George Lopez is known to dog lovers as a judge on “World’s Most Amazing Dog,” but his long career extends far beyond that.
Actor and comedian George Lopez has been entertaining audiences for quite a long time, and he’s been a big fan of dogs for nearly as long.
He’s known for his self-titled ABC sitcom and recent voiceover work in animated films, as well as his live-action film roles.
He’s currently a judge on the first season of Facebook Watch talent series World’s Most Amazing Dog, which has new episodes drop each Thursday night.
Lopez was kind enough to do a phone interview with Dog O’Day earlier this week, talking about his coworkers, the importance of giving a pet proper attention, and his voice acting career.
(Some light editing has been done to this transcript for clarity purposes.)
Dog O’Day – What is your favorite part of working on World’s Most Amazing Dog?
George Lopez – “I think my favorite is how you kind of see dogs trying to outdo each other, you know? Like, when we first started you’d see these videos and go, ‘Okay, a dog that can do an obstacle course. Where are we gonna go from here?’
“Then you go to a dog that does CPR, a dog that can say ‘I love you,’ a dog that plays the piano…so the biggest thing for me would be that you see something that you just can’t imagine a dog would be able to do. And you just keep seeing things like that!”
How did you get involved with the show?
“It’s funny – somebody that I worked with on another show knew that I was a dog lover, and knew about World’s Most Amazing Dog, and so was like, ‘What about George? He’s a dog lover,” and they were like, ‘Oh, he’d be perfect!’
“Myself and Lisa Vanderpump is a great duo, and Preacher Lawson, from America’s Got Talent, he’s been a great host. And the episodes aren’t long, they’re between eighteen to twenty minutes, not long at all. And it is something that is fun to do, and you’re not there on set for ever. And even if you’re watching it, it doesn’t last forever but you do have a very good time and it’s very enjoyable.”
What are Lisa and Preacher like to work with?
“Well, Preacher I just met. He’s young, young in the business, smart guy, incredibly in shape, and he’s fun. You see him and you have to remind yourself that this can be fun, that work is supposed to be fun. So he’s just reminded me to remember to have fun.
“And Lisa, I thought she’d walk in with like, ten people, like you see in the movies when they have this entourage of people around them, but not at all! She couldn’t be more down to earth, she couldn’t be funnier, she couldn’t be a better person, and to tell you the truth, we have a great friendship and I never would have imagined that she and I would have gotten along this well.”
So for the semifinals, the dogs will be doing their tricks inside the studio?
“Yeah, so, we do the first semifinal tonight and then another next Thursday, and then the finale is in like, three weeks. The dogs that are able to travel will come to Los Angeles and do their tricks in front of Lisa and I. I’m excited, man, you get to see these dogs on video and you see them every week and you’re seeing who will advance and then they’re right there in front of you with their owners. And it’s so fun and exciting!”