We know Mario Lopez for playing his iconic role as A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell. But what many people don’t realize is there’s a lot more to Mario than that role he played when he was a teenager.

Since then he’s gone on to star on Broadway in A Chorus Line, further his career as a television host, and write quite a few books. He’s gotten married twice — one of them being annulled, and that was only the beginning of the ups and downs of his love life before ultimately settling down with his wife and having three children.

Mario has come so far from his days on Saved By The Bell, and his career has only soared from there. These are 15 little known facts about Mario Lopez’s rise to fame.

15 He Started Acting At Age 10

Everyone has to get their start somewhere, and for Mario Lopez, he made his acting debut when he was just ten years old. His first role was in the show a.k.a Pablo in 1984. Although that was his first acting role, he’s most known for his role on Saved By The Bell as A.C. Slater.

14 His First Kiss Was With Fergie

In 1984 Mario was also on Kids Incorporated, and it was also where he had his first kiss. The person he shared his first kiss with happens to be just as famous, and you’ll never guess who it is. It was none other than Fergie! Yes, Black Eyed Peas Fergie. She was also on the show with Mario, and they shared a kiss during a kissing scene on the show.

13 He Was On Broadway In 2008

Even though Mario followed his dreams to become an actor and became a very successful child star in the 1980s, that was just the beginning for him. In 2008, Mario fulfilled another lifelong dream when he got to do a short stint on Broadway where he played Zach in A Chorus Line.

Related: 20 Surprising Things That Happened On The Set Of Saved By The Bell

12 He Claims A Witch Doctor Saved His Life

According to Mario, when he was a baby he contracted some sort of mysterious illness. He was so sick that doctors didn’t think he was going to make it, as he couldn’t keep any food or fluids down. In a last attempt to save his son, Mario’s dad took him to Mexico to try alternative medicine and consult a witch doctor, which Mario claims miraculously saved him.

11 He's A Really Good Wrestler

Mario isn’t just a great actor. In fact, when Mario was in high school, he took up wrestling, and he was surprisingly really good at it. He had a fantastic record wrestling in school, and all of the wrestling kept him in good shape, as you can see when he was on Saved By The Bell.

10 He Was Married For Two Weeks

In 2004, Mario Lopez married his longtime girlfriend Ali Landry. The two had been dating for years, so it was only natural that they tied the knot. Unfortunately, things crashed and burned rather quickly. The two had their marriage annulled two weeks later, due to the fact that Mario had cheated on Ali before the wedding.

Related: 10 Celebs Who Were Married For Minutes (5 Who Stood The Test Of Time)

9 He Was Married A Second Time

In 2012, Mario got married a second time, this time to actress Courtney Mazza. The two met during his stint on Broadway in A Chorus Line. The two got married in a lavish wedding in Mexico, and things are going a lot better this time around, as they’re still together today.

8 He Has Three Kids

In July of 2019, Mario and his wife Courtney welcomed their third child, Santino Rafael Lopez. The couple’s other two children, Gia, who is nine years old, and Dominic who is six years old. Mario hasn’t said if they’re done having children, but they’re definitely one of the cutest families.

7 He Produced An Independent Film

In 2002, Mario Lopez took on a new challenge, when he decided to try out producing. He co-produced and starred in an independent film called Outta Time. The film is about a soccer player who gets hurt and loses his scholarship so he takes up a new job smuggling drugs across the border.

6 He Wrote Children's Books

If acting, directing, and wrestling aren’t enough, Mario Lopez tried becoming an author and has written a few children’s books. One book was written with his daughter in mind, Mario and Baby Gia. He also wrote another children’s book called Mud Tacos. Yet another success for Mario, that’s for sure.

Related: 20 90s Sitcom Stars The World Totally Forgot About

5 He Wrote Some Other Books, Too

In addition to becoming a successful children’s author, Mario Lopez has also tried his hand at writing other books, these being non-fiction and fitness books — Knockout Fitness, Extra Lean, and Extra Lean Life. It seems as if Mario can wear multiple hats and be successful at them.

4 Hosting Career Put Him Back In The Spotlight

One could argue that Saved By The Bell was the peak of Mario’s career. Eventually, though, Mario got into the hosting world. He’s hosted a number of shows from celebrity entertainment news show Extra, to a TV version of Candy Crush, America’s Best Dance Crew, and now, most recently, Access Hollywood, these hosting gigs brought Mario back into the limelight

3 He Turned Down Big Money For PlayGirl

At one time Mario was offered a large sum of money to pose naked for Playgirl magazine after the magazine had seen some shirtless pictures of him. Mario turned down the whopping $200,000, claiming that posing naked for the magazine wasn’t something that he was interested in at the time.

2 He Can Play The Drums

It seems like Mario Lopez can do it all. We know he’s a talented actor, has good looks, a great wrestler, and even a writer. What else can Mario do? Well, he can play the drums. You can add a talented drummer to his resume as he played the drums while he was on Kids Incorporated.

1 He Was On Dancing With The Stars And It Led To Romance

In 2006, Mario Lopez appeared on Dancing With The Stars, and he was partnered with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff. The two were smitten immediately and started dating. They were together for about two years before they broke things off and Marion met his current wife Courtney Mazza.

Next: Dancing With The Stars: 15 BTS Facts We Probably Shouldn't Know