Why Steppin' Into The Holiday Is Mario Lopez's Favorite Film Role Yet

Mario Lopez is ready to sweep fans off their feet once again with his new role as Billy Holiday, a professional dancer whose career has taken a surprising turn, just in time for Christmas. With his family around him, Billy rediscovers the magic of his hometown, and may just find a new dance partner along the way too. Pure Wow has dubbed Lopez the Christmas king of the Lifetime channel, and his résumé already includes "Feliz NaviDAD," "Holiday in Santa Fe" — which also featured his daughter Gia Lopez — and "A Very Merry Toy Story." 

But "Steppin' Into the Holiday" showcases Lopez's acting talent alongside his smooth dance moves, making it a standout project for him. The "Access Hollywood" host appears opposite another multi-talented star, country singer Jana Kramer, as well as his real-life wife Courtney Lopez, who plays his successful former dance partner and ex. The movie was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, and Lopez was already glowing in a video posted to Twitter from his first day on set. With plenty of Christmas cheer and a little Hollywood magic, "Steppin' Into the Holiday" is fun from start to finish, and for Lopez, it's his favorite film role to date. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

In an interview with PureWow, Mario Lopez shared that his experience filming "Steppin' Into the Holiday" was special even among his growing list of Lifetime collaborations. "I'm really excited about it," he told the outlet. "It's probably my favorite one I've done so far, to be honest." The "Saved by the Bell" alum also loved having his wife on set, noting, "She does a great job." 

Besides the great energy on set and the movie's beautiful Tennessee setting, Lopez was also thrilled that the story incorporates multiple forms of performance that the whole family can enjoy. "There are a lot of musical components, a lot of dancing, a lot of great songs," Lopez gushed. In an exclusive interview with The List, Mario Lopez revealed his dream checklist going into the project. 

According to the actor, "I wanted to have something that had some dancing in it and comedy and some romance and [was] in the Christmas vein." Lopez, who also served as an executive producer on the movie, acknowledged how much of a difference his creative input makes, too. "I kind of came up with the premise," he divulged. Lopez continued, "We come up with all our premises for the holiday films. I love doing them." Likewise, the actor also emphasized how important family is to him, both on and off the screen.

As Mario Lopez told PureWow, when it came to his new movie, "Steppin' Into the Holiday:" "I think just being a family guy now and having three young kids that love Christmas, I think it represents my brand a lot." Strengthening his brand has also worked well alongside Lopez's many other roles in Hollywood. As the actor and TV host put it, "It's a nice complement to all my hosting duties ... so it's fun stuff to do."

Likewise, Lopez exclusively revealed to The List that his film projects have allowed him to make sets feel like a second home, and he's definitely made the most of the opportunity with his latest Lifetime Christmas collaboration. "It's all about family with the holidays, and I try to incorporate it with my family," Lopez explained. "My daughter was in the last one, and my wife was in this one."

Lopez also told The List that he has high hopes for what fans will take away from it. "I hope they feel it's the official kickoff to the holidays," he shared, before offering plenty of potential highlights: "It's a little look back at all of the fun films of yesteryear with some dance and romance. [It has] a throwback feel to it, and it makes you feel good and warm. It's a fun family film with those fun elements."

Catch "Steppin' Into the Holiday" tonight at 8/7c on Lifetime.