Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez (May 24, 1925 – February 6, 2006) was an American character actor best known for his appearances in a number of John Wayne movies.
Born Ramiro Gonzalez-Gonzalez in Aguilares, Texas to a Mexican American father and a Spanish mother, Gonzalez-Gonzalez grew up in a talent-filled home. His father was a trumpet player, and his mother was a dancer. He left school at the age of seven to join a family act called "Las Perlitas" that toured southwest Texas. As a result, he was functionally illiterate for all of his life. As a result of his illiteracy, he memorized scripts by having his wife read them to him. Gonzalez-Gonzalez married at the age of seventeen and served in World War II. After the war he performed stand-up comedy for Spanish-speaking audiences. [1]
In 1953, he appeared on the Groucho Marx quiz show You Bet Your Life under the name Ramiro G. Gonzalez, where his banter with Marx attracted notice. Marx asked him: "What does the 'G' stand for?" to which he replied "Gonzalez", and explained that both his parents had been surnamed "Gonzales" before being married. So Marx asked: "What does your wife call you: Ramiro or Gonzalez?" He replied "She calls me 'Pedro'", triggering audience laughter. After Gonzales performed a 15-second comic dance to strong applause, Marx complimented his guest's comedic skill, saying: "Pedro, we could do a great act together. We could make a fortune in vaudeville, you and I. What -- what would we call our act, you know, if we went out together? 'The Two Hot Tamales'?" After Pedro deadpanned "Gonzales-Gonzales and Marx", Groucho made an aside: "That's a nice billing. Two people in the act, and I get third place in the billing!" [2]
John Wayne saw his appearance on the program and cast him as comic relief in a number of movies including Rio Bravo, The High and the Mighty and Hellfighters. He also made guest appearances in shows such as Gunsmoke and Wanted: Dead or Alive, as well as the Jerry Lewis film, Hook, Line & Sinker. Wayne also had Burt Kennedy write a TV series for Gonzalez-Gonzales that was never made.[3]
As a result of playing comic relief roles, he was accused of perpetuating negative stereotypes about Hispanic men. However, Edward James Olmos said of Gonzalez-Gonzalez at the time of his death that he "inspired every Latino actor."[4]
He is the grandfather of actor Clifton Collins Jr.