Carlos Villagrán Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Villagrán and the second or maternal family name is Eslava.

Quick facts for kids Carlos Villagrán
Villagrán in 2015
Born	Carlos Villagrán Eslava (1944-01-12) 12 January 1944 (age 81) Mexico City, Mexico
Other names	"Kiko"
Occupation	Actor, comedian, former journalist
Years active	1964–present
Notable work	Quico in El Chavo del Ocho
Children	6

Carlos Villagrán Eslava (born January 12, 1944) is a famous Mexican actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the funny character Quico in the popular TV show El Chavo del Ocho. This show was a sitcom, which is a comedy show about everyday life.

Life and Career as an Actor
Personal Life
Images for kids
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Life and Career as an Actor

Carlos Villagrán started his career as a photographer for a newspaper in Mexico City. This job helped him meet Rubén Aguirre, who would later become his co-star. Aguirre was hired by Chespirito (Roberto Gómez Bolaños), a very famous writer and actor, for a new TV show called El Chavo del Ocho.

How Quico Was Born

Rubén Aguirre had a party, and Carlos Villagrán was there. Villagrán made everyone laugh by puffing out his cheeks in a funny way. This funny face later became a special move for the character he would play. Aguirre was so impressed that he told Chespirito about Villagrán. Chespirito liked Villagrán too and gave him the role of Quico. Quico was Chavo's friend and sometimes rival in the show.

Villagrán also appeared in Chespirito's other popular show, El Chapulín Colorado. Both of these shows became huge hits across many countries, making Carlos Villagrán very popular.

Villagrán dressed as Quico in 2010.

In 1978, Villagrán left both shows. Around the same time, Ramón Valdés, another actor from the shows, also left. Even though new episodes stopped being made, the shows are still very popular today because of re-runs.

After El Chavo

After leaving El Chavo del Ocho, Carlos Villagrán moved to Venezuela. There, he acted in several TV shows like El niño de papel and Federrico. These shows were not as successful as Chespirito's productions.

Later, Villagrán and Ramón Valdés worked together again in Mexico. They made a TV show called ¡Ah qué Kiko!. This show was successful for its first year. However, Ramón Valdés sadly passed away in 1988. After that, the show lost its popularity and ended.

Like many actors from the Chespirito shows, Villagrán also had a career in the circus. He toured with his own show called El circo de Kiko. He also continued to play his famous character in Argentina.

Later Years and Legacy

Villagrán in 2015

In 2000, there was a special El Chavo del Ocho event to honor Chespirito. Carlos Villagrán and Chespirito saw each other for the first time in many years. They were able to put their past differences aside.

When Chespirito passed away in 2014, Villagrán shared his sadness. He later attended Chespirito's memorial service to show his respect to the family.

In 2017, Villagrán acted in a Brazilian movie called Como se Tornar o Pior Aluno da Escola. He played the role of Ademar, the school director.

Personal Life

Carlos Villagrán has six children, three sons and three daughters. In 2022, he shared good news that one of his daughters had successfully recovered from breast cancer.

In 2013, Villagrán spoke about getting older and his famous role. He said he was thinking about retiring from playing Quico. He felt it was important to respect his fans and the younger version of Quico that they see on TV. He knew that the TV shows would always be there for people to watch.