After appearing as a guest judge on Season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race, fans are itching to know more about Mayan Lopez.
Lopez popped up in Season 16, Episode 12 of the hit reality show, judging contestants on the challenge to introduce chains into their outfits. She was instantly endearing to fans showing off her comedic prowess and love of the series.
Lopez is best known for her work on NBC's Lopez vs. Lopez series as well as the Netflix film Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie.
4 Facts About Netflix Star Mayan Lopez
Mayan Lopez Is the Daughter of a Comedy Legend
Fans of comedian George Lopez may recognize some family resemblance when looking at Mayan Lopez. This is because the young star is the daughter of the TV comedy legend.
Through her dad, Mayan has appeared in several of his various TV and film ventures including George Lopez and the 2009 TV movie Mr. Troop Mom.
While she has a close relationship with her father now, that was not always the case. Following the split of her father and his ex-wife Ann Serrano in 2010, Mayan has said she became estranged from her dad.
In a November 2022 interview with Complex, the TV star revealed they "weren’t truly speaking" up until recently, but they have now found a way to heal:
"Two years ago we weren’t truly speaking and now we’re having these conversations that we would’ve had in private, but we’re putting them on the screen. We know that this is our cause, our relationship represents so many and it’s bigger than ourselves."
She also told People, "We have a deep respect for each other," calling the experience of bringing her dad back into her life "very healing:"
"I think we have a deep respect for each other. think when we go past those doors, we are, yes, father and daughter between scenes. He'll give me a hug, he'll give me a kiss. We're always connected, but we can put our hats on and be creative and critical of each other in ways that it's just two performers talking to each other and to feel safe, which is something that I haven't always felt with him. To feel that now, it's very healing."
The 27-year-old (born April 2, 1996) remains George Lopez's only child.
Mayan Lopez Is a Huge RuPaul's Drag Race Fan
While some may scratch their head about why Mayan Lopez appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race, the TV star has been outspoken about her love of the series.
Following her Season 16 guest judging stint, she revealed she has seen "[has] watched all seasons of the U.S. [show]" as well as its international spin-offs (via Remezcla):
“I have watched all seasons of the U.S. versions of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' who knows how many times, and I love many of the international versions of the series as well. The first season I started watching was season six in 2014 where Bianca Del Rio won, and she is one of my favorite queens of all time as I admire her so deeply as a comedian."
Lopez added that, when she was asked to appear in the series, it was a "no-brainer:"
"It was a no-brainer! Are you kidding?! I’m a super fan so being able to judge and be a part of the ‘herstory’ of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' and its incredible legacy was my biggest dream that actually came true."
Lopez has been a passionate ally to the LGBTQIA+ community and thinks RuPaul's Drag Race is an important tentpole in acceptance and inclusion.
In an interview with Glaad, the Lopez vs. Lopez actress remarked that she "walks in the same shoes as my LBGTQ+ brethren," positing that "ignorance is the enemy:"
"I won’t allow myself to be marginalized. If they won’t put us in their projects then we have to make our own. I walk in the same shoes as my LBGTQ+ brethren. When they try to put one group down, they are trying to put all of us down. Ignorance is the enemy. That’s what I love about 'Drag Race.' Hearing about a queen getting kicked out of their house at 15 and being rejected by their family is heartbreaking. These stories educate the viewer. We have to tell our stories and continue to fight."
Mayan Lopez Created a TV Show With Her Dad
After being disconnected from her father George Lopez for nearly a decade, Mayan Lopez welcomed the comedian back into her life to work on the NBC comedy Lopez vs. Lopez.
The hit sitcom has acted as a healing mechanism for Lopez and her father, allowing the two to tackle the conversations they have wanted to have for years on-screen.
On the series, she told Emmys.com that it has been a collaboration that is "so personal" to the two of them, continuing, "I've always known that I wanted my pain and my personal story to mean something:"
"Growing up, sometimes a joke was the only way I could communicate with my dad. I like to think that in my life and my relationship with my dad, it's always kind of been Lopez vs. Lopez. When I was younger, it was always, what jokes could I tell him? Even then I was learning joke construction, how to be a comedian, finding my target and where to hit. In a way, we've always collaborated. Now we are able to collaborate on something that is so personal to both of us. I've always known that I wanted my pain and my personal story to mean something."
Lopez calls the show a bit of "airing out [her] dirty laundry," except instead of doing it behind closed doors, her father and she are doing it live on the small screen:
"What's so interesting about our show is I'm playing a version of myself. But there are moments when you see that I am talking to my dad, and you can see the tone shift, which I think makes this so dynamic. I am airing out my dirty laundry a little bit."
Lopez vs. Lopez is set to head into its second season in early April, running through the spring and into early summer.
Mayan Lopez Is a TikTok Star
Before Mayan Lopez graced TV screens, leading Lopez vs. Lopez she made quite the name for herself on the social video platform TikTok.
Following in the footsteps of her father, Lopez has worked in comedy since she was quite young, appearing in famed comedy troupes like Groundlings and Second City in Los Angeles.
But she gained even more notoriety thanks to her presence on TikTok, which started to pick up steam in 2020.
These TikTok videos tackled all sorts of subjects, but most prominently they were where she addressed her relationship with her dad.
Talking with Emmys.com, Lopez revealed her TikTok efforts came during the COVID pandemic when she was "try[ing] to find a way to be creative," and thinks the videos helped her "family [come] together:"
"It was during Covid. I had just graduated from the conservatory at Second City and I wanted to try to find a way to be creative. I think my family really came together during that time."
Lopez's TikTok videos would eventually spawn the idea for Lopez vs. Lopez, leading her and her father to pursue the series.
How To Follow Mayan Lopez on Social Media
Fans looking to keep up with Mayan Lopez online can do so by following her on Instagram (@MayanLopez) and TikTok (@MayanLopez).
Mayan Lopez's Lopez vs. Lopez returns for Season 2 starting on Tuesday, April 2.
