Chabelo facts for kids

Xavier López Rodríguez (born 17 February 1935 – died 25 March 2023) was a famous Mexican actor, comedian, and TV host. Many people knew him by his stage name, Chabelo. He was also a singer who made music for children.

Besides his long TV career, Chabelo acted in over 30 movies. He also recorded more than 30 music albums. He produced popular shows like La Cuchufleta and La Güereja Quiere Más. His most famous show was En Familia con Chabelo. This show was on TV every Sunday morning for 47 years! It had games, prizes, and fun activities, mostly for kids. The last episode aired on 20 December 2015. When he passed away, Chabelo was one of the last stars from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Early Life and Beginnings

Xavier López was born on 17 February 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, in the U.S. Later, his family moved back to Mexico. They settled in the city of León, Guanajuato.

During the Korean War, López joined the U.S. Army. He served at a military base in California. After his time in the army, he returned to Mexico.

Back home, López started studying medicine. He hoped to become a doctor. While studying, he began working at the Televisa TV network. He started as an assistant and sometimes filled in for other actors. This is how he got the chance to create his famous character, Chabelo.

Becoming Chabelo

Xavier López's acting career really took off when he met a famous acting duo. They were known as "Panseco y Gamboa." This pair taught Chabelo a lot about how TV shows are made.

Xavier López was hired to be the spokesperson for Pepsi Cola as his "Chabelo" character. He traveled all over North and South America for this job. After his contract ended, it was hard for him to find other work. People strongly linked him to the Pepsi brand.

He then took a job in New York City for less money than he was used to. He toured the U.S. for six months with a dancer named Tongolele. After the tour, he returned to TV. He got his own half-hour show every day. He also appeared as "Panchito" in the Cantinflas film El Extra (1962).

En Familia con Chabelo

Statue of Chabelo in Mexico City. It shows his character from the show En Familia con Chabelo.

Xavier López had a great idea for a TV show. He wanted a program where parents and children could play games and have fun together on Sunday mornings. This idea became En Familia con Chabelo (In Family with Chabelo).

This show became very famous across Latin America. In the show, López played a child character named Chabelo. He was the host, leading games and contests. People from the audience, both kids and parents, got to join in. At the end of every show, there was a popular contest called the Catafixia.

On 30 December 2012, the show received a Guinness World Record. It was honored for being broadcast for 44 years without stopping. Xavier López also earned another Guinness Record. He was recognized for playing the Chabelo character for over 57 years!

Other Work

Besides En Familia con Chabelo, Xavier López was very busy. He acted in more than 30 movies. He also recorded over 30 music albums. He produced other TV shows too, like La Escuelita VIP and Los Simuladores.

His Passing

Xavier López, known as Chabelo, passed away on 25 March 2023. He was 88 years old.

Filmography

TV Shows

• En familia con Chabelo (1967-2015)
• La criada bien criada (The well-bred maid) (1970)
• El show del Loco Valdés (The show of crazy Valdes) (1971)
• El show de Alejandro Suárez (The show of Alejandro Suarez) (1972)
• Detective de hotel (Detective of hotel) (1973-1974)
• La carabina de Ambrosio (The carbine of Ambrosio) (1978)
• La cuchufleta (1995)
• La Güereja y algo más (The guereja and something more) (1998)
• La escuelita VIP (The school VIP) (2004)
• Los simuladores (The simuladores) (2009)

TV Soaps

• Cuento de Navidad (Christmas story) (1999)
• Carita de ángel (Angel Face) (2000)
• Navidad sin fin (Christmas Without End) (2001)
• Amarte es mi pecado (Loving you is my sin) (2004)

See also

In Spanish: Chabelo para niños