Trivia: Arguably the preeminent Hispanic comedian of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and one of the most influential Latino entertainers of all time, George Lopez broke new ground for Mexican-Americans by scoring many firsts. Most significantly, he clocked in as the first Hispanic comic since Freddie Prinze Sr. (whom he idolized) to headline his own blockbuster sitcom, thus providing Latinos with a much-needed television voice and role model to boot. Born in 1961 in Mission Hills, CA, Lopez was abandoned by his father at two months old; not long after his tenth birthday, his mother delivered him permanently into the hands of his working-class grandparents, a couple singularly lacking in parental skills, affection, and financial resources. Ingeniously, Lopez took the angst, desperation, impoverishment, and overwhelming dysfunction of these preadolescent and adolescent years and spun it into behind-the-mike fodder -- in other words, using his hard-hitting experiences as building blocks for exceptionally droll, inventive standup routines. Lopez foresaw standup comedy as his only desired option after high school, and thus reportedly worked the club circuit for almost two decades -- his exclusive gig until the late '80s and early '90s. At that point, Lopez tackled a few bit roles in junky comedies such as Ski Patrol (1989) and Fatal Instinct (1993), but turned a much-needed corner, and upped the prestige quotient, by signing on to work for the esteemed Ken Loach in that director's Bread and Roses (2000), a muckraking drama about Hispanic-American janitors. The finished film divided critics but unveiled new dimensions in the actor's ability. Lopez's eponymous sitcom commenced in 2002, with the schtickmeister cast as a variant of himself, George Lopez, who worked in an airplane-parts factory. The ABC program maintained high ratings well into its sixth season. In the meantime, Lopez branched out into feature-film roles -- this time with a more respectable cinematic pedigree -- in such pictures as The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl (2005), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), Balls of Fury (2007), and Tortilla Heaven (2007).Following a two year run as a late night talk show host on Lopez Tonight, Lopez continued to appear in a number of movies, including Swing Vote, Valentine's Day, and Balls of Fury.

Trivia: Constance Marie floored audiences with her performance as Selena's mother in Selena (1997), the biographical drama about the pop artist's rise and the tragic ending of her life. Through extensive makeup preparation, Marie was transformed to look substantially older than her on-screen daughter, played by Jennifer Lopez -- the actual age difference between the two actresses was merely one year. Marie's emotional portrayal in the role left no doubt of her maturity as a performer, with or without the makeup.Born September 9, 1969, in Hollywood, CA, Marie's first role was playing Penny in the film spin-off series Dirty Dancing. In 1995, she starred in the Newline feature My Family, as Toni Sanchez, earning her substantial credit in the field. Her role in Selena two years later solidified her impression as a performer, and would veer her career toward dramatic roles both on television and in films.Marie had several roles on TV series, including one recurring on the NBC series Union Square in 1997. Additionally, her film credits continued to grow, mainly in the vein of drama. In 2000, she was featured in the Sundance Film Festival feature Dancing in September. She appeared in See Spot Run and as Yolanda in Tortilla Soup a year later. After a few years without much emphasis on her television career, she returned to the tube, appearing simultaneously on two different networks. She starred as Angie, the wife of standup comic George Lopez, in the 2002 ABC sitcom The George Lopez Show, and as Nina in the critically acclaimed PBS dramatic series American Family of the same year. Over the years to come, Marie would find additional success on the series Switched at Birth.

Trivia: A multi-talented performer, Masiela Lusha was born in Albania but eventually moved to Michigan, where she was discovered at an open casting call. After playing the daughter of George Lopez on his same-named sitcom for five seasons, she landed roles in the independent films Summoning and Cherry Bomb. More roles followed in the live-action remake of Blood: The Last Vampire and the acclaimed Albanian-German film Time of the Comet (2008). In addition to her impressive acting resumé, Lusha is also an accomplished writer, having published two books of poetry, as well as the novel The Besa.

Trivia: Born Andrés Arturo García-Menéndez on April 12th, 1956, actor Andy Garcia was five-years-old when he fled with his family from his native Cuba to Miami, where Garcia's father, a former lawyer, established a successful cosmetics business upon becoming an American citizen. Following his graduation from Florida International University, Garcia moved to L.A. and performed briefly as a standup comic, working as a furniture expediter and waiter when jobs were scarce. While his TV debut was a small role in the 1981 pilot of Hill Street Blues, Garcia did not have to travel far from his adopted hometown for his film bow, Blue Skies Again (1983), which was shot on location in Florida. (Also making her first screen appearance in this forgettable baseball comedy was actress Mimi Rogers).It was not until he was cast as a drug kingpin in Hal Ashby's 8 Million Ways to Die (1985) that Garcia's career really took off. After turning in strong roles in both The Untouchables (1987) and Stand and Deliver (1988), he achieved an additional degree of stardom when he was cast as Michael Corleone's hot-headed nephew in The Godfather Part III (1990), a role for which he earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. The range of Garcia's talents was impressive enough for screenwriter Henry Bean to write the script for the 1990 police-corruption drama Internal Affairs with the actor specifically in mind. But after several years of on-the-edge characters, Garcia softened his screen image as the too-good-to-be-true husband of an alcoholic (Meg Ryan) in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). Garcia's career waned a bit during the second half of the '90s, and the actor concentrated some of his energies on starring in various made-for-TV movies and such Spanish-made films as Death in Granada (1997). Although Garcia found his place in American cinema -- indeed, he was one of the few Latino stars to successfully cross over into Hollywood films -- his deep connection and loyalty to his Cuban heritage was illustrated by his involvement in projects that reflect that sentiment. He has produced and directed a tribute to Cuban mambo artist Cachoao entitled Cachoao: Like His Rhythm There Is No Other, and, at one time, he planned to direct and star in a film adaptation of The Lost City, an epic novel of revolution and exile by Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante.Garcia worked alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt for 2001's Ocean's 11, in which he portrayed the unscrupulous owner of a casino, and appeared in the film's sequels Ocean's 12 (2004) and Ocean's 13 (2007). He joined the cast of The Pink Panter 2 in 2009, and took a lead role in the historical drama Greater Glory (2012), which follows a group of Mexican patriots devoted to defending future generations from tyranny. A devoted family man, Garcia lives outside of the spotlight with his wife Maria Victoria (also a Cuban immigrant) and their three daughters.

Trivia: Actress Aimee Garcia began her career in the late '90s, appearing on numerous TV shows like ER, V.I.P., The Agency, and Angel. She also starred in the WB series Greetings from Tuscon throughout 2003, and later took on a recurring role on All About the Andersons in 2004. After going on to appear in movies like Spanglish and Global Frequency, Garcia signed on for yet another recurring role, this time as Veronica on the sitcom George Lopez. She would continue to find success in TV in 2009 with a starring role in the paramedic drama Trauma. She continued to work in projects such as B-Girl, Go For It!, and Convincing Clooney.