Rita Moreno Reveals George Lopez Has 'Eased Up' and Gotten 'Sweet and Cuddly' Since Collaborating in 2007 (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Rita Moreno and George Lopez.Photo:Getty(2)

Getty(2)

Rita Morenosees a difference inGeorge Lopez.

Ahead of her guest appearance on Lopez’s show with his daughterMayan Lopez,Lopez vs Lopez, the 92-year-old actress tells PEOPLE that the comedian, 63, has “changed quite a bit” since they worked together on his seriesThe George Lopez Showin 2007.

“He’s really eased up,” Moreno says, adding that George is “funnier” than ever.

TheOscarwinner continues, “He’s gotten kind of sweet and cuddly. I know it’s hard to think of George as a cuddly person, but I kept constantly leaning on him, and he put his arm around me.”

George Lopez as George and Rita Moreno as Dolores in ‘Lopez vs Lopez’.Nicole Weingart/NBC via Getty

Nicole Weingart/NBC via Getty

Moreno adds that the pair are “very affectionate together,” and George has become “a pretty nice guy” since they first collaborated. She reveals that after taping the episode of the NBC sitcom, George took the entire cast to dinner at a “wonderful” Mexican restaurant.

“He was never a sweet person, but he is now, and I am very fond of him,” Moreno says.

Rejoining Lopez’s on-screen family also gave Moreno the opportunity to see Mayan, 28, whom she met on the set ofThe George Lopez Show. When the two reunited onLopez vs Lopez, Mayan confided in Moreno about herpast estrangementwith George, andThe Electric Companystar recalls giving her “motherly advice.”

“She became very close to me, and I with her,” theWest Side Storyactress says. “She’s a really neat girl. So pretty, those big, beautiful eyes of hers.”

Noting that Mayan is now “more secure” about her acting ability, Moreno quips, “She’s also funny. You know, I think it’s in the genes.”

Rita Moreno as Luisa and George Lopez as George in ‘The George Lopez Show’.NBC

NBC

InLopez vs Lopez, Moreno portrays the spirit of George’s fictional late grandmother, Dolores. She describes the character as a “wicked, horrible, bitchy grandmother” who was “nasty” to George when she was alive. Dolores returns to scold her grandson for badmouthing her during the show’s Día de los Muertos episode, which airs on NBC on Friday, Oct. 25.

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Lopez vs Lopezairs on NBC on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET.

source: people.com