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Roberto Gómez Bolaños (21 February 1929 – 28 November 2014), more commonly known by his stage name Chespirito, or "Little
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
", was a Mexican actor, comedian, screenwriter, humorist, director, producer, and author. He is widely regarded as one of the icons of Spanish-speaking humor and entertainment and one of the greatest comedians of all time. He is also one of the most loved and respected comedians in Latin America. He is mostly known by his acting role Chavo from the sitcom ''
El Chavo del 8 ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. I ...
''. He is recognized all over the planet for writing, directing, and starring in the ''
Chespirito Roberto Gómez Bolaños (21 February 1929 – 28 November 2014), more commonly known by his stage name Chespirito, or "Little William Shakespeare, Shakespeare", was a Mexican actor, comedian, screenwriter, humorist, director, producer, and au ...
'' (1970–1973, 1980–1995), ''
El Chavo del Ocho ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. ...
'' (1973–1980), and ''
El Chapulín Colorado ''El Chapulín Colorado'' (English: ''The Red Grasshopper'') is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main cha ...
'' (1973–1979) television series. The character of ''El Chavo'' is one of the most iconic in the history of Latin American television, and ''El Chavo del Ocho'' continues to be immensely popular, with daily worldwide viewership averaging 91 million viewers.


Early life

Roberto Gómez Bolaños was born in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley ...
on 21 February 1929. He was the second child of Francisco Gómez Linares, a painter and illustrator, who died at the age of 41 in 1935. His mother, Elsa Bolaños Aguilar, was a bilingual secretary; she died of
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...
at the age of 66 in 1968. Elsa was the youngest child of Ramón Bolaños Cacho, a military doctor, and his
Zacatecas , image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg , map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type ...
-born wife, María Aguilar. Via his mother, Bolaños was a
first cousin once removed Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...
of the
President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Co ...
from 1964 to 1970,
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Bolaños (; 12 March 1911 – 15 July 1979) was a Mexican politician and member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He served as the President of Mexico from 1964 to 1970. Díaz Ordaz was born in San Andrés ...
. He had an older brother called Francisco (1926–2010), and a younger brother called
Horacio Gómez Bolaños Horacio Gómez Bolaños (28 June 1930 – 21 November 1999) was a Mexican actor and brother of Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito). On the TV show ''El Chavo'', he played the character Godínez. Although Horacio appeared in many of his brother' ...
, who portrayed the character Godínez in ''
El Chavo del Ocho ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. ...
'', and an even older half-brother born of one of his father's liaisons. Before becoming an actor, Gómez was an amateur boxer. He studied
mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...
at the
National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...
(UNAM), but he never came to practice that profession. Before he became famous, he wrote a number of plays, contributed dialogue to Mexican film and television scripts, and secured some character-acting work. "Chespirito" was of short stature; his stage name was the Spanish phonetic pronunciation of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
"Chespir" (pronounced "shespir") with diminutive suffix -"ito". Between 1960 and 1965 he dedicated himself to writing scripts for "Comedians and songs" and "El estudio de Pedro Vargas", which were the two programs with the highest audience in Mexico.


Career

Chespirito was discovered as an actor while waiting in line to apply for a job as a writer; soon he began writing and starring in his children's comedy shows. Chespirito's first show was ''Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada'', a
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and i ...
show that premiered in 1968; the show also starred
Ramón Valdés Ramón Antonio Esteban Gómez Valdés y Castillo (2 September 1923 – 9 August 1988) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Don Ramón. He is also recognized as one of Mexico's best comedians. Born in Mex ...
,
María Antonieta de las Nieves María Antonieta Gómez Rodríguez (born 22 December 1949), more commonly known by her stage name María Antonieta de las Nieves, is a Mexican actress, comedian, singer, and author. Her best remembered role is that of La Chilindrina, one of the ...
, and
Rubén Aguirre Rubén Aguirre Fuentes (; 15 June 1934 – 17 June 2016) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He was best known for his character in Televisa's 1970s television show ''El Chavo del Ocho''. Aguirre also participated in another well known television ...
. ''Los Supergenios'' was later renamed ''Chespirito y la Mesa Cuadrada'' and later ''Chespirito''. The characters ''El Chavo'', ''El Chapulín Colorado'', and ''Dr. Chapatín'' were introduced on this show (1972, 1970 and 1968 respectively).


''El Chavo del Ocho'' and ''El Chapulín Colorado''

His best known roles were in the shows ''
El Chavo del Ocho ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. ...
'' and ''
El Chapulín Colorado ''El Chapulín Colorado'' (English: ''The Red Grasshopper'') is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main cha ...
''. Both series premiered in 1973 and were based on sketches of the same name from ''Los Supergenios''. The shows were produced by Mexican TV network
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announ ...
and aired in 124 countries. Other shows produced by and starring Chespirito were the short-lived ''La Chicharra'' from 1979 and a second version of ''Chespirito'' from 1980 to 1995. In ''El Chavo,'' Chespirito played an 8-year-old boy who often took refuge inside a wooden rain barrel in a Mexican neighborhood, and in ''El Chapulín Colorado'' he played a good-hearted
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
who gets involved in humorous situations. ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, L ...
'' creator
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip '' Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fu ...
has said that he created the Bumblebee Man character after watching ''El Chapulín Colorado'' in a motel on the
United States–Mexico border United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
. ''El Chavo'' and ''El Chapulín Colorado'' have become
cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...
s all over Latin America and have aired in many countries worldwide. Roberto Gomez Bolanos was also noted as a composer. He started writing music as a hobby, and most of his early musical work was related to his comedy work, featured particularly in occasional ''Chapulín Colorado'' or ''Chavo del Ocho'' special episodes. Later works include the theme songs for various Mexican movies and
telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...
s, such as ''Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas'' and ''La Dueña''. He is also the creator of the theater comedy ''Once y Doce'' (''Eleven and Twelve''), the most successful theater comedy in Mexican history; it is still played occasionally.


Works by Chespirito

*'' Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada'' (1968–1973), renamed ''Chespirito y la Mesa Cuadrada'' in 1970 and ''Chespirito'' in 1971. *''El Ciudadano Gómez'' (1968–1969; 1973; 1994–1995), a parody of
Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
. *''Dr. Chapatín'' (1968–1979; 1980–1995), one of the presenters of ''Los Supergenios'' who starred in sketches in the show, also appeared in the ''El Chapulín Colorado'' half-hour show of 1973–1979. He represents an old doctor who constantly has fights and confusions due to his old age and hitting people with a paper bag whose contents were never revealed in-sketch. In an interview, Chespirito revealed that Dr. Chapatín carried in his bag all the bad feelings of the people, which is why it hurt a lot. Dr. Chapatín's character did a small cameo in the movies "El Chanfle", "El Chanfle 2","Don Ratón y Don Ratero", and "El Charrito". *''Chespirito (character)'' (1968–1975; 1980–1986; 1991–1992; 1994–1995), occasionally starred in sketches of the ''Los Supergenios'' as a "character". *''
El Chapulín Colorado ''El Chapulín Colorado'' (English: ''The Red Grasshopper'') is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main cha ...
'' (1970–1973; 1973–1979; 1980–1993), second most successful character of Bolaños; became a weekly half-hour show in 1973. A naive but brave superhero who always tries to help people in problems. *''Los Chifladitos'' (1970–1972; 1980–1995), starred alongside
Rubén Aguirre Rubén Aguirre Fuentes (; 15 June 1934 – 17 June 2016) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He was best known for his character in Televisa's 1970s television show ''El Chavo del Ocho''. Aguirre also participated in another well known television ...
, one of the main sketches of the ''Los Supergenios'' until Aguirre left the show. Chespirito did Chaparron Bonaparte and Aguirre, Lucas Tañeda, as a pair of demented characters who ran in several confusions by the use of puns and the unexpected convulsions of Chaparron called "Chiripiorcas". *''Los Caquitos'' (1970–1975; 1980–1995) became the third most successful creation of Bolaños; sketches were created until 1975. Originally they were Chespirito as ''Chómpiras'' and
Ramón Valdés Ramón Antonio Esteban Gómez Valdés y Castillo (2 September 1923 – 9 August 1988) was a Mexican actor and comedian. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Don Ramón. He is also recognized as one of Mexico's best comedians. Born in Mex ...
as ''Peterete''. In the sketches of the 80s, Edgar Vivar took the place of Valdés, playing a new character named ''El Botija'', while
Florinda Meza Florinda Meza García (born 8 February 1949) is a Mexican actress, comedian, television producer, and screenwriter. She is best known as Doña Florinda in ''El Chavo del Ocho'', La Chimoltrufia in ''Chespirito'', and other various roles in ''El ...
got a new character for the sketches as ''La Chimoltrufia'', Botija's wife. It became Chespirito's main act in the last years of his program due to him being too old to perform his other characters. *''Los Chiripiojos'' (1972), is the family La Chimoltrufia. *''
El Chavo del Ocho ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. ...
'' (1971–1973; 1973–1980; 1980–1992), created as immediate successor of ''Los Chifladitos''; become a weekly half-hour show in 1973. Is about a poor kid who lives in a small neighborhood with other families who share comic situations. It's Chespirito's most successful character. *''La Chicharra'' (1979–1982), half-hour show that replaced ''El Chapulín Colorado'' in 1979. He tried to create something new with a newspaper reporter who happens to take the wrong news in the wrong place. The show's lead character, Vicente Chambon, originally appeared as part of ''Chespirito'' in its early days. *''Don Calavera'' (1994–1995), the nickname of Carlos Vera, a mortician who likes to flirt with widows, is the last character created by Chespirito, appears only in the 1980–1995 version of the ''Chespirito'' show.


Later years

On 19 November 2004, after 27 years together, he married actress and longtime companion
Florinda Meza Florinda Meza García (born 8 February 1949) is a Mexican actress, comedian, television producer, and screenwriter. She is best known as Doña Florinda in ''El Chavo del Ocho'', La Chimoltrufia in ''Chespirito'', and other various roles in ''El ...
, who starred as Doña Florinda in ''El Chavo''. After show production was stopped for ''El Chavo'' and ''El Chapulín Colorado'', both toured Mexico and the rest of Latin America and the United States with different plays, sometimes playing the characters who made them famous. In 2003, ''Chespirito'' and Florinda Meza received the keys to the town of
Cicero, Illinois Cicero (originally known as Hawthorne) is a suburb of Chicago and an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 85,268. making it the 11th largest municipality in Illinois. The town of ...
. During Mexico's presidential campaigns of 2000 and
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
he openly supported the National Action Party (PAN) by appearing in TV commercials and urging people to vote for the party's candidates,
Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006. After campaigning as a right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on th ...
and
Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 a ...
. For the 2012 race, he made public that he would vote for the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) candidate, Josefina Vázquez Mota, but did not appear in a commercial. In 2007, he joined a campaign led by Catholics and conservatives against the legalization of abortion in Mexico City. He shared that while pregnant with him, his mother suffered an accident and the doctor advised her to get an abortion; she refused. He also wrote the books ''El Diario de El Chavo del Ocho'' ("Diary From the Kid from Number 8"), ''...Y También Poemas'' ("...And Poems Too"), and ''Sin Querer Queriendo: Memorias'' ("Accidentally on Purpose: Memoirs"). In 2009, he was also honored by the Colombian TV-channel RCN in which he received the keys of the municipality of
Soacha , image_map = Colombia - Cundinamarca - Soacha.svg , map_caption = Location of Soacha in Cundinamarca , pushpin_map = Colombia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_nam ...
; more than 20,000 people attended the homage. On 12 November 2009, he was admitted to a
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley ...
hospital due to prostate complications, which required a simple surgery to treat. He was released from treatment the following day. On 29 February 2012, a celebration of Chespirito's life and work was held at the Auditorio Nacional. The special, titled ''América celebra a Chespirito'', was a multinational tribute that gathered a diverse group of actors, singers, and fans from 17 nations. They included
Armando Manzanero Armando Manzanero Canché (7 December 1935 – 28 December 2020) was a Mexican Mayan musician, singer, composer, actor and music producer, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successfu ...
,
Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...
,
Ximena Navarrete Jimena "Ximena" Navarrete Rosete (born February 22, 1988) is a Mexican actress, TV host, model and beauty queen who won Miss Universe 2010. She was previously named as Nuestra Belleza México 2009. She is the second Miss Universe from Mexico. ...
, Marco Antonio Regil,
Juan Gabriel Alberto Aguilera Valadez (; January 7, 1950 – August 28, 2016), known professionally as Juan Gabriel (), was a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed as Juanga () and El Divo de Juárez, Juan Gabriel was known for his f ...
, Diego Verdaguer, Gian Marco,
Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As H ...
,
Reik Reik is a Mexican pop rock band from Mexicali, Baja California, formed in 2003 by Jesús Alberto Navarro Rosas (lead vocals), Julio Ramírez Eguía (guitar, background vocals), and Gilberto Marín Espinoza (guitar). The group's first five album ...
, and OV7. Chespirito's ill health was apparent: he was in a wheelchair, required oxygen tanks, and could not stay the entire program. Nonetheless, he expressed great emotion and gratitude for the tribute. The special was broadcast across the participating nations on 11 March. Over Twitter, Chespirito denounced the actions of the
Yo Soy 132 Yo Soy 132, commonly stylized as #YoSoy132, was a protest movement composed of Mexican university students from both private and public universities, residents of Mexico, claiming supporters from about 50 cities around the world. It began as op ...
movement after the takeover of Televisa Chapultepec following the 2012 election. In 2012, Chespirito was honored by his friends and former cast members, putting an end to many rumors that the comedian was dying. Even so, former colleagues such as Edgar Vivar expressed their concern publicly for Chespirito's poor health.


Death

At 2:30 PM (19:30 GMT) on Friday, 28 November 2014, Chespirito died from heart failure as a complication of
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms bec ...
at the age of 85, in his home in
Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
,
Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 ...
, Mexico. Many Mexican celebrities and Chespirito's former co-stars took to Twitter to express their feelings and send their condolences to Chespirito's widow and family. Such celebrities and former co-stars included
George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has rec ...
,
Eugenio Derbez Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life,The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.'' In the 2010s, he ap ...
, Carlos Villagran, Edgar Vivar, Ruben Aguirre, and
María Antonieta de las Nieves María Antonieta Gómez Rodríguez (born 22 December 1949), more commonly known by her stage name María Antonieta de las Nieves, is a Mexican actress, comedian, singer, and author. Her best remembered role is that of La Chilindrina, one of the ...
. Chespirito is widely regarded as one of the most renowned Spanish-language comedians of the 20th century. On 1 December 2014, he was buried at the
Panteón Francés The Panteón Francés de la Piedad ("French Cemetery of the Mercy") is a cemetery in Mexico City in which several notable people are interred. It is located in the southern section of the city, adjacent to the medical center, the Centro Medico Me ...
in Mexico City, following a private funeral on Saturday and a public one held on Sunday at
Estadio Azteca Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. With ...
, attended by about 40,000 fans. His widow does not permit fans to visit his tomb. A private security guard is there along with a security camera at all times.


Legacy

Chespirito has been described as one of the most recognized Mexican comedians of the 20th century as well as being well known and honored in all of Latin America. He has been honored for his creative writing, characters, comedic pick-up lines, and for his clean humor style. His TV shows have been made into
cartoons A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of image ...
since 2006 (
El Chavo Animado ''El Chavo Animado'' (''El Chavo: The Animated Series'' in English) is a Mexican animated series based on the live action television series ''El Chavo del Ocho'', created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa and Ánima Estudios. It a ...
, with some other Chespirito characters appearing in the show). The animated
El Chavo EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American ...
show has been translated into English, Portuguese, and French. An animated TV show based on another famous Chespirito character,
El Chapulín Colorado ''El Chapulín Colorado'' (English: ''The Red Grasshopper'') is a Mexican television comedy series that ran from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños (Chespirito), who also played the main cha ...
, was announced in 2015. It aired the first episode online on 13 April.


Tributes

In 2000, Televisa gave him a tribute entitled "They didn't count on my cunning," commemorating the thirty-year anniversary of the humorous program
El Chavo del 8 ''El Chavo'' (English: ''The Kid''); — also known as ''El Chavo del Ocho'' (English: ''The Kid from number Eight'') during its earliest episodes —, is a Mexican television sitcom created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, produced by Televisa. I ...
. In 2004 the Art Chroniclers Association (ACROARTE) of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and the Dominican National Brewery awarded him the International Sovereign in recognition of his career in television Latin American and his many facets as a writer, screenwriter, actor, comedian and producer. In 2012 there was a tribute called América celebrates Chespirito made by the same
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announ ...
, the popular singer
Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...
performed a song written by Gian Marco Zignago. The
Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
of 21 February 2020, honored Chespirito.


Controversies


Accusations of support for dictatorships

According to ''El Financiero'', Roberto Gómez Bolaños was severely criticized for traveling to nations that were under the yoke of dictators such as
Jorge Rafael Videla Jorge Rafael Videla (; ; 2 August 1925 – 17 May 2013) was an Argentine military officer and dictator, Commander in Chief of the Army, member of the Military Junta, and ''de facto'' President of Argentina from 29 March 1976 to 29 March 1981. ...
, in Argentina, and
Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean Captain general#Chile, general who ruled Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990), Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Gover ...
, in Chile. According to the comedian, the cast visited all the countries of the continent, with the exception of Cuba. "The case most criticized by the Mexican media was, perhaps; that of 1978, when Chespirito traveled to
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, wh ...
, the Chilean capital, during Pinochet's regime," appearing at the Chilean National Stadium, in which he had the record of 80,000 people. On the other hand, in Quinta Vergara stage of the
Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city ...
Festival, "thousands of fans also attended, who even had to be accommodated in the surrounding mountainous areas, as the place had exceeded its quota." Gómez Bolaños received negative criticism from the Mexican press, for having appeared at the
National Stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stad ...
, a place that had been used as a
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...
. Roberto Gómez did not respond to these accusations until 2005 in the book ''Sin querer queriendo'', he clarified that "none of the actors was aware that the stadium had been a
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...
" and that, had they known it, "we would have worked there anyway". He goes on to say that, according to that logic, "no actor should present themselves in the
Zócalo The Zócalo () is the common name of the main square in central Mexico City. Prior to the colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms S ...
, where the memory of all those who were murdered during the
Ten Tragic Days The Ten Tragic Days ( es, La Decena Trágica) during the Mexican Revolution is the name now given to a multi-day coup d'etat in Mexico City by opponents of Francisco I. Madero, the democratically elected president of Mexico, between 9 - 19 Feb ...
was muddied". The comedian also expressed his happiness for having performed at the
National Stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stad ...
: "How can we forget the long standing ovation that they gave us while we did an olympic lap twice, even at the cost of ending up puffing with exhaustion. But it was worth it! Right?."


Judicial conflict with Maria Antonieta De Las Nieves

In July 2013, Maria Antonieta announced that she finally won the legal fight she had with Chespirito, backed by
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announ ...
, which began in 2001 for the misuse of the character Chilindrina. "You have the scoop of knowing that I have already won the lawsuit against
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announ ...
and Chespirito. Chilindrina is already mine and no one can take her away from me," De Las Nieves said at a press conference in
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
, the capital of
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
. According to the American Mexican media
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and include ...
, on 26 July 2013, Gomez Bolaños told them that "the day
El Chavo EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American ...
ended, everyone did whatever they wanted with their character, that's how I wanted to do it. I said I was going to continue, he said yes, but later he regretted it and said no." Unlike Carlos Villagran, who left the show in 1978, Maria Antonieta stayed on the show until the late 1990s.


Ending of his series

On 31 July 2020, all TV channels and streaming services that broadcast any of Chespirito's series made announced that they were no longer broadcasting it from the next day on. Currently, the reason they gave was because the contract expired that day, and
Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announ ...
(owner of the series) didn't update it due to revenue disputes with Grupo Chespirito (owner of all episode scripts and almost all characters). Currently, the only exception to this rule is '' El Chavo: The Animated Series'' broadcasting in Brazil, being still broadcast on SBT via the block and still available locally on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
.


Awards and nominations

TVyNovelas Awards ACE Awards * On 20 November 2013, Chespirito received the Ondas Iberoamericano Award for the most outstanding career on television.


Filmography


TV series


Films


Director


Producer


Discography

* 1977: ''Chespirito y Sus Canciones - ¡No Contaban Con Mi Astucia!'' (Discos Fontana) * 1977: ''Así Cantamos y Vacilamos en la Vecindad del Chavo'' (Discos Fontana) * 1979: ''1er Festival de la Canción Infantil de Radio Variedades - Canta Chespirito y su Compañía'' * 1980: ''El Chavo Canta - ¡Eso, Eso, Eso...!'' (Discos Fontana) * 1981: ''Síganme los Buenos a la Vecindad del Chavo'' (Discos Fontana) * 1989: ''Chaves'' ( Polydor Records Brazil/ SBT)


Books

* 1995: ''El diario del Chavo del 8'' * 2003: ''...y también poemas'' * 2006: ''¡Sin querer queriendo''


See also

*
Cantinflas Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cel ...


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chespirito 1929 births 2014 deaths Chespirito actors Mexican male film actors Mexican male comedians Mexican male composers Mexican parodists Mexican people of Spanish descent Mexican songwriters Male songwriters Mexican television directors Mexican male television actors National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Comedians from Mexico City Male actors from Mexico City Musicians from Mexico City People with Parkinson's disease