Cheech Marin

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Cheech Marin

Born Richard Anthony Marin
July 13, 1946 (1946-07-13) (age 61)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American comedian and actor who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's quick-and-scheme partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges. His stage persona is that of a stereotypical Mexican American, or an uneducated urban Chicano.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Marin, a Mexican American,[1][2] was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Elsa (née Meza), a secretary, and Oscar Marin, a policeman in the LAPD.[3][4] He was raised Roman Catholic.[5] Marin is a graduate of California State University Northridge where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. Fleeing from the U.S. draft during the height of the Vietnam War in 1968, Marin settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he met future comedic partner Tommy Chong.

[edit] Career

As a part of the duo Cheech and Chong he participated in a number of comedy albums and feature film comedies. After he and Tommy went their separate ways, he starred in a number of films as a solo actor, most notably Born in East L.A., Tin Cup and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. His nickname "Cheech" is short for "Chicharron", a spicy fried pork skin which is a popular snack in Mexican cuisine[6] and the alliteration with Chong's name made for a great name together.

Marin made the transition to television when he co-starred with Don Johnson and Yasmine Bleeth in the police show Nash Bridges (1996-2001), in which they played San Francisco police-detective partners. In recent years he has been active in playing supporting roles in films and performing voice overs for animated features. His last television work included a supporting role in Judging Amy, where he played an independently wealthy landscape designer. He is a favorite of director Robert Rodriguez, who has worked with Marin seven times; the last two installments of the Mexico Trilogy, the Spy Kids trilogy , From Dusk Till Dawn and the Machete trailer for Grindhouse. He provided his voice for several Disney animated films, most notably Tito in Oliver & Company (1988), Banzai in The Lion King (1994) and Ramone in Cars (2006). He also reprised the Banzai role in Kingdom Hearts II. He made a small appearance as a dockworker in the movie Ghostbusters 2. Marin has released two best-selling albums in the children's music genre, My Name is Cheech, the School Bus Driver (1992) and My Name is Cheech, The School Bus Driver "Coast to Coast (1997). Both albums were released bilingually. In July of 2007, Cheech Marin added children's book author to his list of accomplishments with the release of Cheech the School Bus Driver, illustrated by Orlando L. Ramirez (Published by HarperCollins).

Marin is one of the foremost collectors of Chicano art in the United States, and his private collection is claimed to be the world's largest. Two national touring exhibitions have featured works from his collection. He is also an avid golfer, although Marin initially disliked the sport until he co-starred in Tin Cup. Marin was born with a cleft lip, which has long since been repaired. He speaks fluent Spanish[verification needed] and uses it in some of the movies he stars in. Marin's trademark is his character's Mexican-accented voice. The actor took a cue from his Nash Bridges counterpart as he resides in the San Francisco Bay Area year round, as a resident of the city's ritzy Sea Cliff neighborhood.

Marin was going to do the voice role of Cesar Vialpando from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas but it went to Clifton Collins Jr.. In late 2006, Marin participated in Simon Cowell's Celebrity Duets, having sung with Peter Frampton, Randy Travis, Clint Black, Aaron Neville, and Al Jarreau. He was the fourth to be eliminated. In that same year, he voiced as Gaspar Gomez in Scarface: The World is Yours.

In the hit television series Lost, Marin plays Hurley's father.

Cheech also sings on the hidden track "Earache My Eye" on Korn's album Follow the Leader

[edit] Personal life

Marin was married in 1975 to Rikki Marin who co-wrote and co-produced Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers. Rikki Marin also played minor roles in earlier Cheech & Chong films. The couple had one child and later divorced in 1984.[7] Marin married Patti Heid in 1986, they had two children and have since divorced.[8] Marin is currently dating Russian pianist Natasha Rubin.[9]

Marin is a resident of San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood, also where Robin Williams is a longtime resident.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Cheech and Chong comedy albums

  • Get Out Of My Room (1985)
  • Lets Make Another Dope Deal (1980)
  • Up In Smoke (1978)
  • Sleeping Beauty (1976)
  • Wedding Album (1974)
  • Los Cochinos (1973)
  • Big Bambu (1972)
  • Cheech & Chong (1971)

[edit] References

  1. ^ CNN.com - Cheech Marin high on art - Aug 9, 2005
  2. ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=KC&p_theme=kc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=110114E667A3CFD8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
  3. ^ Cheech Marin Biography (1946-)
  4. ^ Whatever Works / CHEECH MARIN; A Comic Axed by His Own Club
  5. ^ Smithsonian Magazine | Arts & Culture | Q&A - Cheech Marin
  6. ^ The Comedy Couch - Cheech Marin Interview
  7. ^ Rikki Marin
  8. ^ Cheech Marin - Biography
  9. ^ Gallery

[edit] External links