Cyclone Power
Andrew Lopez arrived to college with dreams of working in the TV and film industry, and his time at Iowa State University helped make those dreams a reality. “Iowa State means everything to me,” Lopez (’12) says. Despite acting in hit shows like “The Bear,” Apple TV’s “Platonic,” and multiple films; touring internationally for stand-up comedy; and gaining many writing and producing credits, Lopez remains passionate about all things small-town Iowa and Iowa State.
How did ISU help prepare you for the entertainment industry?
My education at Iowa State was top-tier; I loved going to classes, and I loved learning. But the extracurriculars are where you can get what you want out of them. My best friend, Bryan Scheckel (’12), and I joined the Student Union Board (SUB) and it was the greatest experience of my life. We booked acts for VEISHEA, he booked bands, and I booked comedians. My SUB advisors let me open for comedians and taught me how contracts worked. All of this led to my first job as an assistant in the motion picture department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the top Hollywood agencies in the world. Since then, CAA has signed me as a client.
We wanted to be in entertainment, and we found our way in through Iowa State. I don’t think anyone’s typically going to be like, “if you want to get into entertainment, go to Iowa State,” but there are ways to find your desired job or career path at Iowa State in even the craziest things, like entertainment.
What was it like to move from Iowa to Los Angeles to pursue your career?
I owe a lot to my parents; they were super supportive of my dreams. They paid my first three months of rent out in LA. My mom is a special education teacher and my dad worked at a factory, and they saved enough money for me to be able to follow my dreams. I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college. They always said, “if you can get a degree, we’ll support you to do what you want to do after.” It was scary, but nothing’s too scary if your family supports you. I’m grateful and aware that I’m lucky that I had that support.
You’re working on writing and starring in a show centered around Iowa. Can you share more about it?
I’m currently working on a TV show with HBO; producing the show is Christopher Storer, who created “The Bear.” It’s a comedy with a lot of heart and specifically takes place in Iowa. A lot of it’s about growing up in Pella, but there’s also stories about college, so of course, there’s an Iowa State episode set on the night before graduation with the whole episode taking place at Sips. It’s an all-encompassing love letter to the Midwest.