Mario Lopez is best known as A.C. Slater or the muscular jock with the dimples from Bayside High on the 90’s hit TV show “Saved by the Bell.” He has also appeared in “Pacific Blue,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and he is currently the host of “Extra” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Besides acting and hosting, Mario even placed second in the 3^rd season of “Dancing with the Stars.” However, at the finale of this season’s Dancing with the Stars, Mario is going to be the dance partner and grand prize for the lucky winner of a contest being held by GSN called “Dance of a Lifetime.” The contest has already started and interested fans can submit their entries at http://GSNtv.com/DANCESTAR until the end of March. Shakefire had the chance to talk to Mario about his experiences with DWTS and why he is happy to be a part of the “Dance of a Lifetime” contest.

SHAKEFIRE: Hey Mario! How are you doing today?
MARIO LOPEZ: Hi Paul! I’m doing great! Thank you for talking with me today.

SF: I was wondering how did you get chosen to be a part of the prize for GSN’s “Dance of a Lifetime” contest?
ML: I’ve been a fan of GSN for a while and I had a great experience on Dancing with the Stars. I love dancing, and DWTS is my mom’s favorite show. So anytime I can keep dancing and keep doing stuff for her to keep her happy, I like it. Also, I get to dance and promote a positive message at the same time, so why not? It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

SF: My mom is a huge fan of DWTS too! She never misses an episode. Do you have an idea what the judges will be looking for when viewing the video entires?
ML: I think they are looking for a lot of energy, being passionate about dancing, and that the contestants are having a lot of fun. Also, they are looking for people that have fun personalities. It’s going to be a great time for everyone and I just think, in general, just a passionate, fun-loving dance fan.

SF: What is one valuable lesson from DWTS, that you learned from being on the show, that you wanted to pass on to the winner of the contest?
ML: The most important thing is if you’re having fun out there, people are going to have fun with you. Because it’s not worth it if it’s not fun, and I try to always have fun once I hit the dance floor. I think that’s what it’s all about. Dancing is a great form of exercise, and also a great way to express yourself. It’s a great way to relive stress. So it’s all about having a good time.

SF: What do you think is going to be the stand-out moment for this whole contest for you?
ML: Well, for me, it’s getting to dance and getting to dance with this person who’s obviously been looking forward to it and having fun getting choreographed. I just to have create something and have it come together, but it is always going to be a good time. So I’m really looking forward to meeting the person who wins.

SF: How did being on Dancing with the Stars change your life?
ML: It had a very positive impact on my life. Anytime you get the opportunity to be in front of millions of people, it can either go one of two ways.  They could not like you, and you could rub them the wrong way, but fortunately, I had a nice little run on it, and I got great response.  I didn’t know I could be a ballroom dancer. I did get an awful lot of people to see a side of my personality that maybe they haven’t seen before, so it’s a great vehicle for all of that. I was able to parley it into different things, and was just really grateful for the chance and happy that I got to be on it.

SF: Your host partner from “Extra,” Maria Menounos, is competing on this season’s DWTS with Derek Hough as her partner. Did you give any advice to Maria to help her out this season?
ML: I just told her I think she’s got a great partner in Derek. If she listens to him, she’ll be fine and again, just what I would tell the contest winner, just to have fun when you’re out there. Don’t worry about counting your stats or necessarily thinking too much, because I think it’ll show. Also, if you have fun, everyone will have fun with you. Maybe a tequila shot right before you perform will help loosen you up.

SF: What was your favorite dance while you were performing on DWTS?
ML: I had a good time learning them all. I’ve never done any of them before. I liked the Mambo a lot, and the Pasadoble was a lot of fun too. And I liked the Tango. All the Latin dances, shocker, I think I really liked probably a little more.

SF: Well, Thanks again Mario for talking with me today! I know my mom will be very excited to know I had a chance to talk to you.
ML: No problem! Thank you and take care! Bye