Biography

Carlos Julio Benjumea Guevara (Bogotá, May 1, 1941 – Bogotá, May 13, 2021), known as El Gordo (“The Fat One”), was a Colombian comedian, theater director, and film, theater, and television actor, as well as the founder of the production company Coestrellas. With more than 50 years of artistic experience, “El Gordo” began his career in theater. He later joined the cast of the famous comedy show Yo y tú. During the 1970s, he became the leading star of several comedy films such as El taxista millonario (The Millionaire Taxi Driver), Esposos en vacaciones (Husbands on Vacation), and El inmigrante latino (The Latin Immigrant), producing six films of this kind with director Gustavo Nieto Roa. He later focused on comedy and theater. He was also co-owner of the television company Coestrellas, where he hosted programs such as Sabariedades alongside his close friend Fernando González Pacheco, and Ver para aprender. He also founded the theater company La Casa del Gordo, where he became well known for his performances in the café-concert genre. In the late 1990s, he demonstrated his dramatic talent in telenovelas such as Fuego verde and Isabel me la veló. In the 21st century, he appeared in films such as Perder es cuestión de método (Losing Is a Matter of Method) and telenovelas such as Hasta que la plata nos separe (Till Money Do Us Part). In 2017, he received the Víctor Nieto Lifetime Achievement Award at the India Catalina Awards. In 2021, he passed away due to health complications he had been facing for several months.

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