Antonio Gasalla
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Antonio Gasalla (9 March 1941 – 18 March 2025) was an Argentine actor, comedian and theatre director.


Life and work

Antonio Gasalla was born in
Ramos Mejía Ramos Mejía is a city in La Matanza Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The town has an area of and a population of 98,547. The city is one of the largest commercial districts in the Western area of Greater Buenos Aires. History The la ...
, a western suburb of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
on 9 March 1941. He enrolled at the National Dramatic Arts Conservatory, and began his work in Buenos Aires' vibrant theatre scene in 1964 as an understudy, by which he befriended a colleague,
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an émigré Carlos Perciavalle. He and Perciavalle starred in their production of María Inés Quesada's ''Help Valentino!'' (1966), which they performed as a café-concert; this genre was popular in Argentina at the time, and the Gasalla-Perciavalle duo became among its best known exponents. They accepted roles in
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
productions of ''Un viaje de locos'' (''Madmen's Journey'') and '' Clínica con música'' (''Musical Clinic'') in 1974. Though known for their comedy roles, they were also cast in 1974 by
Sergio Renán Sergio Renán (30 January 1933 – 13 June 2015) was an Argentine actor, film director, and screenwriter. Biography Born Samuel Kohan in Buenos Aires in 1933, his parents were Jewish immigrants who had lived in one of the numerous Jewish agricu ...
for '' La tregua'' (''The Truce''), the first Argentine film nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The duo parted ways subsequently, and Gasalla was cast in a comic role in ''Tiro al aire'' (''Shot in the Dark''), a 1980
family film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that generally relates to children in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are made ...
starring
Héctor Alterio Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato (born 21 September 1929) is an Argentine theatre, film and television actor, well known both in Argentina and Spain. Biography Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato was born in Chacarita, Buenos Aires, Chacarita, ...
. Offbeat film director
Alejandro Doria Alejandro Doria (November 1, 1936 – June 17, 2009) was a noted Argentine cinema and television director. Life and work Born in Buenos Aires on November 1, 1936, Alejandro Doria first worked for Argentine television in 1965 as a writer for ...
offered Gasalla the lead role in a 1985 comedy, '' Esperando la carroza'' (''Waiting for the Hearse''). Portraying Mamá Cora, a mischievous nonagenarian in need of attention from her self-absorbed family, Gasalla underwent four hours of prosthetic and makeup work daily, while shooting lasted. The film is an adaptation of an earlier theater play, but Doria preferred to cast Gasalla doing a female impersonation rather than a woman as in the plays. He reasoned that this way people would laugh about the character, rather than feel pity. He appeared seldom on television work until 1990, when he was offered a comedy show, ''El Mundo de Gasalla'' (''Gasalla's World''), following which he hosted or starred in numerous other variety programs on Argentine television, mostly for Channel 9. The most popular of these was ''El palacio de la risa'' (''The Palace of Laughter''), where television audiences became acquainted with his feminine roles. His comic portrayals earned his first
Martín Fierro Award Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * Mart ...
, the most prestigious in Argentine entertainment, in 1994. Having had a falling out twenty years earlier, Gasalla and his erstwhile café-concert partner, Carlos Perciavalle, were reunited in a 1997–98 theatrical series in
Punta del Este Punta del Este () is a seaside city and peninsula on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Starting as a small town, Punta del Este grew to become a resort for the Latin and North American jet set and tourists. T ...
, Uruguay. Gasalla then returned to film in 2000, portraying Fredy, a homosexual man, in '' Almejas y mejillones'' (''Clams and Mussels''), and to the theatre, where he portrayed his numerous female characters from 2000 to 2004. He toured across the country playing those theater acts. Ending his hiatus from television in 2004, he hosted ''Gasalla en pantalla'' (''Gasalla on the Screen'') and portrayed "grandma," an irreverent elderly woman, for
Susana Giménez María Susana Giménez Aubert (born 29 January 1944), known as Susana Giménez (), is an Argentine TV host, actress, model and businesswoman. In 2012, she was considered the biggest celebrity in Argentine television by the media firm that pub ...
's popular variety show. Unlike the character of Mamá Cora, this character was aware of current events. Gasalla explained that he did not want to play a pathetic woman deserving of pity. This role earned him another Martín Fierro Prize. Collaborating in homages to the late comedian
Niní Marshall Marina Esther Traveso (June 1, 1903 – March 18, 1996), known by her stage name Niní Marshall, was an Argentine humorist, comic actress and screenwriter; nicknamed ''The Chaplin with a skirt'' and ''The Lady of Humour''. She is one of the m ...
in 2005 and for the Maipo Theatre's centennial in 2008, he also portrayed Argentine President
Cristina Kirchner Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess * Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American ...
in Nito Artaza's ''Cristina en el país de las maravillas'' (''Cristina in Wonderland''). Gasalla more recently directed Hernán Casciari's ''Más respeto que soy tu madre'' (''More Respect - I'm Your Mother''), playing the title role, as well. Gasalla remains among the most successful Argentine theatre and television personalities. Following a 4 May 2009 guest appearance in
Marcelo Tinelli Marcelo Hugo Tinelli (born 1 April 1960) is an Argentine television and radio host, media producer and businessman, best known as the host of the TV show '' Showmatch'' broadcast on Argentina's El Trece. One of the most famous supporters of sp ...
's '' Showmatch'' (as Olga, the opinionated make-up lady), the popular variety show's ratings reportedly jumped to some of the highest in local television history. His success on the stage earned him a standing as the "king of
Corrientes Avenue Avenida Corrientes () is one of the principal thoroughfares of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. Over a central stretch it is popularly known as "The Street that Never Sleeps" (''"La calle que nunca duerme"'') widely considered Buenos Aires ...
."


Death

Over the last years of his life, Gasalla stayed outside the public eye, struggling for more than five years with
senile dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, ...
. He died on 18 March 2025, nine days after his 84th birthday.Murió el actor y humorista Antonio Gasalla


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gasalla, Antonio 1941 births 2025 deaths People from Ramos Mejía Argentine people of Italian descent Argentine male actors Argentine male comedians Argentine theatre directors Argentine television personalities Golden Martín Fierro Award winners