CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF ISSUE #48 FEATURING GEORGE LOPEZ

PHOTOGRAPHY Julian Ramirez INTRO Alex Barrera

You remember that payaso in school, the one in the back of the classroom who would make everyone crap their pants with laughter? You ‘member? Most of us assumed that class clown would grow up to flip burgers at McDonald’s. We sure as hell didn’t think he could ever become rich and famous by making people laugh. Just like people who knew George Lopez back in school probably never expected him to be where he is today: at the top of the comedy world and a hero to Latinos.

You’ve accomplished so much in your career, what’s next for you?
I’m touring with my stand up. I’m enjoying the tour. And there is a chance next year to do another TV show that I think will be bigger than the George Lopez show and more important to our community. So look out for that announcement, big-time!

You had a kidney transplant a while back. How’s your health doing now?
It’s good. Everything is good. Very good! It’s three years since I’ve had my transplant and I’m in good health.

So did the transplant help out everything, even your sex life?
[gives me a WTF? look] Yeah I guess…you know.

You’ve been active in encouraging Latinos to take care of their health and kidneys…
The main goal is to make sure people get checked…really with Latinos our diets aren’t the best. We drink a lot of alcohol…all that bad stuff. You start to get high blood pressure; you start to look at your family history. With a quick blood test and check of your blood pressure, you can find really everything you need to know about your body and you can save yourself a lot of problems down the line. One of the things that would have saved me is if I had gone to the doctor as a kid. I actually went to Mexico more times than I went to the doctor, but if I would have taken better care of myself I could have lived a healthier and better life.

You talk a lot in your comedy and about the negativity you faced growing up and I think it’s something that a lot of Latinos can relate to. Do you think Latino parents need to be more positive towards their kids?
Absolutely. They need to be more positive with their kids. They need to be there for their kids…Kids don’t know everything and they need boundaries, but they need to be told that they are good every once in a while. I never was and I had to learn the hard way. So you don’t want your kids to learn the hard way. And look at it this way: maybe one day they’re going to take care of you, and maybe they won’t take such good care of you. So be nice to them when they are young. And if they play sports go to their games, they love that—apparently. [Laughs]

You don’t pull any punches when it comes to speaking out or standing up for Mexicans. You’ve FTPed everybody from George Bush. Have you ever had any negative consequences for being so outspoken?
Yeah. Obviously there always is. But you know what, this is a county of free speech and independent thinking. Those people who don’t agree, that’s just part of the process bro. That’s why FTP was created.

We interviewed Carlos Mencia a couple of issues ago and asked him about stealing jokes from you and other comedians. He said you guys were cool. Was he just blowing smoke up our culo?
No, no. We’re cool. I don’t have a problem with anybody, you know. He has his career and I have my career. This is too big of business to worry about one person.

Final words for our readers?
Do your thing everyday. Don’t look at yourself as a Latino, look at yourself as a human being. Work as hard as you can and nothing is impossible.

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