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One day at a time, Rita Moreno has seen a change in George Lopez.
Ahead of her guest appearance on the 63-year-old’s sitcom “Lopez vs Lopez,” the 92-year-old star revealed that the comedian “changed quite a bit” since they worked together on his series “The George Lopez Show” in 2007.
“He’s really eased up,” Moreno told People on Friday, adding that Lopez is “funnier” than ever.
The Oscar winner first played the comedian’s mother in “The George Lopez Show.” Now, she is portraying the spirit of George’s fictional late grandmother, Dolores, in “Lopez vs Lopez.”
Moreno continued, “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.”
The actress added that the pair is “very affectionate together,” and Lopez has become “a pretty nice guy” since they first collaborated. In fact, after taping the NBC sitcom along with Lopez’s daughter and co-star, Mayan, the actor 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 shared.
The “80 for Brady” star first met Mayan, 28, on the set of the early aughts sitcom, and when the two reunited on “Lopez vs Lopez,” the writer confided in Moreno about her past estrangement with her dad.
She recalls giving the young star “motherly advice.”
Noting that Mayan is now “more secure” in her acting abilities, Moreno added, “She’s also funny. You know, I think it’s in the genes.”
Moreno also took a moment to talk about rejoining the on-screen family, this time as Dolores.
She describes her character as a “wicked, horrible, bitchy grandmother” who was “nasty” to George when she was alive.
“I loved why she comes back from the dead,” Moreno told NBC News in 2023. “She came back roaring, nasty as always, in that family and demanding respect.”
“The idea really tickled my fancy,” she added, sharing that the dynamic between Dolores and George is comical but has a serious undertone.
“Of course, I love the ending, which we don’t want to give away,” confessed Moreno. “That’s the thing that really won me over. I thought that was so funny.”
Dolores makes her return during the show’s Día de los Muertos episode, which airs on NBC on Friday, Oct. 25.