Xavier López | WatchedThis
Xavier López
Acting
Biography
Xavier López Rodríguez (17 February, 1935 - 25 March, 2023), better known as Chabelo, was a Mexican-American actor, comedian and television host. He hosted a children's program entitled En familia con Chabelo, which aired for forty-eight years. He studied medicine, which he practiced for four years in a private sanatorium where he was a partner. At the same time and while still studying, he missed classes in order to make frequent visits to the facilities of the building known as Televicentro, inaugurated in 1952, owned by the alliance of Mexican radio stations, Telesistema Mexicano, which would later become Televisa. There he met the producer, Luis de Llano Palmer, who offered him work as a production assistant, a job he accepted and opted to abandon his career in medicine. At the same place, he also worked as a cameraman and floor manager. This experience was what helped him make the decision to become an actor and later he began to study drama for four years. Later, he would begin to have brief appearances in television broadcasts called teleteatros (of which there is not much information), and in which he would participate as a substitute for actors who were late or absent. He got his nickname after telling a joke about a boy named Chabelo and would embody that boy as a character for most of his acting career. He participated in 10 television programs, 34 movies and 4 soap operas, in addition to recording several albums as his character "Chabelo". In 2003 he was awarded a Diosa de Plata for his artistic career. In 2005 he received the Legend Award from the MTV Movie Awards Mexico. In 2006 he received the Gaviota International Award for his artistic career. In June 2010, at the Lunas del Auditorio Awards, he received the special recognition Una Vida en el Escenario (A Life on Stage). During the last broadcast in 2012, he received a tribute for his two thousand three hundred programs of En familia con Chabelo. During that same broadcast, he was awarded two Guinness World Records: the first for the longest career as host of a children's program (forty-four years), and the second for the longest time representing a character, Chabelo (fifty-seven years), "the friend of all children". On March 25, 2023, Chabelo passed away in Mexico City at the age of 88, due to a septic shock caused by an acute abdominal condition. The following day, his body was cremated and his ashes were given to his family.
Filmography Movies
Acting
Amar
Five stories blend with love, sex, the emptiness of being unloved, passion and desire: Carlos and Susana go to some uncle´s apartment to make love. Meanwhile, Benito, an 80-year-old, performs a serenade to his wife. His neighbor Adela is told that her mother has Alzheimer and that she will be relocated since the Buenos Aires building she lives in will be demolished. Amado catches his son Carlos stealing his money. Gabriel asks Martha´s parents for her hand in marriage but they condition them to get married at their favorite church. And Patricia, 40, a creative agent, sexually abuses Joel, who directs a beer commercial.
Chabelo Y Pepito Contra Los Monstruos
An ordinary day's hike gets rough when two youngsters escape from the main group into the woods and, after finding a grotto, discover that there is more to it than just darkness.
The Crime of Cacaro Gumaro
After their fathers death, two brothers dispute the inheritance: the local movie theater known as Linterna Mújica. Their dispute may or not bring the town to its apocalypse, but it will for sure turn it upside-down.
¡Buenas noches, año nuevo!
Backstage comedy; singer-dancer and her songwriter husband pretend to have an open relationship, because it makes them look smart and modern.
Los reyes del volante
Comedy film starring Viruta and Capulina.
Cartas a Elena
In the beautiful hills of the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico, a young boy (Emilio) is adopted by the mailman (Teo). As part of their daily tasks, they not only deliver the mail but read letters to the villagers, as well as take dictation, since most are illiterate. Young Emilio quickly learns to read and write but feels saddened by the mostly difficult stories sent by relatives, that moved north to Denver, Colorado in pursuit of a better future. One day Teo becomes disabled and Emilio takes over the mail route and with great imagination, he changes the letters to happy and optimistic stories. Within days, the village is transformed. The elders, once hopeless, lonely and sad, are now happy and enthusiastic, enjoying the "supposed" success their loved ones write from the United States. But the enjoyment is short lived, as they realize that all the wonderful stories are the same...
Nueva Chistelandia
Sketch comedy and blackout gags -- format like Laugh-In. Number two in a series.
Mi fantasma y yo
A family of three moves to a haunted house. The couple's 10-year-old son runs into the ghost of the house but isn't scared. He tells the ghost that since his father is a writer of horror novels he lost fear of horror stories. The ghost then confides in the boy that he is a lonely ghost on account of the modern world focused on so many material priorities. Child and ghost become best friends, playing together, telling stories and helping the ghost pay his rent by scaring people every month.
Escuela para solteras
All-star ranchera fest, rom-com style. Four charros, four eligible young ladies.
Chistelandia
Short-attention-span sketch comedy and black-out gags, assembled into a movie. Structured like TV show "Laugh-In". First of three in series.
Gallery
