Roberto Gómez Bolaños
Encyclopedia
Roberto Gómez Bolaños (born February 21, 1929 in Mexico City
, Mexico
) is a Mexican
writer, actor, director, comedian, humorist, songwriter, poet and philosopher. He is best known by his stage name Chespirito (lit. Little Shakespare).
. He studied Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National Autonomous University of Mexico). He wrote a number of plays, and contributed dialogue for scripts of films and television shows in Mexico, as well as some character acting work before he became famous. His stage name of Chespirito was given by a producer during Gómez Bolaños' first years as a writer and was concocted from the diminutive form of the Spanish pronunciation of the name of William Shakespeare
or Shakespierito, meaning "Little Shakespeare" or "Little Shakespeare Boy".
Chespirito was discovered as an actor while he was waiting in line to apply for a job as a writer and soon he began writing and starring in his children comedy shows. He continuously starred in shows on Mexican television from 1970 to 1995 and became well known throughout the entire world, mainly in Latin America
.
His best known roles were in the shows El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado
, produced by Mexican TV Network Televisa
and being aired all over the world in 124 countries. Other shows produced by and starring him were the short-lived La Chicharra and, during his last years on air, Chespirito.
In El Chavo del Ocho, 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
who always got involved in funny situations. The Simpsons
creator Matt Groening
has declared that he created the Bumblebee Man character after watching El Chapulín Colorado in a motel on the U.S.-Mexico border.
These two shows have turned in a cultural icon
all over Latin America and United States
and also having being aired in more than one hundred countries. He also starred in such Mexican movies as El Chanfle
and El Chanfle 2.
Bolaños is also noted as a musical composer. He started writing music as a hobby, and most of his early musical work was related to his comedy work, particularly featured in occasional Chapulín Colorado or Chavo del Ocho special episodes. Later work includes the theme songs for various Mexican movies and telenovela
s such as "Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas" and "La Dueña". A comedy song of Gómez, "Churi Churi Fun Flais", was slightly referenced by Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13
in a pairing with fellow rapper Voltio
, on their song "Chulin Culin Chunfly" (which used the made-up word "Culin", a reference to the female derriere, in substitution of the second "Churi").
He is also the creator of the theater comedy "Once y Doce" ("Eleven and Twelve"), which is still played occasionally and it came to be the most successful theater comedy in Mexican history.
He is also a big supporter and attendee of Mexican Club and Club America.
, who starred as Doña Florinda in El Chavo. After show production was stopped both for El Chavo and El Chapulín, both toured Mexico and the rest of Latin America and the United States with different plays, sometimes playing the characters that made them famous.
On November 26, 2003, Chespirito and Florinda Meza received the keys to the city of Cicero
, Illinois
.
Roberto Gómez Bolaños and Edgar Vivar
once received an award from a Laurel and Hardy
fan club for performing the funniest impersonation of Laurel and Hardy in Latin America. This impersonation was made during an episode of El Chapulín Colorado.
While some South American presidents gave him honors, the PRI-ruled Mexican government (1929–2000) ignored him completely.
During the 2000 and the 2006 Presidential electoral campaigns in Mexico he openly supported the PAN (Partido Acción Nacional, National Action Party) in a TV commercial urging people to vote for this party just like him.
In 2006, he started a campaign against the legalization of abortion in Mexico City. 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 2008, he went to Peru to present him as Chespirito in the auditorium of the Colegio San Agustín of Lima
.
In 2009 he was also honaged by the Colombian TV channel RCN
in which he received the keys of the municipality of Soacha
, more than 20.000 people attended the homage.
On November 12, 2009, he was admitted to a Mexico City
hospital. According to his son, Roberto Gómez Fernandez, Gómez Bolaños had prostate complications, which required a simple surgery to treat.
Two themes from Jean-Jacques Perrey
, "The Elephant Never Forgets" and "Baroque Hoedown" were used as the main themes for El Chavo Del Ocho and El Chapulin Colorado
. A 2009 lawsuit by the composers against him and Mexican multimedia conglomerate Televisa
was settled in 2010, as a compensation for the network's non-payment of the use of these melodies.
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) is a Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
writer, actor, director, comedian, humorist, songwriter, poet and philosopher. He is best known by his stage name Chespirito (lit. Little Shakespare).
Life and work
Before becoming an actor, Bolaños was an amateur boxerBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He studied Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National Autonomous University of Mexico). He wrote a number of plays, and contributed dialogue for scripts of films and television shows in Mexico, as well as some character acting work before he became famous. His stage name of Chespirito was given by a producer during Gómez Bolaños' first years as a writer and was concocted from the diminutive form of the Spanish pronunciation of the name of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
or Shakespierito, meaning "Little Shakespeare" or "Little Shakespeare Boy".
Chespirito was discovered as an actor while he was waiting in line to apply for a job as a writer and soon he began writing and starring in his children comedy shows. He continuously starred in shows on Mexican television from 1970 to 1995 and became well known throughout the entire world, mainly in 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...
.
His best known roles were in the shows El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado is a television series, created and played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and TV show producer, which parodied superhero shows...
, produced by Mexican TV Network Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
and being aired all over the world in 124 countries. Other shows produced by and starring him were the short-lived La Chicharra and, during his last years on air, Chespirito.
In El Chavo del Ocho, 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
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who always got involved in funny situations. The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
has declared that he created the Bumblebee Man character after watching El Chapulín Colorado in a motel on the U.S.-Mexico border.
These two shows have turned in a cultural icon
Cultural icon
A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
all over Latin America and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and also having being aired in more than one hundred countries. He also starred in such Mexican movies as El Chanfle
El Chanfle
El Chanfle is a movie created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito. It was filmed in Mexico in 1978. It is classified as comedy movie.-Plot:...
and El Chanfle 2.
Bolaños is also noted as a musical composer. He started writing music as a hobby, and most of his early musical work was related to his comedy work, particularly featured in occasional Chapulín Colorado or Chavo del Ocho special episodes. Later work includes the theme songs for various Mexican movies and telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s such as "Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas" and "La Dueña". A comedy song of Gómez, "Churi Churi Fun Flais", was slightly referenced by Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13
Calle 13 (band)
Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar , who calls himself Residente and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez , who calls himself Visitante Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (born February 23, 1978 in Hato Rey, a subsection of San Juan, Puerto Rico), who calls...
in a pairing with fellow rapper Voltio
Voltio
Julio Voltio is one of the reggaetón genre's best-known artists.His nickname came to be as the result of an accident. Before joining Karel, he worked as an electrician. One day, he stuck his hand in the wrong place and got shocked...
, on their song "Chulin Culin Chunfly" (which used the made-up word "Culin", a reference to the female derriere, in substitution of the second "Churi").
He is also the creator of the theater comedy "Once y Doce" ("Eleven and Twelve"), which is still played occasionally and it came to be the most successful theater comedy in Mexican history.
He is also a big supporter and attendee of Mexican Club and Club America.
Actor
- Once y Doce (2009)
- Don Cavalera (1993–1994)
- Los Chifladitos (1980–1998)
- Chaparron Bonaparte (1980–1995)
- Vicente Chambón (1980–1984)
- El ChompirasEl ChómpirasLos Caquitos is a sketch comedy of the Chespirito television comedy program that ran from 1980 to 1995. It was created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who also played one of the title characters, "El Chómpiras".- Origins :...
(1972–1995) - El Chavo del Ocho (1971–1992)
- El Chapulín ColoradoEl Chapulín ColoradoEl Chapulín Colorado is a television series, created and played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and TV show producer, which parodied superhero shows...
(1970–1993) - Dr. ChapatínDr. ChapatínDr. Chapatín is a fictional doctor, created and performed by Chespirito.Usually, Dr. Chapatin appears in his office, with his secretary and his nurse, performed by Florinda Meza....
(1968–1995) - Música de viento (1988)
- El CharritoEl CharritoEl Charrito is a brand of Tex-Mex TV dinners. The word is Spanish for "little cowboy". The brand was introduced in 1980 by the Campbell Taggart company, who owned the El Chico restaurant chain....
(1984) - Don ratón y don ratero (1983)
- El Chanfle 2 (1982)
- El ChanfleEl ChanfleEl Chanfle is a movie created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito. It was filmed in Mexico in 1978. It is classified as comedy movie.-Plot:...
(1979) - El amor de María Isabel (1971)
- El cuerpazo del delito (1970)
- La princesita y vagabunda (1969)
- La hermana Trinquete (1969)
- Operación carambola (1968)
- Las tres magníficas (1968)
- El zángano (1967)
- Dos criados malcriados (1960)
- Dos locos en escena (1960)
Writer
- Once y Doce (2009)
- ¡Que vivan los muertos! (1998)
- Charrito (1984)
- El Chanfle II (1982)
- El ChanfleEl ChanfleEl Chanfle is a movie created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito. It was filmed in Mexico in 1978. It is classified as comedy movie.-Plot:...
(1979) - ¡Ahí madre! (1970)
- Fray Dólar (1970)
- La princesa hippie (1969)
- Operación carambola (1968)
- El camino de los espantos (1967)
- Un bovio para dos hermanas (1966)
- Los reyes del volante (1965)
- Los astronautas (1964)
- Los invisibles (1963)
- ¡En peligro de muerte! (1962)
- Pegando con tubo (1961)
- Limosneros con garrote (1961)
- Dos tontos y un loco (1961)
- Los desenfrenados (1960)
- El dolor de pagar la renta (1960)
- Los tigres del desierto (1960)
- Dos criados malcriados (1960)
- Vagabundo y millonario (1959)
- Angelitos del trapecio (1959)
- Los legionarios (1958)
Composer
- Charrito (1984)
- ¡En peligro de muerte! (1962)
- Tres lecciones de amor (1959)
- Los legionarios (1958)
Recent years
On November 19, 2004, he married actress Florinda MezaFlorinda Meza
Florinda Meza García de Gómez is a Mexican actress of film and television; she is also a writer, director, and producer. She started her career when Roberto Gómez Bolaños cast her in El Chavo as "Doña Florinda"...
, who starred as Doña Florinda in El Chavo. After show production was stopped both for El Chavo and El Chapulín, both toured Mexico and the rest of Latin America and the United States with different plays, sometimes playing the characters that made them famous.
On November 26, 2003, Chespirito and Florinda Meza received the keys to the city of Cicero
Cicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Roberto Gómez Bolaños and Edgar Vivar
Edgar Vivar
Edgar Vivar is a Mexican actor. He is best remembered as "Señor Barriga" and his son "Ñoño" from the El Chavo del Ocho television series, and as "El Botija" from the El Chapulín Colorado and Chespirito television series...
once received an award from a Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
fan club for performing the funniest impersonation of Laurel and Hardy in Latin America. This impersonation was made during an episode of El Chapulín Colorado.
While some South American presidents gave him honors, the PRI-ruled Mexican government (1929–2000) ignored him completely.
During the 2000 and the 2006 Presidential electoral campaigns in Mexico he openly supported the PAN (Partido Acción Nacional, National Action Party) in a TV commercial urging people to vote for this party just like him.
In 2006, he started a campaign against the legalization of abortion in Mexico City. 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 2008, he went to Peru to present him as Chespirito in the auditorium of the Colegio San Agustín of Lima
Colegio San Agustín of Lima
Colegio San Agustin is a private school offering education that spans from elementary through high school to students in Lima, Peru. It was founded as part of the evangelizing mission of the Order of the Augustinians by the Province of Our Lady of Grace of Peru...
.
In 2009 he was also honaged by the Colombian TV channel RCN
RCN TV
RCN Televisión , is a Colombian private television network. It started as a production company in 1967...
in which he received the keys of the municipality of Soacha
Soacha
Soacha is the city of Colombia on the southern edge of Bogotá, the country's capital. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working class families.-Demographics:...
, more than 20.000 people attended the homage.
On November 12, 2009, he was admitted to a Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
hospital. According to his son, Roberto Gómez Fernandez, Gómez Bolaños had prostate complications, which required a simple surgery to treat.
Two themes from Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean-Jacques Perrey is a French electronic music producer and was an early pioneer in the genre. He is best known within the sphere of popular music as a member of the influential electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his unusually light-hearted style of music.-Biography:Perrey was...
, "The Elephant Never Forgets" and "Baroque Hoedown" were used as the main themes for El Chavo Del Ocho and El Chapulin Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado is a television series, created and played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and TV show producer, which parodied superhero shows...
. A 2009 lawsuit by the composers against him and Mexican multimedia conglomerate Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
was settled in 2010, as a compensation for the network's non-payment of the use of these melodies.