The first four months of 2023, the actors’ union has repeatedly mourned the loss of celebrities who left their mark for their walk on stage through decades; their deaths have dismayed those who for years saw them on television, film and theater. Through their work, they earned the affection of the public in Mexico and abroad, and their departure, apart from astonishment, left a deep sadness among their relatives and citizens.
Below is a list of those who left this world, but who will always be remembered, for their appearance in movies, television or for being great comedians. On the list are great actors and actresses, as well as people who dedicated themselves to entertainment by driving or telling a joke.
Some achieved success in the movies, others on the small screen or both, but illness and the passing of the years dulled their brilliance, however, they will live on in the memories of their admirers.
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Polo Polo: from corporate executive to comedian
On January 23, 2023, Leopoldo Roberto García Peláez, better known as Polo Polo, left this world. Whoever started working as an executive for a shoe company never imagined that his way of telling jokes would make him a public figure who came to succeed in bars and theaters, as well as participating in the films: ‘The Dairy’, ‘Hard and Even in the little house of sin’, ‘Only for adulterers’ and ‘Crónicas chilangas’. On television, he appeared in shows like ‘What’s wrong with us?’ and ‘The VIP school’.
“Polo Polo died today. One of the greatest comedians in Mexico and Latin America ”, indicated a publication on his official Facebook page. The comedian born in León, Guanajuato, on March 9, 1944, was the first in a chain of famous deaths that occurred in the following months.
Irma Serrano, ‘La Tigresa’: A woman of firm convictions
The next on the list was Irma Consuelo Cielo Serrano, La Tigresa, whose death was on March 1 at the age of 89. She is an actress, singer and politician, a woman who never accepted the established: “My whole life has been about breaking: breaking statutes, breaking established things. One of her most followed romances by the press was the one she had with Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, president of the country from 1964 to 1970.
Born in Comitán, Chiapas, in 1933, she was always characterized as a person of strong convictions. That way of being led her to venture into the cinema in the 1960s, debuting with the legendary wrestler ‘El enmascarado de Plata’, in the film: ‘Santo contra los zombies’, after her came about twenty feature films . In an interview, she referred to her success: “I don’t feel that personally I have been very successful. Starting because I didn’t get married and I didn’t even have a child”.
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Ignacio López Tarso: He will always be remembered by Macario
A note from the BBC shows how important Ignacio López Tarso was in the world of acting. The title of the text was: ‘The renowned Mexican actor dies at 98 years of age’. The National Association of Interpreters (ANDI), published the following on its Twitter account: “@ANDIMexico announces the sensitive death of interpreter partner Ignacio López Tarso. Actor with a vast career in theater, film, television and politics. He was president of our association. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends”.
The samples of admiration and recognition showed the quality of the actor, who was born on January 15, 1925 in Mexico City. His real name was Ignacio López López. Some of the films in which he participated were: ‘Macario’ (1959), ‘Cri Cri, the singing cricket (1963),’ El hombre de papel’ (1963), Tarahumara (1965). On March 3, 2023, Tarso was hospitalized due to pneumonia, eight days later he passed away.
Rebecca Jones: Great Soap Opera Actress
Rebecca Jones Fuentes Berain was born on May 21, 1957 in Mexico City. The daughter of an American father and a Mexican mother, she lived her first years in the country, and her adolescence in the United States where she studied dramatic art. Years later, she began her participation in soap operas with ‘Muchacha de barrio’, with a brief appearance. It was followed by ‘El Maleficio’, ‘La Traición’, ‘Cuna de Lobos’ and ‘Empire de Cristal’. Referring to the roles she played, she said: “I have never been made a fool of myself, ever.”
Jones battled ovarian cancer for several years. In 2019, she announced that she had referred her cancer treatment, however, three years later she was hospitalized for a relapse. On March 22, at the age of 65, the actress’s life ended.
Chabelo: The eternal child
One of the most beloved characters on Mexican television died at the age of 88 (on March 25), indicated a BBC note, referring to Xavier López ‘Chabelo’, adding that on Sundays for five decades, millions of families they sat in front of the television to watch their program: ‘In family…’, followed by the name of their character.
Such was the impact of the host and comedian that, even years after his program ended, memes with the image of the boy in shorts began to be more frequent on social networks, referring to his age. Among the occurrences, there were those that insinuated that the actor was at the last dinner, in clear allusion to his age.
Andrés García: A heartthrob of cinema and television
Andrés García, Dominican by birth and Mexican by adoption, died on April 4 at the age of 81 in Acapulco, Guerrero. He was one of the leading men of cinema and television. His filmography covers more than 100 titles, including Chanoc (1967), El Principio (1972), nominated for an Ariel, ‘Pedro Navaja’ (1983). In soap operas, he participated in ‘Tú o nadie’ (1985), ‘El privilegio de amar’ (1999).
The last years of the famous were complicated, constantly entering hospitals due to cirrhosis that weakened him and did not allow him to take the medications he needed. Regarding his condition, his wife Margarita Portillo commented that the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites) caused intermittent diarrhea.
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Julián Figueroa, found dead in his residence
One of the deaths that surprised Mexicans was the death of Julián Figueroa, on April 9 of this year, who was found lifeless in his residence located in Jardines del Pedregal in Mexico City. His death was due to a myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation, reported his mother, actress Maribel Guardia.
Joan Sebastian’s son was 28 years old, and according to the authorities’ report, the following was indicated: “Miss Imelda Garza states that her husband was unconscious in the room for visits, for which she requested medical support.”
