A Few Minutes With . . . George Lopez

August 31, 2008

One day following an early round of the 2007 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, I interviewed comedian George Lopez in a Q&A format for PGA TOUR Partners Magazine. The 20-minute interview was held at the putting green next to The Lodge at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

George Lopez

Growing up I thought I would be an x-ray technician. It just seemed like something you could do to be in the medical field without putting in the years to be a doctor. It sounded good when you were trying to pick-up chicks.

The best idea I ever had was to speak from the heart and not just say things people wanted to hear.

My favorite expression is . . . if you don’t like it, don’t look at it.

I’m most proud of . . . my family because I didn’t really have one growing up. I have a great wife and a good kid.

It’s not true that . . . money can buy happiness.

The world would be a better place . . . if we judged people by what they’re like on the inside.

When I turned 21 I . . . went out to this place called Tips in Newhall (California). It was a truck stop that had exotic drinks. I ended up laying in the back of a flatbed truck and on the way home I remember (looking up) and seeing the street lights passing by.

There is no shortcut to . . . success.

Most people would be surprised to know that . . . I am a very compassionate person and that I give a lot of money to people who are less fortunate and without seeking any kind of attention.

All successful people need to . . . be gracious and not pompous. It doesn’t make you a better person just because you have wealth.

The best day of my life was . . . when I met my wife.

When I meet someone the first thing I notice is . . . whether they make eye contact with me.

If I could trade places with one person for one day it would be . . . Tigers Woods, just to see what that feels like to be mental strong and physically strong at the same time. I’ve yet to put both of them together.

My worst vice is . . . I’m stubborn.

As an athlete I was . . . terrible. And the older I get the more I realized I sucked. I wasn’t being slighted for being left off all-star teams. I really couldn’t play.

My finest athletic moment was . . . sinking a 12-foot putt on the 14th green at Pebble Beach to put me on my number to make the cut my first year (2004 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).

My first job was . . . as an employee of H. Salt Fish & Chips. When people I knew came in I’d hide in the back until they left. I was 15 years old, and I quit the first day of high school when my friends found out I worked there.

My life’s mantra is . . . fuck it. You know, let it go or let’s do it.

I’ve found the biggest waste of time is acting class . . . go by instinct.

When I need to relax I . . . go some place quiet and take a nap. The one thing that really gets me angry is . . . negativity.

My ideal foursome would include . . . myself, Carlos Santana (”Even though he doesn’t play golf”), Tiger Woods and Elvis Pressley.

The best advice I ever received is . . . be bold.

The biggest disappointment in my life . . . was people who I thought were my friends. The thing I covet most is . . . going home. I love going home.

Posted in Celebrity Golfers