Andrés López (born June 25, 1971) is a

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. He is considered a pioneer of

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...

in Colombia. López gained notoriety in Colombia after releasing his show called ''La Pelota de Letras'' (''The Ball of Letters'') which earned him a Double Diamond award from Universal Music.

Beginning of his career

As a student of Systems Engineering and Anthropology 1990 he started performing in the Universidad de los Andes in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

. Later the University assigned a classroom for him to teach the art of stand-up comedy to people interested in performing dramatic and comedic theater. He also created the University Newspaper “El Mercurio” where there was room for people to express themselves artistically by placing their stories, paintings, poems and photographs. Later he went to

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

to study Experiential education and became a dedicated reader and a researcher of human behavior. Lopez returned to Colombia to work at "La Mega RCN". A pop-music radio station which was aimed mainly at young people. There he became a creative force by developing many comedy skits such as 'Tratame Suavemente' (Treat me Softly) better known as 'Catalina y mi Andy', 'Juan Bracitos' (Juan Little Arms), 'Jason Libardo' and many others for the morning show also known as El Mañanero. On 2008 he uploaded new material of those skits on iTunes. Due to the rising popularity of the morning show it was given its own TV show by RCN TV. Pido La Parola, as this show was called was mainly based on sketches, spoofs and prank calls, many of which were led by Andrés López.

Theater plays

López has also been performing in various venues as part of the cast. In 1998 he performed in the Colombian version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare or “Las Obras de William Shakespeare” directed by Juan Angel and co-starred by David Guerrero and Fernando Solórzano. Andrés played Juliet Capulet, Desdemona, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia and other Shakespearian women on this work. In 2003 the show changed its name to “The Royal Shakespeare Criollo” and later changed it again to “Shakespeare para locos”. The original version by the Reduced Shakespeare Company was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1987 and is London's longest-running comedy.

Recent career

López's most recognized show ''The Ball of Letters''-''La Pelota de Letras'' consists of a subtle sociological analysis of life in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

n families between the 1960s and the 2000s (decade). More than 2,500,000 people attended his shows since his first appearance at the

Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme restaurant, theme bar-restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos, hotels and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll ...

Bogota in the beginning of 2004. As today he has been performing more than 1500 sold-out shows in Colombia and other countries, 5 tours around Colombia and more than 500 private shows for companies. Andres has performed in many cities in Colombia and internationally. In December 2005, he launched, ''La Pelota de Letras'' on DVD in the

Bogota under the Universal Music Colombia label . López began his international tour in July 2006 performing in the cities: Los Angeles at the Alex Theatre; Panamá at Teatro Balboa; Quito at Teatro Nacional; Toronto at the John Bassett Theater; New York at the

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

; Miami at James L. Knight Center; Greenville at the Peace Center; Madrid at Teatro Gran Via and Palacio de Congresos de Madrid; Houston at Stafford Center; Orlando at Osceola Performing Arts Center and Atlanta at the Center Stage Theater. An average of 1,500 people attended these shows. On April 23, 2007, Andrés launched a new DVD called ''Me Pido La Ventana'' (''I have the Window!'', as he translates it). On the same day Andrés López was presented with a Double Diamond DVD from

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. From May to June 2007 Andrés performed in Spain, the biggest Latin comedy tour after the famous Les Luthiers In September 2007 Andrés toured USA with Me Pido la Ventana: Orlando, FL at Bob Carr Performing Art Center; Queens, NY at Colden Auditorium Queens College; Elizabeth, NJ at The Ritz Theatre and Performing Arts Center; Atlanta, GA at Center Stage; Houston, TX at Stafford Center Theatre and in Boston, MA at Symphony Hall where he performed "La Pelota de Letras". Since the end of 2007, Andres is part of the agency William Morris. On January 19, 2008, for the first time a Colombian, Andrés López, performed on South Beach Comedy Festival sponsored by IMPROV,

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

, The Miami Herald and others, at The Fillmore, The Jackie Gleason Theatre 7:30pm, January 16–19, 2008 Andrés performed with other comedians like Kathy Griffin, nominated to the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

s and famous for been the cast on the show Suddenly Susan, Brooke Shields. Other Comedians: Dave Attell, Jeff Dunham, Jeffrey Ross, Katt Williams, Kristina Wong, Louis C.K., Ralphie May and Stephen Lynch. In January 2008 Andres toured Spain with Me Pido la Ventana, the cities were: Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca At the end of 2007 and 2008 Andrés toured Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela as a Soldier of the Happiness he decided to show the brotherhood between the people of those countries. The shows he has been performing are La Pelota de Letras, the conference "The Way to Happiness" and he has been part of the "Festival for a Better World" In 2008 Andrés has been performing also in San José, Costa Rica and Toronto, Montreal and London, Canadá. In December 2008 for the first time Andres is going to perform in Mexico City at Lunario. 25, November 2008, The Second Commission of the Senate of the Republic of Colombia presented Andres Lopez with the Order of Merit to the Democracy in the Degree of Great Gentlemen.Senado de La República de Colombia
/ref> On October 16, 2008, Andrés López was part of the host at the MTV Latin American Awards 2008. Premios MTV Latinoamérica which took place in Guadalajara, Mexico.

News 2010

January to March 2010 season of “Frutica Picada” in Colombia, Pereira, Barranquilla and Armenia. March 2, 2010. Andrés performed to golfers at the Club Country de Bogota as a welcome to the Nationwide Tour after the Celebrity Pro-Am of Juan Pablo Montoya to the benefit of Formula Sonrisas and Camilo Villegas Fund. Andrés was invited by Connie Freydell to play golf at the Celebrity Pro-Am but Robert Gould played for him and Andrés was his caddie at the tournament. Andrés López is also the public image of the biggest Golf store in Bogotá, G.LF Store – Tienda de Golf.Welcome to the Nationwide Bogota Open
/ref> Since March 14, 2010, Andrés is the appointed messenger for the Prevention of Crime, a project led by United Nations in Colombia.
/ref> On April 10, 2010, Andrés performs a Stand-Up Comedy show at the Plaza de Bolívar Bogotá for a Red Bull event, where David Coulthard did a show with his Formula 1 car. El Espectador
/ref> Since April 2009, Andrés has been focused on entertaining his followers via Twitter and Facebook where he has more than 2,000,000 fans,Comedian profile Facebook
/ref>Movie profile Facebook
/ref>Comedian profile Twitter
/ref> making him one of the most followed Colombian celebrities. He has been creating series like #NiñaFresa, Insulto Subrepticio del Día #ISdD and #Divide2. Between May and June 2010 RCN, Colombian Television Network, aired "La Pelota de Letras". They received their highest ratings for the week.Official Site Andrés López - Schedule
/ref> "Frutica Picada" was aired exclusivity on OnDIRECTV, from 11 to 14 of June to the countries: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and the Caribbean. DirecTV officially published a document on its website that indicates that the show had the highest rating in Latinoamérica in June and July second only to the Opening of the World Cup FIFA 2010. 18 August 2010. López launches at the Book Fair in Bogotá his book "La Pelota de Letras, manuscrito original" with the editor Ediciones B, according to President of Ediciones B, Philippe Vergnaud, the book was the most sold book at the fair.El Universo
/ref> September and October 2010 Andrés López was the host and performed his Stand-Up Comedy at the International Humor festival for Caracol Television, Colombian Televisión Network. This festival has been on air every year since 1982. At the Festival great performers, magicians, imitators, had been performing from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Uruguay, Guatemala, the US, Canadá, Chile, Spain and England. September 2010 Andrés is part of the campaign “Sexuality with Sense” "Sexualidad con Sentido" lead and financed by Ministry of Social Protection and the Population Found of United Nations (UNFPA), Ministry of National Education Special Programs of the Presidency.

News 2011

In January 2011

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

Latin America bought the rights from

Caracol Televisión Caracol Televisión () (known as Caracol and previously as Canal Caracol) is a Colombian free-to-air television network owned by Caracol Medios, a unit of Grupo Valorem. It is one of the leading private TV networks in Colombia, alongside Canal ...

to air the International Humor Festival where Andrés was the host. The festival is currently airing on

throughout Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. In April and May 2011 Andrés López performed in Australia and Venezuela: Melbourne, Australia 29 April, "La Pelota de Letras 1000" at Athenaeum Theater.
Colombia Reports Brisbaine, Australia 30 April, "La Pelota de Letras 1000" at The Trivoli. And Andrés López performed for The Sydney Comedy Festival in Sydney, Australia, 1 of May, La "Pelota de Letras 1000" Enmore Theatre Newtoun Nine to Five
/ref> May 13, 14 "La Pelota de Letras" and May 15 with "Frutica Picada" at Santa Rosa de Lima Theater, Caracas Venezuela Globovision Venezuela
/ref>Correo Cultural
/ref>

DirecTV talk show host

On November 1, 2012

Latin America launches the talk show "Andrés López de Noche". Hosted by Andrés López, every Thursday López interviews two Latin American celebrities. The show is transmitted in the channel OnDirecTV (201) to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Puerto Rico (Channel 161) and the Caribbean: Trinidad & Tobago; Aruba y Curaçao; Barbados. Some of the guest the show will welcome are: Wilfrido Vargas, Ismael Cala, Andrés Cepeda, Fanny Lu, Carlos Ponce, Stephanie Cayo y John Paul Ospina

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards

In 2005 he won the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) Award for the "Outstanding Solo Performance" after his sold-out shows in New York and Miami. On March 2 of 2006 Andrés López was presented with a Diamond DVD from

. Attending this celebration was singer Wilfrido Vargas. By the end of 2006 Lopez had sold more than 100,000 DVDs, and the ''Ball of Letters'' is now the best selling DVD in Colombia. On April 23, 2007, Andrés López was presented with a Double Diamond DVD from

for La Pelota de Letras DVD. In July 2007 Andrés was presented with another Diamond DVD from

. Andrés López sold more than 70,000 DVDs of "Me Pido la Ventana", his second DVD, since its launching in April 2007. December 5, 2006, was presented with the Premio Orquidea USA for best international talent 2006. On January 1,.2008 Andrés was presented with the award "The 10 people of the culture" by El Tiempo Newspaper and the Ministry of Culture In November 2008, The Second Commission of the Senate of the Republic of Colombia presented Andres López with the Order of Merit to the Democracy in the Degree of Great Gentlemen. Other awards: "ON Award to the Creative Mind" by Universidad Autonoma de Occidente, Cali Colombia. Recognitions by Casa Militar de la Presidencia de la República de Colombia, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional de Colombia, Ejército Nacional, Base Aérea Palanquero, Dirección de Protección y Servicios Especiales de la Policía Nacional de Colombia, Escuela Naval de Suboficiales de Barranquilla, Cuarta Brigada de Medellín, Central de Inteligencia Militar, Comando de Apoyo Logístico de la Infantería de Marina.

Media

According to Revista Semana, López is one of the 40 Most Influential People in Colombia under 40. The most important newspaper in Colombia, El Tiempo, has also described his show ''The Ball of Letters''-''La Pelota de Letras'' as: "The performance portrays the customs of recent generations of Colombians, which is better than any sociology study". In December 2007, El Tiempo and the Ministry of Culture gave an award to the 10 most important artist of the last 10 years, Andrés was ranked fifth.

Personal life

Andrés is son on Olga Forero Vargas an

Industrial Engineer Industrial engineering (IE) is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, an ...

from Bucaramanga, Santander and Sebastián de Jesús López Agudelo a Civil Engineer from Medellín, Antioquia. His parents separated when he was six years old. Him and his sister stayed with their mother. On July 5, 2018, he and his wife welcomed their daughter Olivia.Nació bebé de Andrés López; esta es su primera foto
/ref> Lopez is a Scientologist.

Other activities

López has created a motivational speech product for employees which includes parts of his shows and these products have been used by businesses to bring about radical internal changes. Companies using López include:

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...

, Alquería,

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Co-founded in 1977 in Santa Clara, California, by Larry Ellison, who remains executive chairman, Oracle was ...

, Roche,

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

, Merck & Co.,

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...

, BAT,

Unilever Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...

, Grupo Santander, Porvenir, ETB,

Intel Corporation Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer components such as central processing ...

, Nestlé Purina PetCare,

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...

, Avantel, Alpina,

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Altria Group, Colsubsidio and more. López has also taken part in numerous talk shows, hosting TV programs as well as a multitude of interviews on TV and radio; he has also written for newspapers and various magazines.

The Way to Happiness

Andres performs conferences about '' The Way to Happiness''

Notes

References

Revista Semana: Un mes para morirse de la risa
( Revista Semana - "A month to die laughing")
Revista Semana: La pelota de letras
( Revista Semana - "The Ball of Letters")
Revista Semana: Ditcionario de etspresiones colombianizadas
( Revista Semana - "Dictionary of Colombianized etspressions" ic, the bad grammar is intentionally in the original
Revista Semana: Los 40 menores de 40
( Revista Semana - "40 younger than 40")
El Tiempo: Andrés López cuenta su época de adolescente y universitario en su nuevo DVD 'Me pido la ventana'
( El Tiempo - "Andres Lopez talks about his adolescence and college student time in his new DVD " I have the Window")
terra.com.co: Comediante Andrés López juega con idioma en "La pelota de letras"
( Terra Networks - "Comedian Andres Lopez plays with language in the " Ball of Letters")
El Periodico del Sur - Personajes: Andres Lopez
( El Periodico del Sur - "Characters: Andres Lopez")
Gobierno de Cali: METROCALI INVITA A UN ENCUENTRO CON ANDRÉS LOPEZ
( Government of Cali - " MetroCali invites to a meeting with Andres Lopez")
terra.com.co: Andrés López, Cuando la rutina es hacer stand-up comedy
( Terra Networks - "Andres Lopez, when routine is to do stand-up comedy")
Andrés López demandó a comediante que presentó adaptación de 'La pelota de letras' en Venezuela
( El Tiempo - "Andres Lopez sued comedian that presented an adaptation of the 'Ball of Letters' in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

")
Universal Music: Andrés López - La Pelota de Letras
(

- "Andres Lopez, The Ball of Letters")
Colombia es pasion: El humor nacional rueda por el mundo en una pelota
(Colombia is passion: "National humour rolls throughout the world on a ball")
Colombia.com: "Una Pelota de Letras" para recordar buenos y divertidos tiempos
(Colombia.com - "A Ball of Letters to remember good and fun times")
El Tiempo (Venezuela): Autor denunció plagio de pieza en Venezuela
( El Tiempo (Venezuela) - "Author denounced plagiarism of piece in Venezuela")