For all the success he's had as an actor and comedian over the years, the role that has continually eluded George Lopez was one where he could use his distinct voice. That will soon change when audiences hear him as the whimsical voice of Papi, the scrappy dog of a landscaper who pines for pampered purebred Chloe's (Drew Barrymore) affections in the new family comedy "Beverly Hills Chihuahua."

Prior to his work in films, Lopez made his name, of course, as the star of the hit sitcom "George Lopez," as a standup comedian and an awards show host. But those were all the sorts of gigs which would allow him to feed off the reaction of his audiences -- a luxury he wasn't afforded in a sound booth in a studio to record Papi, a role played by a unique Chihuahua-mutt mix named Rusco.

"Our director, Raja Gosnell, did a great job with the actors in telling us what he wanted, because when we started, there was no animation of the dogs talking or even storyboards," Lopez recalled in a recent @ The Movies interview. "They hadn't even shot any footage yet. All they had was a picture of Rusco. He was standing on a rock with chest out and his head turned to the side, and I thought, 'Yeah, I know what that's all about."

While Lopez didn't have the benefit of a large audience when recording his dialogue for the film, he was afforded the unique opportunity of being with Barrymore and voice co-star Andy Garcia at the same time.

It's a rare occasion for actors to record voice dialogue together for a film where animation is involved, but Lopez believes it did wonders for the film, particularly in the early scenes where Papi tries to court Chloe -- a dog way out of his league.

"Recording together really helped us to create a real connection that you can see on the screen," Lopez said. "The first session we had together, we recorded everything in the beginning of the movie, from me singing to her, to me asking her, 'Do you want to go have a drink with me? There's great pond by the garage' and 'If you ever need anybody to lick inside your ears, I'd be honored.' All of that was recorded in front of her."

While Lopez had a blast recording the lines and getting to show off his singing skills a bit, the ultimate payoff came when he screened the film for the first time with his family.

"At the premiere, about 45 minutes in I turned to my wife and said, 'I think I'm watching actors act,'' Lopez beamed. "'They're not dogs, they're just actors.'"

Something To Bark About

Long before he saw how great of an actor Rusco was on film, Lopez was impressed with canine counterpart because of his survival skills. That's because Rusco's trainer, Mike Alexander, discovered his four-legged friend at the end of a two-week stay in an animal shelter -- and with little time left.

"The fact is, he was one day from being put down," Lopez said. "People always wonder about the stories of how somebody makes it big. The story the Rusco is more compelling than any other story I think. I asked Mike in July, 'Does this dog know what's happening to him yet?' and he said, 'No I don't think so.' When I saw him a week ago, he said that he's starting to get it."

Luckily for Lopez, he finally got to spend some time with Rusco during promotional appearances for the film. And for, Lopez, a survivor whose past obstacles included kidney failure that resulted in a life-saving organ transplant from his wife, Ann Serrano two years ago, Rusco's survival story is yet another reminder of why we should appreciate every day.

"My whole life has been an uphill struggle," Lopez said, humbly. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about how fortunate I am. Not only do I have my health because I was very sick, but to have done something in the business. I never dreamed as big as anything other than doing 'The Tonight Show.' I couldn't have dreamed about doing movies or doing a television show that would go into syndication."

The great thing is, Lopez added, like his co-stars from "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," his feet -- and their paws -- are still standing firmly on the ground.

"It seemed so out there before to dream that big," Lopez said. "It's still pretty amazing, because I still feel the way I did when I didn't have all of this."