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

Rita Moreno sees a difference in George Lopez.

Ahead of her guest appearance on Lopez’s show with his daughter Mayan 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 series The George Lopez Show in 2007.

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

The Oscar winner 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.”

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 of The George Lopez Show. When the two reunited on Lopez vs Lopez, Mayan confided in Moreno about her past estrangement with George, and The Electric Company star recalls giving her “motherly advice.” 

“She became very close to me, and I with her,” the West Side Story actress 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.”

In Lopez 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.

She previously played a similar character in The George Lopez Show, guest starring as George’s grandmother Luisa in the series’ final season. But instead of tormenting George’s character, Luisa had a strained relationship with his on-screen mother, Benny (played by Belita Moreno).

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