea, at first, was, like, maybe for teenagers, 519 00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:07,040 and the parents were secondary figures, you know. 520 00:20:07,165 --> 00:20:09,542 And she's like, "I think there might be something different." 521 00:20:09,668 --> 00:20:13,546 So, I went to her production company, 522 00:20:13,672 --> 00:20:15,382 we sat there, maybe like three hours. 523 00:20:15,507 --> 00:20:16,883 -Wow. -And then, she had a snort. 524 00:20:17,008 --> 00:20:18,802 You know, Miss Congeniality stuff. 525 00:20:18,927 --> 00:20:22,263 And then she was walking me out after like three hours. 526 00:20:22,389 --> 00:20:24,891 She's like, "Ring me?" I said, "Hey, you know, 527 00:20:25,016 --> 00:20:28,311 whatever happens, yes or not, 528 00:20:28,436 --> 00:20:29,729 whatever, you know. 529 00:20:29,854 --> 00:20:30,980 It hasn't been ever done successfully. 530 00:20:31,106 --> 00:20:32,732 I just want to tell you right now, 531 00:20:32,857 --> 00:20:33,817 thank you for just being interested in me." 532 00:20:33,942 --> 00:20:36,152 -Yeah. -And she was like, 533 00:20:36,277 --> 00:20:37,946 "You know, why don't you just worry about being funny, 534 00:20:38,071 --> 00:20:39,364 and you let me worry about the business stuff?" 535 00:20:39,489 --> 00:20:40,699 And nobody ever said that to me, man. 536 00:20:40,824 --> 00:20:42,575 -Wow. -So, meeting her -- I mean, 537 00:20:42,701 --> 00:20:43,993 you know, the manifestation of things, 538 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,037 you know, when people manifest things. 539 00:20:46,162 --> 00:20:48,665 I mean, I've been manifesting things my whole life, 540 00:20:48,790 --> 00:20:50,667 and didn't really realize it until maybe the last 10 years. 541 00:20:50,792 --> 00:20:53,962 But you know, she became my, you know -- 542 00:20:54,087 --> 00:20:56,089 fucking, I'll say it -- like a fairy godmother, man. 543 00:20:56,214 --> 00:21:00,176 That just took me and didn't allow anybody to say no to me. 544 00:21:00,301 --> 00:21:02,887 -Wow. -And then we went to go see -- 545 00:21:03,013 --> 00:21:06,099 the first meeting we had was with Bruce Elford. 546 00:21:06,224 --> 00:21:12,605 And Bruce Elford was like, "Yeah, let's go see George." 547 00:21:12,731 --> 00:21:14,774 And so I'm at the Ice House, loved it, 548 00:21:14,899 --> 00:21:16,276 Stu Bloomberg was the president of ABC. 549 00:21:16,401 --> 00:21:17,944 Last time, like, maybe Roseanne was there. 550 00:21:18,069 --> 00:21:20,113 And Tim Allen. It was really comedy-centric. 551 00:21:20,238 --> 00:21:22,991 You know, like, good -- You know, the talent mattered. 552 00:21:23,116 --> 00:21:25,827 He was the last president there. So, he came to see me, 553 00:21:25,952 --> 00:21:27,579 and it was like, "Fuck, that's fucking hilarious." 554 00:21:27,704 --> 00:21:29,122 And said, "Let's bring, you know, 555 00:21:29,247 --> 00:21:30,623 Peter Roth from Warner Bros. in there." 556 00:21:30,749 --> 00:21:32,375 -Wow. -So, they go "Do 25." 557 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:34,252 That was at the Ice House. So, just killing it, man. 558 00:21:34,377 --> 00:21:37,839 And told the sound guy, I said, "Give me the light at 20." 559 00:21:37,964 --> 00:21:39,841 Fucking just hammering, way up here. 560 00:21:39,966 --> 00:21:41,801 And the light went on, and it's like Ali, 561 00:21:41,926 --> 00:21:43,636 when you know that you can do this shit 562 00:21:43,762 --> 00:21:45,388 and you know that you -- -In your zone. 563 00:21:45,513 --> 00:21:46,765 When you're in your zone. -You knew what was left, yeah. 564 00:21:46,890 --> 00:21:51,853 -Yeah. -And killed 'em. Hugs. 565 00:21:51,978 --> 00:21:54,647 Went out next day. Next day, I flew to Houston. 566 00:21:54,773 --> 00:21:57,150 I was gonna do a club. Called me at 11:30. 567 00:21:57,275 --> 00:21:59,194 It's like 1:30 in Houston. Just landed. 568 00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:00,695 He goes, "Are you sitting down?" I said, "Yeah." 569 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:03,990 "Hey, ABC bought 13 episodes of the show. 570 00:22:04,115 --> 00:22:06,201 No pilot, no thing. 13 on the air." 571 00:22:06,326 --> 00:22:08,078 -Get the fuck outta here. -And I was like "What?" 572 00:22:08,203 --> 00:22:09,996 "13. Congratulations, man, you have a television show." 573 00:22:10,121 --> 00:22:12,248 "The fuck?" Fucking driver's right there. 574 00:22:12,374 --> 00:22:13,625 I said, "Hey, man." 575 00:22:13,750 --> 00:22:15,168 He looks up, you can see his eyes. 576 00:22:15,293 --> 00:22:17,003 It's like, "I got a television show on ABC." 577 00:22:17,128 --> 00:22:18,505 "Aw, fuck." His fucking eyes went up. 578 00:22:18,630 --> 00:22:19,964 "Fucking guy. Bullshit, motherfucker." 579 00:22:20,090 --> 00:22:22,342 [ Laughter ] And he was like, 580 00:22:22,467 --> 00:22:26,680 "Fuckin' -- Yeah, alright." So, but... 581 00:22:26,805 --> 00:22:28,306 -George -- -I mean, I was in, man. 582 00:22:28,431 --> 00:22:29,849 -George, do you understand how insane that is? 583 00:22:29,974 --> 00:22:32,227 Do you understand how insane? -Yeah. 584 00:22:32,352 --> 00:22:34,062 You know, there was a thing, you know, the -- 585 00:22:34,187 --> 00:22:35,772 So, that was 2001. 586 00:22:35,897 --> 00:22:38,608 So, 9/11, in September, 587 00:22:38,733 --> 00:22:41,861 really was gonna be the start of the new season of shows, 588 00:22:41,986 --> 00:22:43,405 and all that stuff. But I mean, you know, 589 00:22:43,530 --> 00:22:45,532 remember everybody was just not into laughing. 590 00:22:45,657 --> 00:22:48,326 A lot of drama, a lot of hour shows. 591 00:22:48,451 --> 00:22:50,412 And I wasn't in that thing, 592 00:22:50,537 --> 00:22:52,956 but we were writing the pilot at that time. 593 00:22:53,081 --> 00:22:55,417 So, I mean, that's another thing. 594 00:22:55,542 --> 00:22:58,294 I mean, if I had gone you know, there, the timing of it, 595 00:22:58,420 --> 00:23:00,964 and then the pilot looked pretty good, 596 00:23:01,089 --> 00:23:03,633 and then they say, "We'll go ahead and start casting it," 597 00:23:03,758 --> 00:23:06,261 we found some good actors, 598 00:23:06,386 --> 00:23:09,597 and then, in the beginning of the year, 599 00:23:09,723 --> 00:23:12,892 Sandra and I and Bruce and everybody, ABC people, 600 00:23:13,018 --> 00:23:14,894 went to Warner Bros., in the office. 601 00:23:15,020 --> 00:23:16,271 And sitting around the big table, 602 00:23:16,396 --> 00:23:18,398 and they said, "So, here's the dilemma. 603 00:23:18,523 --> 00:23:20,442 With everything that's happened, you know, 604 00:23:20,567 --> 00:23:23,278 there's an opportunity to go mid-season, 605 00:23:23,403 --> 00:23:25,739 or there's an opportunity to wait till September." 606 00:23:25,864 --> 00:23:27,198 Mm-hmm. -And they said, "You know, 607 00:23:27,323 --> 00:23:29,284 what are the pros and cons of it? 608 00:23:29,409 --> 00:23:31,411 You know, if you wait till September, 609 00:23:31,536 --> 00:23:33,455 you have more time to develop and all this stuff, you know?" 610 00:23:33,580 --> 00:23:36,958 And then Bruce said, "You know, but if we start now, 611 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:39,961 we probably won't be able to do, you know, 13 shows. 612 00:23:40,086 --> 00:23:42,630 Maybe six, you know, four, whatever, you know?" 613 00:23:42,756 --> 00:23:46,259 So Sandra's like, "Well, why don't we let George decide?" 614 00:23:46,384 --> 00:23:48,136 And everybody looked at me, they go, 615 00:23:48,261 --> 00:23:50,055 "So, what do you want to do? You want to go now? 616 00:23:50,180 --> 00:23:52,265 Or do you want to go in September?" 617 00:23:52,390 --> 00:23:56,144 And I was like -- and I'd always been kind of thing, 618 00:23:56,269 --> 00:23:59,564 like, you know, I was like, "Fuck it, let's go now." 619 00:23:59,689 --> 00:24:00,982 -Get outta here, man. 620 00:24:01,107 --> 00:24:03,777 -And I think that was maybe the -- 621 00:24:03,902 --> 00:24:06,112 you know, some people start to help me make decisions, 622 00:24:06,237 --> 00:24:09,240 but I was always from a place where, when I grew up it's like, 623 00:24:09,366 --> 00:24:10,992 "Let's just do it now, instead of waiting," 624 00:24:11,117 --> 00:24:14,579 so I was already kind of in my personality 625 00:24:14,704 --> 00:24:16,456 that that's what I would do. 626 00:24:16,581 --> 00:24:18,750 And maybe the biggest thing -- the best decision I've made. 627 00:24:18,875 --> 00:24:21,127 -Wow. Let's stop right here. 628 00:24:21,252 --> 00:24:23,380 Guys, we're gonna take a quick break. 629 00:24:23,505 --> 00:24:24,964 We'll be right back with more George Lopez after this. 630 00:24:25,090 --> 00:24:28,426 ** 631 00:24:29,094 --> 00:24:31,012 -Hold this right down here. 632 00:24:31,137 --> 00:24:33,139 ** 633 00:24:33,264 --> 00:24:35,975 Do you have any funny traditions or rituals 634 00:24:36,101 --> 00:24:37,727 before a stand-up show? 635 00:24:37,852 --> 00:24:43,149 -Asleep by 3:00, and I double-tie my shoes. 636 00:24:43,274 --> 00:24:47,237 ** 637 00:24:52,242 --> 00:24:55,286 ** 638 00:24:55,412 --> 00:24:57,163 -Welcome back, guys. This is "Hart to Heart," 639 00:24:57,288 --> 00:24:58,707 and I'm still talking to George Lopez. 640 00:24:58,832 --> 00:25:00,667 So, George, the dope thing about this conversation 641 00:25:00,792 --> 00:25:03,086 is, like, I can see, through your stories, 642 00:25:03,211 --> 00:25:06,798 where your confidence in self started to change 643 00:25:06,923 --> 00:25:09,342 because somebody was showing confidence in you. 644 00:25:09,467 --> 00:25:11,511 -Yeah. I was a huge, you know, 645 00:25:11,636 --> 00:25:13,221 "Chico and the Man," Freddie Prinze, 646 00:25:13,346 --> 00:25:15,890 like, since I was an only child watching TV. 647 00:25:16,016 --> 00:25:19,602 So, when I saw him in 1973, "Chico and the Man," 648 00:25:19,728 --> 00:25:22,647 it's like really very connected, like you see somebody like that. 649 00:25:22,772 --> 00:25:24,357 The most, maybe, like, love at first sight 650 00:25:24,482 --> 00:25:26,109 become the same. My friends had girlfriends, 651 00:25:26,234 --> 00:25:27,944 all this stuff, but every Friday night, 652 00:25:28,069 --> 00:25:30,155 me and Ernie would go watch TV, you know, watch that stuff. 653 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:31,906 So, you know, he committed suicide 654 00:25:32,032 --> 00:25:34,492 when I was in 10th grade, and, uh, 655 00:25:34,617 --> 00:25:39,122 I was fuckin' really kind of, you know, distraught. 656 00:25:39,247 --> 00:25:40,999 But I didn't know the dude. 657 00:25:41,124 --> 00:25:44,794 And I would go over to his, uh... 658 00:25:44,919 --> 00:25:48,423 When I was still in high school, I would go to Forest Lawn, 659 00:25:48,548 --> 00:25:54,929 and I would go to his crypt and I would talk to him. 660 00:25:55,055 --> 00:25:56,723 I would say, "You know, kinda trying to do this thing. 661 00:25:56,848 --> 00:25:59,726 You know, thank you for --" It's kinda -- 662 00:25:59,851 --> 00:26:01,394 I don't know, I would just go there, right? 663 00:26:01,519 --> 00:26:05,440 So, um, I went over there one time, 664 00:26:05,565 --> 00:26:12,030 and the headstone was a little bit loose, you know? 665 00:26:12,155 --> 00:26:13,698 Headstone was a little bit loose. 666 00:26:13,823 --> 00:26:18,703 So I wiggled the headstone, and I broke it off. 667 00:26:18,828 --> 00:26:20,914 So, it was broken, you know? 668 00:26:21,039 --> 00:26:22,957 And I took the headstone with me. 669 00:26:23,083 --> 00:26:25,835 I stole the headstone from Forest Lawn, you know? 670 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,712 -Okay. -Uh, uh... 671 00:26:27,837 --> 00:26:29,005 -That's -- -It's theft. 672 00:26:29,130 --> 00:26:30,965 -It's theft. -A felony? 673 00:26:31,091 --> 00:26:33,301 -That's definitely stealing at the highest level. 674 00:26:33,426 --> 00:26:35,512 -Maybe the statute of limitations might be over. 675 00:26:35,637 --> 00:26:38,473 [ Laughter ] So that's how fuckin' weird 676 00:26:38,598 --> 00:26:40,517 and crazy the thing was, you know? 677 00:26:40,642 --> 00:26:43,061 Mm-hmm. 678 00:26:43,186 --> 00:26:46,690 -And then, I go to Thrifty's-- 679 00:26:46,815 --> 00:26:49,192 I'm still at high school -- 680 00:26:49,317 --> 00:26:52,320 and I look at The Globe, 681 00:26:52,445 --> 00:26:54,072 and there's a picture of Freddie Prinze 682 00:26:54,197 --> 00:26:56,032 with his mom holding the picture, 683 00:26:56,157 --> 00:26:57,951 and it said, "Grave robbers are trying to steal my son's body." 684 00:26:58,076 --> 00:26:59,244 -Oh, Jesus Christ. -And I'm like... 685 00:26:59,369 --> 00:27:00,829 -Oh, Jesus Christ. [ Laughter ] 686 00:27:00,954 --> 00:27:04,082 -..."Fuck, that's me. Fuckin' grave robbers." 687 00:27:04,207 --> 00:27:06,668 And then the mom's all worried, the thing, 688 00:27:06,793 --> 00:27:08,712 they call security in there, they replaced the thing. 689 00:27:08,837 --> 00:27:12,007 I'm like, "Fuck man, that's in the fuckin' National -- 690 00:27:12,132 --> 00:27:13,174 There's that fuckin' boy that's the bat, 691 00:27:13,299 --> 00:27:15,552 and his mom," You know? So... 692 00:27:15,677 --> 00:27:17,137 -National news. -Fuckin' national news. 693 00:27:17,262 --> 00:27:19,222 -Yes, yes. -So... 694 00:27:19,347 --> 00:27:21,224 -This is gonna be a big thing coming out, 695 00:27:21,349 --> 00:27:23,435 that you took the fuckin' headstone. 696 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,520 You know, this has been the biggest mystery 697 00:27:25,645 --> 00:27:28,565 for years George. There's articles about this, 698 00:27:28,690 --> 00:27:30,650 and right now, you just confessed 699 00:27:30,775 --> 00:27:32,986 [Laughs] to taking the headstone, George. 700 00:27:33,111 --> 00:27:34,612 -That would be like Whitey Bulger... 701 00:27:34,738 --> 00:27:36,656 -Yeah. [ Laughs ] -...of fuckin' headstones. 702 00:27:36,781 --> 00:27:39,117 Fuckin' 30 years later, ass gets arrested -- 703 00:27:39,242 --> 00:27:40,452 -30 years later. -What the fuck? 704 00:27:40,577 --> 00:27:42,746 I took a headstone, man. [ Laughter ] 705 00:27:42,871 --> 00:27:44,247 "Whose headstone?" "Freddie Prinze." 706 00:27:44,372 --> 00:27:48,251 "Who's that?" So... 707 00:27:48,376 --> 00:27:50,628 everywhere I went, I took it with me. 708 00:27:50,754 --> 00:27:53,757 -Yeah. -And when I would get drunk, 709 00:27:53,882 --> 00:27:55,675 you know, Mexicans get all sentimental. 710 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,635 They drink, "I -- I don't want to live!" 711 00:27:57,761 --> 00:27:59,512 Or fuck, you know? -[ Laughs ] 712 00:27:59,637 --> 00:28:01,306 -"I don't want to live!" All the kids watching cartoons. 713 00:28:01,431 --> 00:28:03,975 "I don't want to live!" So when I would drink 714 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:05,393 with my friend, I'd start crying. 715 00:28:05,518 --> 00:28:07,145 I would yell "Freddie!," and they were like, 716 00:28:07,270 --> 00:28:09,564 "Hey, man, this motherfucker's crazy, man. 717 00:28:09,689 --> 00:28:11,858 You don't even know this dude. He's like crying." 718 00:28:11,983 --> 00:28:13,485 But, I mean, really -- -He was 719 00:28:13,610 --> 00:28:17,572 a real, like inspiration. -Oh, man, I mean... 720 00:28:17,697 --> 00:28:20,241 -A true, like, idol. Like, somebody you idolize. 721 00:28:20,367 --> 00:28:23,370 -For a kid that grew up alone, you know. 722 00:28:23,495 --> 00:28:27,916 So, when I buy a house in Toluca Lake, 723 00:28:28,041 --> 00:28:32,337 when the show first started, three houses over, 724 00:28:32,462 --> 00:28:34,381 Freddie Prinze Jr. lives there. 725 00:28:34,506 --> 00:28:37,634 So, when we move in, this woman comes over. 726 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:41,012 Kathy's talking to Ann -- I'm married -- talking to Ann. 727 00:28:41,137 --> 00:28:43,390 "You know, your husband's coming -- 728 00:28:43,515 --> 00:28:46,768 I'm a widow, but my husband was a comedian, too." 729 00:28:46,893 --> 00:28:48,395 Goes, "Oh, who?" 730 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:49,896 "I was married to Freddie Prinze." 731 00:28:50,021 --> 00:28:51,815 She's like, "George loves Freddie Prinze. 732 00:28:51,940 --> 00:28:53,942 I think he stole his head-- I don't know, maybe." 733 00:28:54,067 --> 00:28:56,569 She says, "What?" You know, like they knew, right? 734 00:28:56,695 --> 00:28:59,239 So, when I go home, 735 00:28:59,364 --> 00:29:00,657 she goes, "Guess who lives three houses up? 736 00:29:00,782 --> 00:29:02,409 Kathy Prinze." 737 00:29:02,534 --> 00:29:04,160 And I said -- I talked to her, I said, 738 00:29:04,285 --> 00:29:05,870 "You didn't tell her I stole the fuckin' headstone, did you?" 739 00:29:05,995 --> 00:29:07,414 She goes, "No, no, we didn't even bring that up." 740 00:29:07,539 --> 00:29:09,457 You know, fuckin' told her. -[Laughs] 741 00:29:09,582 --> 00:29:13,712 -So we became friends. Junior and I became friends. 742 00:29:13,837 --> 00:29:18,174 And as the show progressed, you know, on the air, 743 00:29:18,299 --> 00:29:25,098 and you know, no show had ever gotten near with a Latino lead. 744 00:29:25,223 --> 00:29:26,307 -Never. -Never. 745 00:29:26,433 --> 00:29:28,101 -Never. -So, we're going -- 746 00:29:28,226 --> 00:29:30,937 I was at a Steve Edwards, like, Hollywood-star revealing. 747 00:29:31,062 --> 00:29:32,230 We're going close to a hundred, 748 00:29:32,355 --> 00:29:33,773 and that little dude Johnny Grant 749 00:29:33,898 --> 00:29:35,567 that was the unofficial mayor of Hollywood, 750 00:29:35,692 --> 00:29:37,235 he did all the star ceremonies, and he looks at me, 751 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:38,403 and he goes "Hey, man, I think maybe it's time 752 00:29:38,528 --> 00:29:39,738 we put you in the, you know, Walk, 753 00:29:39,863 --> 00:29:41,573 with the big thing coming up." 754 00:29:41,698 --> 00:29:43,408 And I said, "Well, I'm not going in 755 00:29:43,533 --> 00:29:46,745 until Freddie Prinze goes in." And he looks at us, 756 00:29:46,870 --> 00:29:48,705 and goes, "I think Freddie is in." 757 00:29:48,830 --> 00:29:50,623 And he looks at the girl, and she's like, "I don't know." 758 00:29:50,749 --> 00:29:52,959 He goes, "Well, I tell you what. We'll check and see if he's in." 759 00:29:53,084 --> 00:29:54,627 I said, "Well, he's not in." "But, we'll see, 760 00:29:54,753 --> 00:29:57,172 and then, you know, we'll reach out to you. 761 00:29:57,297 --> 00:29:59,049 We'll let you know, like, in a week." 762 00:29:59,174 --> 00:30:01,885 So then, three days later, he calls and said, "He's not in. 763 00:30:02,010 --> 00:30:06,097 But if you would like to sponsor him to be in, you can." 764 00:30:06,222 --> 00:30:08,183 -Wow. -So I paid the $10,000... 765 00:30:08,308 --> 00:30:09,809 -Wow. -...for him to be in. 766 00:30:09,934 --> 00:30:12,312 They flew out his family from New York 767 00:30:12,437 --> 00:30:13,813 and flew out all the friends he went to, 768 00:30:13,938 --> 00:30:15,774 all the people that worked with him, 769 00:30:15,899 --> 00:30:17,650 Della Reese, all the actors from "Chico and the Man" were there. 770 00:30:17,776 --> 00:30:19,402 Junior was there, the widow was there, 771 00:30:19,527 --> 00:30:21,780 I was there, and my Ann was there. 772 00:30:21,905 --> 00:30:23,615 And Freddie Jr. was on the phone, 773 00:30:23,740 --> 00:30:25,408 and he said to me, "Hey, my grandma 774 00:30:25,533 --> 00:30:27,035 wants to talk to you." It's Freddie Prinze's mom. 775 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,913 So, she's in Puerto Rico. She was a little older. 776 00:30:30,038 --> 00:30:31,831 So, I said, "Hello, Maria." She goes, 777 00:30:31,956 --> 00:30:33,333 "Oh, George, thank you so much, 778 00:30:33,458 --> 00:30:35,168 you know, for taking care of my Freddie. 779 00:30:35,293 --> 00:30:36,711 Everybody forgets my Freddie. You don't forget my Freddie." 780 00:30:36,836 --> 00:30:38,213 [Inaudible] 781 00:30:38,338 --> 00:30:40,757 She goes, "You know, if my Freddie was alive, 782 00:30:40,882 --> 00:30:42,717 you and my Freddie would be like best friends." 783 00:30:42,842 --> 00:30:44,344 -Oh, my God. -It's like "Wow, man, 784 00:30:44,469 --> 00:30:46,638 this is fucking crazy." So, I mean -- 785 00:30:46,763 --> 00:30:50,392 I took the headstone, but that still happened. 786 00:30:50,517 --> 00:30:52,268 -That's huge. What do you mean? 787 00:30:52,394 --> 00:30:53,687 -I don't think I'd get that fuckin' star out of the ground. 788 00:30:53,812 --> 00:30:55,146 It's hard to get that fuckin' thing out. 789 00:30:55,271 --> 00:30:56,773 -Well, no, you can't take the star. 790 00:30:56,898 --> 00:30:58,483 You can't take the star, but you sponsored the star. 791 00:30:58,608 --> 00:31:00,777 -But, I mean, I paid my -- Yeah, I paid my -- 792 00:31:00,902 --> 00:31:02,195 for taking it, 793 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:05,532 and whatever that metal did for me, 794 00:31:05,657 --> 00:31:08,201 or brass, whatever it did for me, 795 00:31:08,326 --> 00:31:12,747 to be able to go back, you know, 20 -- 796 00:31:12,872 --> 00:31:16,251 I don't know, 20 fuckin', 25 years later and do that, 797 00:31:16,376 --> 00:31:18,545 uh, out of mess. You know? 798 00:31:18,670 --> 00:31:21,548 That's another situation where I couldn't have gone in. 799 00:31:21,673 --> 00:31:23,258 I said, "I'm not going in until he goes in." 800 00:31:23,383 --> 00:31:26,219 And I don't know, I mean -- -It's such a -- 801 00:31:26,344 --> 00:31:28,430 -I didn't even have the credibility with most people. 802 00:31:28,555 --> 00:31:32,100 "Fuck him." But with, you know, my coach 803 00:31:32,225 --> 00:31:35,145 or Freddie, people like that, I had ultimate respect. 804 00:31:35,270 --> 00:31:38,023 More respect for the people that maybe I grew up around, 805 00:31:38,148 --> 00:31:40,942 because I just knew how flippant, you know, 806 00:31:41,067 --> 00:31:42,986 they could be. Like, doesn't mean, you know... 807 00:31:43,111 --> 00:31:44,404 -Wow. Alright, George, 808 00:31:44,529 --> 00:31:46,114 stopping again to pay some bills. 809 00:31:46,239 --> 00:31:47,866 You already know what it is. It's "Hart to Heart." 810 00:31:47,991 --> 00:31:49,826 I got George Lopez, man. The conversation is insane. 811 00:31:50,702 --> 00:31:55,373 Please stick around. We'll be right back. 812 00:32:16,227 --> 00:32:19,814 ** 813 00:32:25,070 --> 00:32:27,822 ** 814 00:32:27,947 --> 00:32:29,157 -Welcome back. 815 00:32:29,282 --> 00:32:31,785 This is "Hart to Heart," and I'm talking to George Lopez. 816 00:32:31,910 --> 00:32:35,580 Let's just highlight, like, a couple of things here. 817 00:32:35,705 --> 00:32:37,582 First of all, you said it briefly, 818 00:32:37,707 --> 00:32:40,210 but you went past it so fast. 819 00:32:40,335 --> 00:32:46,383 There's never been a Latin version of what this is or was. 820 00:32:46,508 --> 00:32:47,717 You were the first to crack the code. 821 00:32:47,842 --> 00:32:50,762 -Right. -And not only cracking the code, 822 00:32:50,887 --> 00:32:53,723 you became a highlight for what was the Friday night 823 00:32:53,848 --> 00:32:55,392 that people were gravitating towards. 824 00:32:55,517 --> 00:32:57,185 -Right, right. -When that whole TGIF 825 00:32:57,310 --> 00:32:59,646 and all of that stuff started, you were the highlight. 826 00:32:59,771 --> 00:33:02,982 So, now the conversation of the Latin market 827 00:33:03,108 --> 00:33:04,984 is the conversation that ABC is a part of, 828 00:33:05,110 --> 00:33:06,861 because you're the face. 829 00:33:06,986 --> 00:33:10,407 Alright, George, well, we now say you're a star. 830 00:33:10,532 --> 00:33:13,076 How do you handle that? -You know what? 831 00:33:13,201 --> 00:33:14,619 I think I was, uh -- 832 00:33:15,036 --> 00:33:16,830 I was a little bit affected, maybe, 833 00:33:16,955 --> 00:33:21,584 in the 2004, '05, you know, till like '07. 834 00:33:21,710 --> 00:33:23,044 You know, a little bit maybe, you know, 835 00:33:23,169 --> 00:33:27,424 because it's hard not to swell or be confident. 836 00:33:27,549 --> 00:33:30,760 And you know, I, um -- 837 00:33:30,885 --> 00:33:32,971 When you walk out, everybody knows you, 838 00:33:33,096 --> 00:33:34,806 knows your name is George Lopez. 839 00:33:34,931 --> 00:33:39,644 Everybody knows George. So, to start to do arenas, 840 00:33:39,769 --> 00:33:43,231 you go from like maybe a theater to an arena, 841 00:33:43,356 --> 00:33:48,653 I remember Barack Obama in 2008 had been to the Toyota Center, 842 00:33:48,778 --> 00:33:50,697 and they said, "He put 17,000 people in here." 843 00:33:50,822 --> 00:33:52,782 And I said, "How many did I put in here?" 844 00:33:52,907 --> 00:33:54,868 "18,5000." "And they paid?" 845 00:33:54,993 --> 00:33:56,911 "Yeah." His were you had tickets to go. 846 00:33:57,037 --> 00:33:59,831 They didn't sell tickets. So it was kinda like that. 847 00:34:00,248 --> 00:34:02,834 So you felt like, again, to the analogy of a fighter, 848 00:34:02,959 --> 00:34:06,212 that the shows were good. They weren't, you know -- 849 00:34:06,338 --> 00:34:07,839 I wasn't just going through the motions. 850 00:34:07,964 --> 00:34:10,091 Like, I still worked hard at it, 851 00:34:10,216 --> 00:34:12,052 because really the one thing that I could rely on, 852 00:34:12,177 --> 00:34:16,931 that showed me some results, you know, 853 00:34:17,057 --> 00:34:18,516 they showed their love, they came to the thing 854 00:34:18,641 --> 00:34:20,185 to work into it, and all that stuff. 855 00:34:20,310 --> 00:34:22,771 And then I remember Chris Rock said George Carlin 856 00:34:22,896 --> 00:34:24,064 or, I think, Seinfeld did some HBO specials live. 857 00:34:26,232 --> 00:34:27,734 And I remember Chris said like, "I don't know how they 858 00:34:27,859 --> 00:34:29,569 do that shit live, man. It's scary." 859 00:34:29,694 --> 00:34:31,738 So I said, "Well what could make stand-up maybe harder?" 860 00:34:31,863 --> 00:34:34,366 You know? And I did four specials live. 861 00:34:34,491 --> 00:34:35,867 And the one I did in San Antonio, 862 00:34:35,992 --> 00:34:37,952 "Tall, Dark & Chicano," in 2009, 863 00:34:38,078 --> 00:34:40,914 was 85 minutes live. -Mm-mm-mm. 864 00:34:41,039 --> 00:34:42,332 -I don't think I could do that shit. 865 00:34:42,457 --> 00:34:43,750 I couldn't do that shit now. 866 00:34:43,875 --> 00:34:45,460 -What's the one you did in Long Beach? 867 00:34:45,585 --> 00:34:47,003 -The one I did in Long Beach was "Why You Crying?" -- 868 00:34:47,128 --> 00:34:48,797 like, the first one. So, Richard Pryor, 869 00:34:48,922 --> 00:34:51,341 25 years later, I went in there and did that there. 870 00:34:51,466 --> 00:34:55,595 -And your love and admiration for Richard is bar none. 871 00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:57,097 I mean, I would like to say, the way 872 00:34:57,222 --> 00:34:58,890 that you're talking about Freddie Prinze. 873 00:34:59,015 --> 00:35:03,353 -Yeah. So, Richard Pryor, same thing, you know? 874 00:35:03,478 --> 00:35:05,438 '79, "Live in Long Beach," 875 00:35:05,563 --> 00:35:08,191 Ernie had the "Live in Long Beach" cassette. 876 00:35:08,316 --> 00:35:10,694 We ran a copy watch in my house man, 877 00:35:10,819 --> 00:35:12,862 and my grandmother said, [Speaking Spanish] 878 00:35:12,987 --> 00:35:14,322 Like, "You don't get tired of watching that guy?" 879 00:35:14,447 --> 00:35:16,282 And I would say "No." And I mean, literally, 880 00:35:16,408 --> 00:35:17,992 she'd go to work at 7:45 in the morning 881 00:35:18,118 --> 00:35:19,786 and come back at 4:30 in the afternoon, 882 00:35:19,911 --> 00:35:21,830 that thing would still be on. -Still be on? 883 00:35:21,955 --> 00:35:23,581 -And she's looking at me, she's like, you know... 884 00:35:23,707 --> 00:35:26,751 And I don't even know what it did. 885 00:35:26,876 --> 00:35:28,003 It just was just on, right? 886 00:35:28,128 --> 00:35:31,214 So, um, 887 00:35:31,339 --> 00:35:35,010 I used to work almost nearby where Richard Pryor lived, 888 00:35:35,135 --> 00:35:37,387 and I would go by his house. I missed him. 889 00:35:37,512 --> 00:35:39,806 Just, like, see the tail end of this canary Rolls-Royce, 890 00:35:39,931 --> 00:35:41,641 you know, going in there. 891 00:35:41,766 --> 00:35:43,768 So he's always kind of around, but elusive, you know? 892 00:35:43,893 --> 00:35:45,895 And then me and Ernie, you know, 893 00:35:46,021 --> 00:35:48,982 went to the Comedy Store in like '80, 894 00:35:49,107 --> 00:35:52,110 and there's this canary yellow Rolls-Royce 895 00:35:52,235 --> 00:35:53,987 in front of, like, the original room 896 00:35:54,112 --> 00:35:55,864 and the main room there, and it's just idling. 897 00:35:55,989 --> 00:35:57,240 And I think everybody was like, 898 00:35:57,365 --> 00:35:58,742 "That's Richard Pryor, you know." 899 00:35:58,867 --> 00:36:00,577 So Ernie said, "Go over and say hello." 900 00:36:00,702 --> 00:36:01,911 So we're walking over there, you know, kinda creeping up, 901 00:36:02,037 --> 00:36:03,246 and I look into the driver's thing, 902 00:36:03,371 --> 00:36:05,040 and he's got a microcassette recorder 903 00:36:05,165 --> 00:36:06,499 and he's rewinding it and you can hear audience, 904 00:36:06,624 --> 00:36:08,168 you can hear him. He's by himself. 905 00:36:08,293 --> 00:36:09,461 -Wow. He's going over his shit? -He's going through 906 00:36:09,586 --> 00:36:11,254 a microcassette. So I back up. 907 00:36:11,379 --> 00:36:13,214 And he goes, "Did you say hi?" And I said, "No, no, no." 908 00:36:13,340 --> 00:36:17,093 I really kinda seen all I needed to see. 909 00:36:17,218 --> 00:36:19,095 I mean, all I needed to see was that, you know? 910 00:36:19,220 --> 00:36:22,849 And when I found out that he had M.S., 911 00:36:22,974 --> 00:36:26,436 in the '90s -- early '90s -- didn't know him. 912 00:36:26,561 --> 00:36:31,649 I went to Best Buy and I bought him satellite radio 913 00:36:31,775 --> 00:36:35,111 with a three-year subscription 914 00:36:35,236 --> 00:36:37,113 because he was gonna be bedridden. 915 00:36:37,238 --> 00:36:39,532 I said, "Maybe have some music, some comedy in the room." 916 00:36:39,657 --> 00:36:43,161 So I don't know how I did it, but he got it, you know? 917 00:36:43,286 --> 00:36:44,829 Sent me a card, like "Thank you," you know. 918 00:36:44,954 --> 00:36:48,333 And they were like, "How did you get that?" 919 00:36:48,458 --> 00:36:50,835 I said, "I love him, you know?" 920 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,630 And that was -- Phew. -You're -- You're -- 921 00:36:53,755 --> 00:36:56,883 -I don't think anybody knows -- really knows this shit. 922 00:36:57,008 --> 00:36:58,677 They don't know this about me, man. 923 00:36:58,802 --> 00:37:01,221 -I didn't. And talking to you, man, 924 00:37:01,346 --> 00:37:03,890 I'm not only engulfed in what you're saying -- 925 00:37:04,015 --> 00:37:05,558 D, can we get some more wine, please? 926 00:37:05,684 --> 00:37:07,060 -And it's all true, man. Like -- 927 00:37:07,185 --> 00:37:09,062 -Well, here's what I'm gonna say. 928 00:37:09,187 --> 00:37:10,397 -'Cause you -- Motherfuckers forget about people, man. 929 00:37:10,522 --> 00:37:12,482 It's like -- -I was about to say that. 930 00:37:12,607 --> 00:37:15,026 -It's not fucking -- It's not good, man. 931 00:37:15,151 --> 00:37:16,736 -No. -You just move on from one -- 932 00:37:16,861 --> 00:37:18,822 You know, it's just -- And it's what it is. 933 00:37:18,947 --> 00:37:20,407 But if you're looking for, you know -- 934 00:37:20,532 --> 00:37:22,367 if you're looking for loyal people, 935 00:37:22,492 --> 00:37:24,369 you're not gonna find 'em, really, in this business. 936 00:37:24,494 --> 00:37:26,788 Like, you have to have a loyalty to what you do 937 00:37:26,913 --> 00:37:28,665 and to, you know, the people that are important to you. 938 00:37:28,790 --> 00:37:30,333 But, you know, people -- Aw, like... 939 00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:32,627 -Well, here's what I want to say 940 00:37:32,752 --> 00:37:36,798 that I'm getting it. And it's like, I caught myself. 941 00:37:36,923 --> 00:37:38,967 I was -- I was about to bitch up a little bit 942 00:37:39,092 --> 00:37:43,680 because you're -- you got a good heart. 943 00:37:43,805 --> 00:37:47,058 You got a -- You got a good heart, man. 944 00:37:47,183 --> 00:37:50,145 And you know, we're in a space 945 00:37:50,270 --> 00:37:55,400 where those with are seldom, like, talked about. 946 00:37:55,525 --> 00:37:57,235 -Right. -And your level 947 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,195 of love and appreciation for people 948 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,072 that you haven't even met... -Right. 949 00:38:01,197 --> 00:38:03,283 -...that you haven't even had an encounter with, 950 00:38:03,408 --> 00:38:09,456 but you hold -- you hold, like, this thing with them 951 00:38:09,581 --> 00:38:12,834 because they're inspiring or motivating or... 952 00:38:12,959 --> 00:38:14,794 -Right. -...generating something 953 00:38:14,919 --> 00:38:16,296 for you. -Right. 954 00:38:16,421 --> 00:38:19,257 -And for that alone, you're going back 955 00:38:19,382 --> 00:38:22,635 and you're just like, "I just want to be able 956 00:38:22,761 --> 00:38:24,429 to give a portion..." -Yeah. 957 00:38:24,554 --> 00:38:27,223 -"...of care in some way, shape, or form." 958 00:38:27,349 --> 00:38:31,186 -When I was -- I used to wet the bed when I was a kid. 959 00:38:31,311 --> 00:38:33,313 You know, fuckin' wet the bed. I didn't know why. 960 00:38:33,438 --> 00:38:35,357 And you know, my grandma would make fun of me. 961 00:38:35,482 --> 00:38:37,859 "I'm gonna put your mattress, flip it over, you know, 962 00:38:37,984 --> 00:38:41,780 like fuckin' French toast or -- you know, they do French toast. 963 00:38:41,905 --> 00:38:44,032 -[Laughs] 964 00:38:44,157 --> 00:38:46,576 -Fuckin' -- Fuckin' said my mattress looked like 965 00:38:46,701 --> 00:38:48,244 French toast, man. 966 00:38:48,370 --> 00:38:51,206 And instead of getting, like, you know -- 967 00:38:51,331 --> 00:38:53,500 Instead of getting, you know, some support... 968 00:38:53,625 --> 00:38:55,835 [ Laughter ] --...fuckin' "French toast!" 969 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:57,379 And it did look like French toast. 970 00:38:57,504 --> 00:38:59,214 A fucking square, a big brown thing, 971 00:38:59,339 --> 00:39:00,757 and then when this Butterworth fuckin' other thing. 972 00:39:00,882 --> 00:39:02,342 I mean nasty, man. 973 00:39:02,467 --> 00:39:04,969 And I mean, I pissed everywhere in a -- 974 00:39:05,095 --> 00:39:07,972 -[ Laughing ] -In a fucking pull-out couch 975 00:39:08,098 --> 00:39:10,016 that you pull out your, uh -- Man. 976 00:39:11,309 --> 00:39:14,104 And fuck, man, you wet the bed, 977 00:39:14,229 --> 00:39:15,397 you can't have anybody staying... 978 00:39:15,522 --> 00:39:16,773 -[ Coughing ] 979 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:20,068 -When I was doing it on the round, 980 00:39:20,193 --> 00:39:21,361 if I ever had to bring a girl back to the hotel, 981 00:39:21,486 --> 00:39:22,946 I was fucking pissing the bed, man. 982 00:39:23,071 --> 00:39:24,781 You get some water and put it there. 983 00:39:24,906 --> 00:39:26,658 "Hey, fuck, I guess we were pretty wild last night, huh?" 984 00:39:26,783 --> 00:39:28,535 [ Laughter ] 985 00:39:28,660 --> 00:39:30,328 Fucking goddamn French toast in the middle of the night. 986 00:39:30,453 --> 00:39:31,871 -[ Laughing ] 987 00:39:33,498 --> 00:39:35,333 -I mean you couldn't -- you couldn't tru-- 988 00:39:35,834 --> 00:39:37,919 You know, you couldn't tru-- You couldn't trust. 989 00:39:38,044 --> 00:39:40,922 You know, but I had -- I was born early, 990 00:39:41,047 --> 00:39:44,050 so the urine -- they didn't mature, you know? 991 00:39:44,175 --> 00:39:46,219 But nobody ever told me I was born early. 992 00:39:46,344 --> 00:39:47,470 Why wouldn't they fuckin' tell me? 993 00:39:48,930 --> 00:39:50,515 "When's my birthday?" "April 23rd. 994 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:51,641 Supposed to be born in June." 995 00:39:51,766 --> 00:39:53,476 [ Laughter ] 996 00:39:54,644 --> 00:39:57,022 "How much did I weigh when I was born?" 997 00:39:57,147 --> 00:40:00,025 "Like a little, como-- like 9 ounces." 998 00:40:00,150 --> 00:40:02,610 You know? -[ Laughing ] 999 00:40:02,736 --> 00:40:05,238 -"They took you all out in a fuckin' Ziploc bag. 1000 00:40:05,363 --> 00:40:08,825 There's a fuckin'-- So, everything -- everything -- 1001 00:40:08,950 --> 00:40:10,243 -[ Continues laughing ] -Everything was 1002 00:40:10,368 --> 00:40:13,413 fuckin' detrimen-- Hey, hey, hey, listen. 1003 00:40:13,538 --> 00:40:17,042 I went to a New Year's Eve party at my friend Arnold's house, 1004 00:40:17,167 --> 00:40:19,044 and I pissed. -[ Laughing ] 1005 00:40:19,169 --> 00:40:21,463 -And -- And you know what I did? 1006 00:40:21,588 --> 00:40:22,922 I had to go -- 1007 00:40:23,048 --> 00:40:24,549 I don't know how the fuck I did it. 1008 00:40:24,674 --> 00:40:26,968 I went over there and flipped the mattress over. 1009 00:40:27,093 --> 00:40:28,470 I don't know how the fuck. 1010 00:40:28,595 --> 00:40:30,847 Goddamn fucking cat burglar in the day, 1011 00:40:30,972 --> 00:40:33,558 flipping the mattress over? "We've been robbed." 1012 00:40:33,683 --> 00:40:36,311 -"What did they take?" "They didn't take anything. 1013 00:40:36,436 --> 00:40:39,272 I think the dude just -- He just rotated our mattresses. 1014 00:40:39,397 --> 00:40:40,774 I don't know what the fuck..." -[ Laughs ] 1015 00:40:40,899 --> 00:40:42,734 -I mean, do you know what it's like 1016 00:40:42,859 --> 00:40:44,569 to wake up all fucking pissed? 1017 00:40:44,694 --> 00:40:46,363 And like, "Hey, we're leaving." 1018 00:40:46,488 --> 00:40:48,198 And then you're pulling away from the house, you're like, 1019 00:40:48,323 --> 00:40:51,451 "I pissed in their bed, in the room they didn't use." 1020 00:40:51,576 --> 00:40:53,453 And you're like, "Man, I gotta fuckin' get back in there, 1021 00:40:53,578 --> 00:40:55,580 I gotta flip that fuckin' mattress over." 1022 00:40:55,705 --> 00:40:57,332 -[ Laughs ] 1023 00:40:57,457 --> 00:40:58,958 -I don't know how the fuck I got in their house. 1024 00:40:59,084 --> 00:41:00,794 And you know, when you get it right here, 1025 00:41:00,919 --> 00:41:02,295 and you go "Ugh" and you gotta get it up? 1026 00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:05,423 And then pull it? Fuck, man. [ Laughter ] 1027 00:41:05,548 --> 00:41:07,425 I had to fuckin' replace the sheets. 1028 00:41:07,550 --> 00:41:08,677 How did I fuckin' know where they kept their fuckin' sheets? 1029 00:41:08,802 --> 00:41:12,389 -[ Laughs ] -Man, I mean, 1030 00:41:12,514 --> 00:41:14,641 taking a headstone was something, 1031 00:41:14,766 --> 00:41:18,436 but going into a house you only been in once, 1032 00:41:18,561 --> 00:41:20,438 the night before, and flipping their mattress 1033 00:41:20,563 --> 00:41:23,108 and making it look like I had left 1034 00:41:23,233 --> 00:41:25,402 and been a good guest? -[ Laughs ] 1035 00:41:25,985 --> 00:41:29,322 -[ Inaudible ] -Fuckin' A, man. 1036 00:41:29,447 --> 00:41:30,699 And I couldn't leave it, I couldn't leave it. 1037 00:41:30,824 --> 00:41:32,242 Be like, "Hey, did George piss?" 1038 00:41:32,367 --> 00:41:33,785 I said, "Why do I have to piss in the bed?" 1039 00:41:33,910 --> 00:41:34,786 "You're the only one that's fuckin' slept in it 1040 00:41:34,911 --> 00:41:36,329 in two years." 1041 00:41:36,454 --> 00:41:38,665 -I'm fucking laughing at George saying, 1042 00:41:38,790 --> 00:41:40,750 "How do I know where they keep the sheets?" 1043 00:41:40,875 --> 00:41:42,794 [ Laughter ] "I gotta change the sheets. 1044 00:41:42,919 --> 00:41:44,629 I can't just flip the mattress." -How the fuck 1045 00:41:44,754 --> 00:41:47,007 did I get in there? -"I gotta make the bed. 1046 00:41:47,132 --> 00:41:49,134 Y'all gotta help me find the sheets, 1047 00:41:49,259 --> 00:41:51,386 or else they gonna know I did it." 1048 00:41:51,511 --> 00:41:54,639 He had to go find new sheets and make the bed up. 1049 00:41:54,764 --> 00:41:56,975 [ Laughs ] It was... -And still make it look like, 1050 00:41:57,100 --> 00:41:58,810 you know, it's all natural you know? 1051 00:41:58,935 --> 00:42:00,520 -Fuckin' George, man. -Man. 1052 00:42:00,645 --> 00:42:02,856 -You're -- You're great, George. I gotta -- I gotta go. 1053 00:42:02,981 --> 00:42:07,694 I want to segue to another amazing part of conversation, 1054 00:42:07,819 --> 00:42:10,447 and I'm confident that it will be here. 1055 00:42:10,572 --> 00:42:13,199 But let's pause here for a second. 1056 00:42:13,324 --> 00:42:15,410 Let's take a break. Hey, when we come back, 1057 00:42:15,535 --> 00:42:17,037 we'll have more "Hart to Heart" with George Lopez. 1058 00:42:17,162 --> 00:42:18,663 Don't go nowhere. 1059 00:42:18,788 --> 00:42:21,875 ** 1060 00:42:40,643 --> 00:42:47,525 ** 1061 00:42:52,781 --> 00:42:55,450 ** 1062 00:42:55,575 --> 00:42:57,410 -Welcome back, guys. This is "Hart to Heart," 1063 00:42:57,535 --> 00:42:58,787 and I'm still talking to George Lopez. 1064 00:42:58,912 --> 00:43:01,206 The "Lopez Show" -- "George Lopez" -- 1065 00:43:01,331 --> 00:43:02,624 -Yeah. -...it comes to an end. 1066 00:43:02,749 --> 00:43:04,209 Right? -Yeah. 1067 00:43:04,334 --> 00:43:05,543 -The sitcom stops. right? -Yeah. 1068 00:43:05,669 --> 00:43:07,962 -An amazing run that it had. -Yep. 1069 00:43:08,088 --> 00:43:10,090 -Like, you know, when you talk about television, 1070 00:43:10,215 --> 00:43:11,841 you talk about Television Hall of Fame. 1071 00:43:11,966 --> 00:43:15,720 If it ever does present itself, it's for sure in there. 1072 00:43:15,845 --> 00:43:18,598 People that do it once, I'm blown away by. 1073 00:43:18,723 --> 00:43:19,974 -Right. -Right? 1074 00:43:20,100 --> 00:43:22,018 But then you have these fucking phenomenons 1075 00:43:22,143 --> 00:43:25,855 that are able to get back to TV and get an amazing run again, 1076 00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:27,440 and it's insane. 1077 00:43:27,565 --> 00:43:29,484 I'm gonna name a couple that I know. 1078 00:43:29,609 --> 00:43:34,698 Tim Allen, right? Tim Allen did it and he stopped, 1079 00:43:34,823 --> 00:43:37,450 and then Tim Allen came back and did it again. 1080 00:43:37,575 --> 00:43:40,370 Uh, "Doogie Howser," right? -Mm-mm. 1081 00:43:40,495 --> 00:43:42,539 Fuckin' -- -Fuckin' Neil Patrick Harris. 1082 00:43:42,664 --> 00:43:44,457 -Neil Patrick Harris did it, 1083 00:43:44,582 --> 00:43:47,335 then he came back and he did it again, right? 1084 00:43:47,460 --> 00:43:50,672 There's not a lot of people that have done it. 1085 00:43:50,797 --> 00:43:52,132 -Right. 1086 00:43:52,257 --> 00:43:55,218 -You come back to television. 1087 00:43:55,343 --> 00:43:57,303 -Right. -Currently on TV. 1088 00:43:57,429 --> 00:43:59,764 And your daughter's a part of the goddamn... 1089 00:43:59,889 --> 00:44:01,725 -I know, man. 1090 00:44:01,850 --> 00:44:02,851 -Your daughter's a part of the show with you. 1091 00:44:02,976 --> 00:44:04,436 -Mayan, yeah. 1092 00:44:04,561 --> 00:44:07,522 -How -- How did the second show come about? 1093 00:44:07,647 --> 00:44:09,816 Was this something that you said, 1094 00:44:09,941 --> 00:44:11,526 "You know what I'm gonna go do and I'm gonna develop"? 1095 00:44:11,651 --> 00:44:13,028 Did it come about, like, in another way? 1096 00:44:13,153 --> 00:44:14,696 -No. -How did this one happen? 1097 00:44:14,821 --> 00:44:18,658 -So, in 2000, I think, nine years on the road, 1098 00:44:18,783 --> 00:44:20,493 and I was really kinda suffering back pain 1099 00:44:20,618 --> 00:44:22,328 and it's over, so I went to the doctor, 1100 00:44:22,454 --> 00:44:24,748 and I had advanced kidney disease. 1101 00:44:24,873 --> 00:44:26,541 I had kidney disease. I wasn't aware. 1102 00:44:26,666 --> 00:44:32,213 -I remember this. -So, in '98, the doctor said, 1103 00:44:32,339 --> 00:44:35,050 "Hey, man, you know, you got advanced kidney disease. 1104 00:44:35,175 --> 00:44:37,469 You probably have 50% in both kidneys." 1105 00:44:37,594 --> 00:44:41,431 And Ann was in there, and then the doctor said, 1106 00:44:41,556 --> 00:44:43,141 "You know, you're gonna probably need a transplant 1107 00:44:43,266 --> 00:44:45,477 by the time you're 44. 1108 00:44:45,602 --> 00:44:47,062 Maybe five -- maybe three or four years." 1109 00:44:47,187 --> 00:44:48,313 And then Ann goes, "I'll give him one of mine." 1110 00:44:48,438 --> 00:44:49,856 Just like, "Ann, give me..." 1111 00:44:49,981 --> 00:44:52,359 So I said, "Well, I'll still feel good, 1112 00:44:52,484 --> 00:44:54,069 you know, until then." He goes, "No, no." 1113 00:44:54,194 --> 00:44:55,779 He goes, "You know what's gonna happen is, you know, 1114 00:44:55,904 --> 00:44:57,530 light bulb right now, and light bulb's gonna dim 1115 00:44:57,655 --> 00:44:59,032 and start to dim and start to dim. 1116 00:44:59,157 --> 00:45:02,494 It's not gonna hurt, but your movements, 1117 00:45:02,619 --> 00:45:03,870 you'll start to --" -Things are gonna start to fail? 1118 00:45:03,995 --> 00:45:08,249 -Yeah. So, um, I did. 1119 00:45:08,375 --> 00:45:10,293 I was starting to really -- Nobody really knew, 1120 00:45:10,418 --> 00:45:14,923 and Ann was the only person tested. 1121 00:45:15,048 --> 00:45:17,217 And she matched. 1122 00:45:17,342 --> 00:45:19,010 And you know, I went to Cedars, 1123 00:45:19,135 --> 00:45:20,845 and you know, those cholosare, like, X-ray technicians 1124 00:45:20,970 --> 00:45:23,640 and, you know, they do ultrasounds. 1125 00:45:23,765 --> 00:45:24,974 They just put gel on your back and they just really 1126 00:45:25,100 --> 00:45:28,144 kinda going... "Hey, what's up, eh? 1127 00:45:28,269 --> 00:45:32,607 We'll do a little fuckin' -- right now, ultrasound." 1128 00:45:32,732 --> 00:45:34,192 Going like that, you know? 1129 00:45:34,317 --> 00:45:35,902 "Fuck, you still like the Dodgers or what?" 1130 00:45:36,027 --> 00:45:38,655 So, on the screen, he's going like this, 1131 00:45:38,780 --> 00:45:40,323 and you would normally see a kidney, right? 1132 00:45:40,448 --> 00:45:43,451 So he's laughing, "fuckin', chinga" like this. 1133 00:45:43,576 --> 00:45:45,787 And then he goes silent. You know, he goes silent. 1134 00:45:45,912 --> 00:45:47,539 And he gets up and he walks out on us. 1135 00:45:47,664 --> 00:45:50,000 "The doctor wants to see you." 1136 00:45:50,125 --> 00:45:52,085 So I go in there, and the doctor says, 1137 00:45:52,210 --> 00:45:54,963 "I don't know how you're walking around." 1138 00:45:55,088 --> 00:45:56,840 I said, "What do you mean?" 1139 00:45:56,965 --> 00:45:58,216 He goes, "Your kidneys don't even show up on the ultrasound." 1140 00:45:58,341 --> 00:45:59,884 -Geez. -I said "What do you mean?" 1141 00:46:00,010 --> 00:46:01,261 He goes, "You know, the kidney's, like, this big. 1142 00:46:01,386 --> 00:46:04,305 Yours are like this. Like that. 1143 00:46:04,431 --> 00:46:05,974 You be like this, you're like that." 1144 00:46:06,099 --> 00:46:08,184 It's February of 2005. "You're gonna need a kidney. 1145 00:46:08,309 --> 00:46:10,687 You're gonna need a --" Ann said, "I want to be tested." 1146 00:46:10,812 --> 00:46:13,732 She got tested, it matched. 1147 00:46:13,857 --> 00:46:16,985 And she went to an astrologer -- 1148 00:46:17,110 --> 00:46:18,903 some lady in fucking Miami. 1149 00:46:19,029 --> 00:46:21,990 I'm down to like 18%. You know? 1150 00:46:22,115 --> 00:46:23,908 You know, you can't -- When you sleep, 1151 00:46:24,409 --> 00:46:26,161 you don't rest, because your blood's tainted. 1152 00:46:26,286 --> 00:46:28,538 So you could sleep 12 hours and wake up and still be exhausted. 1153 00:46:28,663 --> 00:46:30,457 So it's really tough man. 1154 00:46:30,582 --> 00:46:34,669 And she said, "Why don't we go see this lady, this astrologer?" 1155 00:46:34,794 --> 00:46:37,630 And we were gonna do it in, like, the middle of March. 1156 00:46:37,756 --> 00:46:39,466 Season was over. Go in there, get it done. 1157 00:46:39,591 --> 00:46:41,468 That fuckin' astrologer, the lady goes, 1158 00:46:41,593 --> 00:46:43,595 "How's April 19th?" I said, "Bitch, 1159 00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:45,889 that's a fuckin' eight weeks, six weeks away. 1160 00:46:46,014 --> 00:46:48,058 Dying." 1161 00:46:48,183 --> 00:46:49,851 April 19th. 1162 00:46:49,976 --> 00:46:53,438 So, we go see the kidney doctor at Cedars, 1163 00:46:53,563 --> 00:46:55,690 and, um -- Louis Cohen. 1164 00:46:55,815 --> 00:46:57,400 And he goes, "So, what day are we looking at?" 1165 00:46:57,525 --> 00:46:59,319 And Ann goes, "April 19th." 1166 00:46:59,444 --> 00:47:00,820 Doctor goes, "That's my birthday. 1167 00:47:00,945 --> 00:47:03,323 I do my best work on my birthday." 1168 00:47:03,448 --> 00:47:06,659 So, every year on April 19th, 1169 00:47:06,785 --> 00:47:08,953 I been sending him flowers since 2005. 1170 00:47:09,079 --> 00:47:11,790 Almost 19 years, every year on his birthday. 1171 00:47:11,915 --> 00:47:14,042 And I put in the card, like, 1172 00:47:14,167 --> 00:47:17,045 "Now all my problems are fuckin' mental" or, you know, 1173 00:47:17,170 --> 00:47:19,506 "Been trying to make this thing quit, and it won't," 1174 00:47:19,631 --> 00:47:21,007 like, "That's funny, man. Happy birthday." 1175 00:47:21,132 --> 00:47:23,968 So, I mean, since 2005, every year, 1176 00:47:24,094 --> 00:47:25,679 I send him flowers on his birthday. 1177 00:47:25,804 --> 00:47:27,305 -He's retired. -George -- George, man... 1178 00:47:27,430 --> 00:47:29,015 -He's retired. 1179 00:47:29,140 --> 00:47:30,642 So -- So -- So -- So, 1180 00:47:30,767 --> 00:47:34,854 when I went in there, I said, "Listen, man, 1181 00:47:34,979 --> 00:47:38,108 I don't want to fuckin' be the poster boy for kidney disease. 1182 00:47:38,233 --> 00:47:41,111 I don't want to be a -- I don't want to do anything. 1183 00:47:41,236 --> 00:47:44,656 All I want to do is get better and go back to work. 1184 00:47:44,781 --> 00:47:46,825 You know, I'm not trying to do P-- 1185 00:47:46,950 --> 00:47:51,204 none of that shit, right?" So, [Clears throat] 1186 00:47:51,329 --> 00:47:56,042 when I got it done, the 19th of April, 20th, 1187 00:47:56,167 --> 00:47:58,753 I was kind of -- I woke up the morning 1188 00:47:58,878 --> 00:48:02,507 of April 21st in Cedars, probably 6:45 in the morning. 1189 00:48:02,632 --> 00:48:04,259 Opened my eyes, 1190 00:48:04,384 --> 00:48:07,887 and I felt better than I had ever felt in my life. 1191 00:48:08,013 --> 00:48:10,473 Pumping good blood, kidneys working, 1192 00:48:10,598 --> 00:48:12,058 everything's good. Clear. 1193 00:48:12,183 --> 00:48:14,269 They bring some food. I bite into a bagel, 1194 00:48:14,394 --> 00:48:16,021 fuckin' start crying, man. Like, "What's the..." 1195 00:48:16,146 --> 00:48:18,690 I never -- you know, your taste buds, all that shit. 1196 00:48:18,815 --> 00:48:21,693 And at that moment, I decided 1197 00:48:21,818 --> 00:48:24,070 that I was gonna help people who were sick, 1198 00:48:24,195 --> 00:48:25,947 and I was not gonna turn my back on people who were well. 1199 00:48:26,072 --> 00:48:27,824 That's when we started doing the Foundation. 1200 00:48:27,949 --> 00:48:29,534 Probably raised maybe $20 million 1201 00:48:29,659 --> 00:48:30,827 over all these years. And kids -- 1202 00:48:30,952 --> 00:48:32,495 for kids that have kidney disease 1203 00:48:32,620 --> 00:48:35,248 and stuff like that. And a camp that we, you know, 1204 00:48:35,373 --> 00:48:36,958 military families and all that stuff. 1205 00:48:37,083 --> 00:48:39,919 So we've done a lot of good out of that thing. 1206 00:48:40,045 --> 00:48:41,421 And you know, I don't really -- 1207 00:48:41,546 --> 00:48:43,381 When I go to places and do things, 1208 00:48:43,506 --> 00:48:44,924 I do stuff with my school. 1209 00:48:45,050 --> 00:48:46,134 If I go to a hospital and talk to kids, 1210 00:48:46,259 --> 00:48:48,011 like, I never bring any cameras. 1211 00:48:48,136 --> 00:48:50,180 I never really kind of look for any publicity out of it. 1212 00:48:50,305 --> 00:48:51,765 I just do it. -Wow. 1213 00:48:51,890 --> 00:48:54,809 George, let's stop right here for a second. 1214 00:48:54,934 --> 00:48:56,561 I want to take a quick break, pay some bills. 1215 00:48:56,686 --> 00:49:02,484 Guys, we'll be right back with more "Hart to Heart" after this. 1216 00:49:02,609 --> 00:49:03,902 They canceled us. 1217 00:49:04,027 --> 00:49:05,445 I remember we were at up-fronts. 1218 00:49:05,570 --> 00:49:07,155 So, they're about to announce it. 1219 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:08,865 And before I go onstage, you're like, "Kevin, hold up." 1220 00:49:08,990 --> 00:49:10,367 -Oh, no. -And I'm like, 1221 00:49:10,492 --> 00:49:11,534 "Yeah, what's up?" And you're like, 1222 00:49:12,577 --> 00:49:14,704 "They're gonna come talk to you." 1223 00:49:14,829 --> 00:49:16,414 -Oh, God. "Okay, you guys, come on. 1224 00:49:16,539 --> 00:49:19,042 Kevin, you're up." "Wait, what? 1225 00:49:19,167 --> 00:49:20,794 "Yeah, no, they're not gonna do it." 1226 00:49:20,919 --> 00:49:22,253 -But you know, man, I think your thing was 1227 00:49:22,379 --> 00:49:24,964 to be bigger than that. -Absolutely. I mean -- 1228 00:49:25,090 --> 00:49:26,883 -In your arena tour, around the world, 1229 00:49:27,008 --> 00:49:28,009 did you come out of the ground like Michael Jackson? 1230 00:49:28,134 --> 00:49:29,594 -Yeah. -Fuckin' amazing. 1231 00:49:29,719 --> 00:49:30,679 -[ Laughs ] Like Michael Jackson. 1232 00:49:30,804 --> 00:49:32,138 -Fuckin' amazing. 1233 00:49:32,263 --> 00:49:38,061 ** 1234 00:49:43,358 --> 00:49:45,694 ** 1235 00:49:45,819 --> 00:49:47,404 -Welcome back. 1236 00:49:47,529 --> 00:49:49,656 This is "Hart to Heart," and I'm talking to George Lopez. 1237 00:49:49,781 --> 00:49:53,576 George, this is honestly mind-blowing. 1238 00:49:53,702 --> 00:49:57,622 Your stories, your journey, the full-circle moments. 1239 00:49:57,747 --> 00:49:59,791 -Yeah. -Man, like, I'm not sure 1240 00:49:59,916 --> 00:50:01,251 people have ever heard you talk like this, 1241 00:50:01,376 --> 00:50:03,378 but I'm so glad that they get to hear. 1242 00:50:03,503 --> 00:50:05,213 -No, thank you man. I mean -- -Like, it's -- 1243 00:50:05,338 --> 00:50:07,424 -Do you remember when I'd do your promos for your show 1244 00:50:07,549 --> 00:50:09,009 when your show was on ABC? -Yes, I remember when I had -- 1245 00:50:09,134 --> 00:50:11,052 I will give you the best story ever. 1246 00:50:11,177 --> 00:50:16,057 I'm so aware of what the "George Lopez" show" is, 1247 00:50:16,182 --> 00:50:18,226 and everybody watching, because this is 1248 00:50:18,351 --> 00:50:22,022 when I got my first sitcom, called "The Big House." 1249 00:50:22,147 --> 00:50:24,190 And "The Big House" was my big break. 1250 00:50:24,315 --> 00:50:26,776 "I can't believe it. I finally got a TV show. 1251 00:50:26,901 --> 00:50:28,528 This is gonna be amazing." 1252 00:50:28,653 --> 00:50:33,408 Well, naturally, on ABC, well they want to pair 1253 00:50:33,533 --> 00:50:38,038 the, you know, diverse look of color together. 1254 00:50:38,163 --> 00:50:40,874 So, the "George Lopez" show was a hit, 1255 00:50:40,999 --> 00:50:43,376 so George and I were doing promos... 1256 00:50:43,501 --> 00:50:44,919 -Yep. 1257 00:50:45,045 --> 00:50:47,964 -...for our shows being in the same lineup. 1258 00:50:48,089 --> 00:50:50,467 You're talking about 20 years ago. 1259 00:50:50,592 --> 00:50:56,014 -I went over there and saw you, did commercials with your crew. 1260 00:50:56,139 --> 00:50:57,724 Yeah. -20 years ago, George. 1261 00:50:57,849 --> 00:51:00,268 20 years ago, young K. Hart is on set. 1262 00:51:00,393 --> 00:51:01,770 -Yep. -And I remember you 1263 00:51:01,895 --> 00:51:03,855 taking a break, walking from set, 1264 00:51:03,980 --> 00:51:05,648 and we came over to knock out promos. 1265 00:51:05,774 --> 00:51:09,486 And I walked away and I'm like, "Damn, that's George Lopez. 1266 00:51:09,611 --> 00:51:13,323 Like, George Lopez just did a spot with me, 1267 00:51:13,448 --> 00:51:17,285 for me to promote my show. I got -- This is gonna last." 1268 00:51:17,410 --> 00:51:21,247 Now, granted, my sitcom life was short-lived, 1269 00:51:21,373 --> 00:51:22,874 and they canceled me at the up-fronts, 1270 00:51:22,999 --> 00:51:23,833 and I never saw the light of day. 1271 00:51:23,958 --> 00:51:25,210 [ Laughter] 1272 00:51:25,335 --> 00:51:26,920 But it's a different success story. 1273 00:51:27,045 --> 00:51:29,047 -But, I mean, it's a step up. -Absolutely. 1274 00:51:29,172 --> 00:51:30,715 -Yeah. -Absolutely. 1275 00:51:30,840 --> 00:51:32,676 I can't -- I can't end it without just, like, 1276 00:51:33,510 --> 00:51:35,011 giving you a moment just to talk about -- 1277 00:51:35,136 --> 00:51:36,304 -Can I talk about the Richard Pryor thing? 1278 00:51:36,429 --> 00:51:37,931 -No, like your -- Oh, go ahead. 1279 00:51:38,056 --> 00:51:39,057 -Can I talk about the Richard Pryor thing? 1280 00:51:39,182 --> 00:51:40,600 -Please, please. -So, in Peoria, 1281 00:51:40,725 --> 00:51:42,811 you know, Richard Pryor came, hos, gambling, 1282 00:51:42,936 --> 00:51:45,605 prostitution, you know, burning himself -- 1283 00:51:45,730 --> 00:51:48,233 So Peoria really doesn't want anything to do 1284 00:51:48,358 --> 00:51:50,193 with Richard Pryor through the '80s and '90s. 1285 00:51:50,318 --> 00:51:51,986 -Mm-hmm. 1286 00:51:52,112 --> 00:51:53,780 -And they never acknowledged him, anything like that. 1287 00:51:53,905 --> 00:51:57,075 So when he started to get ill, you know, their asses 1288 00:51:57,200 --> 00:51:59,119 got Preston Jackson to do a -- 1289 00:51:59,244 --> 00:52:03,164 they approved a statue to do for Richard Pryor, 1290 00:52:03,289 --> 00:52:07,711 in Peoria, on the corner where his dad had the pool hall, 1291 00:52:07,836 --> 00:52:09,337 brothel thing, all that. 1292 00:52:09,462 --> 00:52:11,965 Now it's kind of been -- But they have this corner there. 1293 00:52:12,090 --> 00:52:16,678 And I say, "Let's..."-- 1294 00:52:16,803 --> 00:52:18,847 "Let's, um --" 1295 00:52:18,972 --> 00:52:20,765 Told my guy Nick, "Let's do a show, man, 1296 00:52:20,890 --> 00:52:22,267 here at the Comedy Store, wherever, 1297 00:52:22,392 --> 00:52:23,393 try to raise some money for Richard Pryor." 1298 00:52:23,518 --> 00:52:24,894 Everybody says no. 1299 00:52:25,020 --> 00:52:27,063 And then I asked Ced. 1300 00:52:27,188 --> 00:52:29,357 He was like, "Yo, I'm in St. Louis." 1301 00:52:29,482 --> 00:52:30,859 He said yes. 1302 00:52:30,984 --> 00:52:33,069 I asked D.L. Was in Seattle. 1303 00:52:33,194 --> 00:52:34,863 He had two shows that were already sold out. 1304 00:52:34,988 --> 00:52:37,198 He canceled those shows and flew to Peoria. 1305 00:52:37,323 --> 00:52:39,784 And Charlie was alive, and Charlie was there. 1306 00:52:39,909 --> 00:52:41,161 -Yeah, Eddie Griffin, you got, too? 1307 00:52:41,286 --> 00:52:47,625 -Eddie Griffin, and you know, Mike Epps. 1308 00:52:47,751 --> 00:52:50,003 -Mm-hmm. -So we did the night, 1309 00:52:50,128 --> 00:52:54,132 and we made the money that we needed, plus. 1310 00:52:54,257 --> 00:52:58,011 So, with the money that we made, 1311 00:52:58,136 --> 00:53:00,722 they completed Richard Pryor's statute. 1312 00:53:00,847 --> 00:53:03,558 It's completely done over there. So I did that, too. 1313 00:53:03,683 --> 00:53:06,644 -Man, and you are -- you are a guy full of goodwill. 1314 00:53:06,770 --> 00:53:08,688 -Man, I don't even know -- I mean, you're like, 1315 00:53:08,813 --> 00:53:12,650 "How does this dude that I watched all day, 1316 00:53:12,776 --> 00:53:14,444 and my grandmother --" you know, I knew him. 1317 00:53:14,569 --> 00:53:16,654 I would go see him when he wasn't well, 1318 00:53:16,780 --> 00:53:19,991 And I mean, I don't know, Kev. 1319 00:53:20,116 --> 00:53:23,119 I just -- You know, it's crazy, man, 1320 00:53:23,244 --> 00:53:25,205 'cause you know, time goes by so fast. 1321 00:53:25,330 --> 00:53:29,584 But I don't think that the love or the respect 1322 00:53:29,709 --> 00:53:31,878 that I had for Richard Pryor or Freddie Prinze 1323 00:53:32,003 --> 00:53:33,296 has diminished at all 1324 00:53:33,421 --> 00:53:36,383 in any of the things that I've done. 1325 00:53:36,508 --> 00:53:38,009 -40-plus years. -You know, so to be 1326 00:53:38,510 --> 00:53:40,470 "Lopez vs. Lopez," you know, with Mayan, 1327 00:53:40,595 --> 00:53:42,180 I mean, it's amaz-- 1328 00:53:42,305 --> 00:53:44,516 I mean, you look at your kid, I see her -- 1329 00:53:44,641 --> 00:53:47,268 You know, I remember when she was little, 7, 8, 1330 00:53:47,394 --> 00:53:49,270 always very funny, you know. And I see her as a woman, 1331 00:53:49,396 --> 00:53:51,731 and it's just like, you want to tell her about this kid 1332 00:53:51,856 --> 00:53:53,650 that -- she's the kid, you know? 1333 00:53:53,775 --> 00:53:59,364 And I think that, I don't know, wherever the power comes from, 1334 00:53:59,489 --> 00:54:04,077 but to be able to drive to NBC 1335 00:54:04,202 --> 00:54:06,746 and to be able to see her, like, today, 1336 00:54:06,871 --> 00:54:08,790 I remember me and Ernie 1337 00:54:08,915 --> 00:54:11,084 went to the Country Club in Reseda 1338 00:54:11,209 --> 00:54:14,587 to go watch boxing in the early '80s. 1339 00:54:14,713 --> 00:54:17,882 And the singer from Van Halen was there, 1340 00:54:18,008 --> 00:54:19,300 and Michael J. Fox was there. 1341 00:54:19,426 --> 00:54:21,302 And "Back to the Future" was out, 1342 00:54:21,428 --> 00:54:23,138 and he had "Family Ties" on NBC. 1343 00:54:23,263 --> 00:54:24,848 So, I mean, he was a fucking top -- 1344 00:54:24,973 --> 00:54:26,641 But he's a little dude, you know. 1345 00:54:26,766 --> 00:54:28,309 So I look at Ernie and I said, "Hey, man, what's it like 1346 00:54:28,435 --> 00:54:29,894 to have a fuckin' number-one movie 1347 00:54:30,020 --> 00:54:32,480 and have a fuckin' show on TV?" 1348 00:54:32,605 --> 00:54:35,275 So, in August, "Blue Beetle" was number one, 1349 00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:37,652 and I had a show on NBC. -[ Chuckles ] 1350 00:54:37,777 --> 00:54:39,654 -Manifestation. 1351 00:54:39,779 --> 00:54:42,323 -Manifestation, George. Manifestation. 1352 00:54:42,449 --> 00:54:43,575 -I even said in the car, "What do you have to do 1353 00:54:43,700 --> 00:54:45,952 to get a franchise movie?" And DC, 1354 00:54:46,077 --> 00:54:47,245 like, they call, like, the next week." 1355 00:54:47,370 --> 00:54:49,122 -Manifestation. -Manifestation. 1356 00:54:49,247 --> 00:54:51,124 -George Lopez. -And put it out there. 1357 00:54:51,541 --> 00:54:52,917 -I am honored. -Man, thank you, Kev. 1358 00:54:53,043 --> 00:54:54,252 -You hear me? I am honored... 1359 00:54:54,377 --> 00:54:56,421 -Thank you, man. -...to have had 1360 00:54:56,546 --> 00:54:58,673 the conversation we have had today. 1361 00:54:58,798 --> 00:55:01,343 I have such a better understanding of who you are... 1362 00:55:01,468 --> 00:55:03,219 -Thank you. I appreciate it. -...than what I did. 1363 00:55:03,345 --> 00:55:04,804 Forever a fan... -Thank you. Likewise. 1364 00:55:04,929 --> 00:55:06,556 -...I will be. And I just want to say, man, 1365 00:55:06,681 --> 00:55:09,684 the flowers, at the top, that I gave 1366 00:55:09,809 --> 00:55:11,603 of just saying who you are and what you are... 1367 00:55:11,728 --> 00:55:13,480 -Thank you. -...I'm not the only one 1368 00:55:13,605 --> 00:55:15,273 that feels that way. You've done so much 1369 00:55:15,398 --> 00:55:17,359 for the craft of comedy... -Yeah. 1370 00:55:17,484 --> 00:55:21,154 -...and the doors that you've opened for so many of us 1371 00:55:21,279 --> 00:55:23,573 to be able to have the idea and understanding 1372 00:55:23,698 --> 00:55:27,160 of what a television show is, of what a TV career looks like, 1373 00:55:27,285 --> 00:55:28,953 and honestly the revolving door of doing it. 1374 00:55:29,079 --> 00:55:30,872 And you can do it again. -Right. 1375 00:55:30,997 --> 00:55:32,374 -It stems from those that have done it well, and you are that. 1376 00:55:32,499 --> 00:55:33,667 Thank you for coming on "Hart to Heart." 1377 00:55:33,792 --> 00:55:35,168 -Thank you, brother. -Here's to you. 1378 00:55:35,293 --> 00:55:36,044 Cheers. George Lopez. -Thank you, man. 1379 00:55:36,378 --> 00:55:37,587 [Applause] -Holy shit. 1380 00:55:37,712 --> 00:55:39,714 -Right on. Thank you. 1381 00:55:39,839 --> 00:55:40,799 -Mmm-mmm-mmm. 1382 00:55:41,383 --> 00:55:43,718 Pow! -Crazy, right? 1383 00:55:43,843 --> 00:55:44,844 -Hey. -Man. 1384 00:55:44,969 --> 00:55:46,221 -Pow. -Mind blown? 1385 00:55:46,346 --> 00:55:48,014 I mean... -What the fuck, dude? 1386 00:55:48,139 --> 00:55:50,100 -I don't even know, man. -Read the book. 1387 00:55:50,225 --> 00:55:53,478 [ Indistinct conversation ] 1388 00:55:53,603 --> 00:56:01,569 **