Cantinflas: 1911-1993: Actor, Comedian Biography

Cantinflas: 1911-1993: Actor, comedian.

The comedic Mexican actor Cantinflas was one of Latin-America's most popular cinematic figures. Using both physical and verbal comedy, Cantinflas embodied the everyday Mexican. His half-century career included 49 films, including the American films Around the World in Eighty Days and Pepe. His comedic journey began in 1930 as a performer in the carpas (travelling, vaudevillian tent shows showcasing a variety of performers). In the carpas, and later in his film career, the young performer created and polished his character, the disheveled underdog known to the world as Cantinflas. Through this character and the use of nonsensical verbal comedy, he lanced the privileged and wealthy classes of Mexican culture.