Xavier López
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2019 · The Mongolian Conspiracy as El Coronel
- 2014 · The Crime of Cacaro Gumaro as Mecha-Chabelo
- 2013 · Flying low as Bruno Sánchez Félix
- 2013 · Misión W2M as
- 2012 · Cartas a Elena as Don Jacinto
- 2009 · Amar as Benito
- 2005 · Club eutanasia as Mauro
- 1999 · Cero en conducta as
- 1997 · Conversando con Cristina Pacheco as Self
- 1994 · La Chilindrina en apuros as Chabelo
- 1988 · Mi fantasma y yo as
- 1988 · Dos machos que ladran no muerden as
- 1988 · La tumba de Matías as
- 1986 · Agente 0013: Hermelinda linda II as Bebé
- 1985 · Los pepenadores de aca as
- 1984 · Macho que ladra no muerde as
- 1978 · La Carabina de Ambrosio as
- 1974 · Chabelo y Pepito detectives as Chabelo
- 1973 · Chabelo and Pepito vs. the Monsters as Chabelo
- 1972 · Pepito y la lámpara maravillosa as
- 1972 · La criada bien criada as Little Baby
- 1971 · Bang bang al hoyo as
- 1969 · El aviso inoportuno as
- 1969 · La princesa hippie as
- 1968 · Autopsy of a Ghost as
- 1966 · Los dos rivales as Javier Gobardilla (as Javier López 'Chabelo')
- 1965 · Los reyes del volante as Chabelo
- 1965 · Escuela para solteras as Photographer
- 1964 · ¡Buenas noches, año nuevo! as Bailarín
- 1962 · El Extra as Panchito
- 1958 · Vuelve Chistelandia as
- 1958 · Nueva Chistelandia as
- 1958 · Chistelandia as
- 1958 · Trip to the Moon as Babyface