Chespirito facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chespirito
Chespirito in the 1970s
Born	Roberto Gómez Bolaños (1929-02-21)21 February 1929 Mexico City, Mexico
Died	28 November 2014(2014-11-28) (aged 85) Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Resting place	Panteón Francés, Mexico City
Occupation	Actor, comedian, screenwriter, television director
Spouse(s)	Graciela Fernández ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1989)​ Florinda Meza ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	6, including Roberto Gómez Fernández
Comedy career
Medium	Television, film, music, theatre, comic books
Years active	1958–2014
Genres	Sketch, farce, physical comedy, sitcom, satire
Subject(s)	Children, language, parody, superheroes, social issues
Notable works and roles	Chespirito El Chapulín Colorado El Chavo del Ocho La Chicharra
Signature

Roberto Gómez Bolaños (born February 21, 1929 – died November 28, 2014) was a famous Mexican actor, comedian, writer, and director. He was best known by his stage name, Chespirito. This name means "Little Shakespeare" because he was short and a great writer.

Chespirito is seen as one of the most important and loved comedians in Latin America. He created, wrote, directed, and starred in many popular TV shows. His most famous characters were El Chavo from El Chavo del 8 and El Chapulín Colorado. These shows were watched by millions of people around the world.

Early Life and Beginnings

Roberto Gómez Bolaños was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on February 21, 1929. His father, Francisco Gómez Linares, was a painter. His mother, Elsa Bolaños Aguilar, was a secretary. Roberto had an older brother, Francisco, and a younger brother, Horacio Gómez Bolaños, who played the character Godínez in El Chavo del Ocho.

Before becoming famous, Roberto studied mechanical engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). However, he never worked as an engineer. Instead, he started writing plays and scripts for Mexican TV and movies. He also did some acting.

His stage name, "Chespirito," was given to him by a director. It combined the sound of "Shakespeare" with a Spanish ending "-ito," meaning "little." This was because of his small height and his amazing writing skills. From 1960 to 1965, he wrote scripts for popular TV shows in Mexico.

A Star is Born: Chespirito's Career

Chespirito as Chaparrón Bonaparte in Chespirito

Chespirito became an actor almost by accident. He was waiting to apply for a writing job when he was discovered. Soon, he was writing and starring in his own comedy shows for children.

His first show was called Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada, which started in 1968. This was a sketch comedy show where he introduced many characters. Some of these characters, like El Chavo, El Chapulín Colorado, and Dr. Chapatín, later got their own very popular shows.

The Famous Shows: El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado

Chespirito's most famous shows were El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado. Both shows started in 1973 and were based on sketches from his earlier show. They were produced by the Mexican TV network Televisa and became huge hits, airing in 124 countries!

Chespirito as Dr. Chapatín in Chespirito

In El Chavo del Ocho, Chespirito played an 8-year-old boy named El Chavo. This character often hid in a wooden rain barrel in a poor but funny neighborhood. In El Chapulín Colorado, he played a kind-hearted but clumsy superhero who always tried to help people.

These characters, El Chavo and El Chapulín Colorado, became cultural icons across Latin America. They are still loved and watched by many people today. Even The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, said he got the idea for the Bumblebee Man character after watching El Chapulín Colorado!

Chespirito as El Chavo

Besides acting, Chespirito also wrote music. He composed theme songs for movies and TV shows. He also wrote a very successful play called Once y Doce (Eleven and Twelve), which is still performed sometimes in Mexico.

Chespirito's Works and Characters

Chespirito logo

Chespirito created many memorable characters and shows throughout his career:

• Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada (1968–1973): His first big show, which later became Chespirito.
• Dr. Chapatín (1968–1995): An old doctor who often got into funny fights. He carried a mysterious paper bag, which Chespirito later said contained all the bad feelings of people.
• El Chapulín Colorado (1970–1993): A brave but naive superhero who always tried to help people. This character became his second most successful creation.
• Los Chifladitos (1970–1995): A pair of silly characters, Chaparrón Bonaparte (played by Chespirito) and Lucas Tañeda (played by Rubén Aguirre). They often got into funny situations because of their strange ideas and Chaparrón's sudden "Chiripiorcas" (funny convulsions).
• Los Caquitos (1970–1995): This sketch featured two clumsy thieves, Chómpiras (Chespirito) and Peterete (originally Ramón Valdés). Later, Edgar Vivar joined as El Botija, and Florinda Meza played La Chimoltrufia, Botija's wife. This became a main act in Chespirito's later shows.
• El Chavo del Ocho (1971–1992): His most successful creation, about a poor boy living in a funny neighborhood. It became a weekly half-hour show in 1973.
• La Chicharra (1979–1982): A show about a newspaper reporter who always found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Later Years and Tributes

On November 19, 2004, Chespirito married actress Florinda Meza, who played Doña Florinda in El Chavo. They had been together for 27 years. After their TV shows ended, they toured Mexico and other countries with plays, sometimes playing their famous characters.

Chespirito also wrote several books, including El Diario de El Chavo del Ocho (Diary From the Kid from Number 8) and Sin Querer Queriendo: Memorias (Accidentally on Purpose: Memoirs).

Many tributes were held to honor Chespirito's amazing career. In 2009, a TV channel in Colombia honored him, and over 20,000 fans attended. On February 29, 2012, a huge celebration called América celebra a Chespirito was held in Mexico City. Many famous actors, singers, and fans from 17 countries came together to celebrate his life and work. Even though Chespirito was in a wheelchair and needed oxygen, he was very thankful for the tribute.

On February 21, 2020, Google Doodle honored Chespirito on what would have been his 91st birthday.

Death

Roberto Gómez Bolaños, Chespirito, passed away on November 28, 2014, at the age of 85. He died from heart failure, which was a complication of Parkinson's disease. He died at his home in Cancún, Mexico.

Many famous Mexican celebrities and his former co-stars shared their sadness and sent condolences to his family. Chespirito is remembered as one of the most important Spanish-language comedians of the 20th century.

A statue of "El Chavo" stands in Cali, Colombia

On December 1, 2014, he was buried in the Panteón Francés in Mexico City. A public funeral was held at Estadio Azteca, attended by about 40,000 fans who came to say goodbye to their beloved comedian.

Legacy

Chespirito is known as one of Mexico's most recognized comedians of the 20th century. He is celebrated throughout Latin America for his creative writing, funny characters, and clean humor.

His TV shows have continued to be popular. Since 2006, his characters have been featured in animated cartoons like El Chavo Animado. This animated show has been translated into English, Portuguese, and French. An animated TV show based on El Chapulín Colorado was also launched in 2015.

Awards and Nominations

Chespirito received many awards for his work.

TVyNovelas Awards

ACE Awards

• On November 20, 2013, Chespirito received the Ondas Iberoamericano Award for his outstanding career in television.

Filmography

TV series

Films

Director

Producer

Discography

• 1977: Chespirito y Sus Canciones - ¡No Contaban Con Mi Astucia!
• 1977: Así Cantamos y Vacilamos en la Vecindad del Chavo
• 1979: 1er Festival de la Canción Infantil de Radio Variedades - Canta Chespirito y su Compañía
• 1980: El Chavo Canta - ¡Eso, Eso, Eso...!
• 1981: Síganme los Buenos a la Vecindad del Chavo
• 1989: Chaves

Books

• 1995: El diario del Chavo del 8
• 2003: ...y también poemas
• 2006: Sin querer queriendo

Images for kids

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  Chespirito's signature

See also

In Spanish: Roberto Gómez Bolaños para niños

• Cantinflas