Jorge Porcel
Encyclopedia
Jorge Raúl Porcel de Peralta (September 7, 1936 – May 16, 2006) was a comedy actor and television host from Argentina
. He was nicknamed El Gordo de América (America's Fat Guy). Porcel was often considered, along with Alberto Olmedo
, one of Argentina's greatest comic actors of the twentieth century.
(1993). Many of these 49 movies were collaborations with Olmedo. Among the movies they did together was 1986's Rambito y Rambón: Primera Misión. (Little Rambo and Big Rambo: First Mission)
Many of Porcel and Olmedo's movies in the 1970s and 1980s were adult-oriented comedies. Conservative Argentine authorities rated
these movies as PM-18 (age 18 and above), except for some movies planned for family audiences, which had "tamer" content. These movies are considered to be the pinnacle of Argentina's sexploitation
movie genre. Most of these movies were directed by Gerardo Sofovich
or his brother Hugo
. Porcel virtually stopped appearing in these movies after the accidental death of Olmedo, which left him clinically depressed.
. Most of these TV efforts were linked to the Sofovich brothers.
After he retired from filming movies in Argentina, he moved to Miami, where he starred in a risqué late-night variety show named A la cama con Porcel (To Bed with Porcel) on the Telemundo network, and was given a cameo in Hollywood production Carlito's Way
. A La Pasta con Porcel is a restaurant in Miami Beach opened by Porcel and named after his popular television show.
Porcel's health deteriorated with time, due to his struggles with obesity
and diabetes, to the point of ending up using a wheelchair
in his later years. He toured during 1999 through Latin America
to promote his autobiography Laughs, Applause and Tears, visiting such places as Puerto Rico
and some other countries in that endeavor. By this time, he had also become a born again Christian
.
Porcel died in a hospital
in Miami after a gallbladder
surgery at the age of 69. His body was flown to Paris
and buried at the Montmartre Cemetery
.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He was nicknamed El Gordo de América (America's Fat Guy). Porcel was often considered, along with Alberto Olmedo
Alberto Olmedo
Alberto Olmedo was an Argentine comedian and actor.Olmedo was born in Barrio Pichincha, Rosario, Santa Fe Province. In his teens, he was a gifted gymnast and an aspiring actor, who tried his luck with several amateur theater companies and enjoyed some local success.Olmedo moved to Buenos Aires in...
, one of Argentina's greatest comic actors of the twentieth century.
Movie career
Porcel made a total of 49 movies, starting with 1962's Disloque en Mar del Plata, and ending with Carlito's WayCarlito's Way
Carlito's Way is a 1993 crime film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels Carlito's Way and After Hours by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Jorge Porcel, Joseph Siravo, and...
(1993). Many of these 49 movies were collaborations with Olmedo. Among the movies they did together was 1986's Rambito y Rambón: Primera Misión. (Little Rambo and Big Rambo: First Mission)
Many of Porcel and Olmedo's movies in the 1970s and 1980s were adult-oriented comedies. Conservative Argentine authorities rated
Motion picture rating system
A motion picture rating system is designated to classify films with regard to suitability for audiences in terms of issues such as sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content...
these movies as PM-18 (age 18 and above), except for some movies planned for family audiences, which had "tamer" content. These movies are considered to be the pinnacle of Argentina's sexploitation
Sexploitation
Sexploitation, or "sex-exploitation", describes a class of independently produced, low-budget feature films generally associated with the 1960s and serving largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity. The genre is a subgenre of exploitation films...
movie genre. Most of these movies were directed by Gerardo Sofovich
Gerardo Sofovich
Gerardo Sofovich is an Argentine businessman, impresario, TV host actor, comedian, scriptwriter, and film director....
or his brother Hugo
Hugo Sofovich
Hugo Sofovich was an Argentine film director and screenwriter.Although predominantly a screenwriter, Sofovich directed 15 films and script write over 20 films during his career, directed and writing films such as Amante para dos in 1988...
. Porcel virtually stopped appearing in these movies after the accidental death of Olmedo, which left him clinically depressed.
Films
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Television career
Porcel had many TV hit shows as well, including Operación Ja Ja (both the 1960s original and the 1980s remake) and Polémica en el Bar (Debate at the Café), where he had celebrated moments of comedy with fellow comedian Juan Carlos AltavistaJuan Carlos Altavista
Juan Carlos Altavista was an Argentine actor and comedian.-Life:Juan Carlos Altavista begun his career at Teatro Infantil Labarden, in Buenos Aires. There attended future actress as Julia Sandoval and Beba Bidart...
. Most of these TV efforts were linked to the Sofovich brothers.
After he retired from filming movies in Argentina, he moved to Miami, where he starred in a risqué late-night variety show named A la cama con Porcel (To Bed with Porcel) on the Telemundo network, and was given a cameo in Hollywood production Carlito's Way
Carlito's Way
Carlito's Way is a 1993 crime film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels Carlito's Way and After Hours by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Jorge Porcel, Joseph Siravo, and...
. A La Pasta con Porcel is a restaurant in Miami Beach opened by Porcel and named after his popular television show.
Porcel's health deteriorated with time, due to his struggles with obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and diabetes, to the point of ending up using a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
in his later years. He toured during 1999 through Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
to promote his autobiography Laughs, Applause and Tears, visiting such places as Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and some other countries in that endeavor. By this time, he had also become a born again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
.
Porcel died in a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Miami after a gallbladder
Gallbladder
In vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....
surgery at the age of 69. His body was flown to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and buried at the Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France.-History:Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the shutting down of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786, as they presented health hazards...
.
See also
- Argentine humourArgentine humourArgentine humour is exemplified by a number of humorous television programmes, film productions, comic strips and other types of media. Everyday humour includes jokes related to recurrent themes, such as jokes at the expense of Galicians called chistes de gallegos , often obscene sex-related jokes...
- List of television presenters/Argentina
External links
- Obituary at Canada.com