Gabriel Iglesias
Iglesias in 2018
Birth nameGabriel Jesús Iglesias
Born (1976-07-15) July 15, 1976 (age 47)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • television
  • film
Years active1997–present
Genres
Subject(s)
Signature
Websitefluffyguy.com

Gabriel Jesús Iglesias (born July 15, 1976) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has produced a number of stand-up specials for television outlets such as Comedy Central and Netflix, including I'm Not Fat… I'm Fluffy and Hot & Fluffy. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous live-action and animated TV shows and films, including starring in the sitcom Mr. Iglesias on Netflix, playing Tobias in the 2012 movie Magic Mike and its 2015 sequel, and providing the voice of Speedy Gonzales in Space Jam: A New Legacy. He was also the host of the shows Stand Up Revolution on Comedy Central and Fluffy's Food Adventures on Fuse.

In 2018, Iglesias was one of the top 10 paid comedians in the world.[1]

Early life

Iglesias[2] was born July 15, 1976,[3] in San Diego, California,[4] to Esther P. Mendez and Jesús Iglesias.[5] His mother Esther raised him as a single mother.[6] He is of Mexican heritage. He grew up in Riverside, Corona, Santa Ana, Baldwin Park, and Compton before settling in Section 8 low-income housing in Long Beach, where Iglesias spent most of his youth.[4][6]

Career

Iglesias worked for a cell phone company in Los Angeles and in 1997 went into comedy full-time, though it resulted in him being evicted from his home and losing his car.[6][7]

Iglesias often references his weight in his comedy, often saying, "Oh, I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", elaborating that there are five levels of fatness, "Big", "Healthy", "Husky", "Fluffy", and "DAMN!!!"[7] In 2009 he added a sixth level, "Oh hell, no."[8]

In 2000, he appeared in the sixth season of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, co-starring with Amanda Bynes and Nick Cannon.[7]

Iglesias was a contestant on the fourth season of reality TV series Last Comic Standing in 2006, surviving elimination to become one of the final eight comics. He was disqualified at that point for having used a smuggled BlackBerry to communicate with family and friends, which violated the rules of the show.[7][9]

In 2007, Iglesias voiced an entire Mexican family in "Padre de Familia", a sixth season episode of the Fox TV animated comedy Family Guy. That same year, he began voicing a recurring set of identical twin characters on The Emperor's New School, a Disney animated series that he describes as his favorite voice work.[7]

Iglesias in November 2010

In 2011, Comedy Central debuted Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution, a stand-up series that Iglesias produced and hosted, running for three seasons before ending in 2014.

Iglesias hosted/co-hosted six episodes of Equals Three, and played a strip club DJ and drug dealer in the 2012 film Magic Mike.

Iglesias voiced Ned and Zed in the 2013 DisneyToon Studios film, Planes.[10] He also voiced characters in the animated films The Nut Job (2014)[11][12] and El Americano: The Movie (2016).[10]

Iglesias is featured in the reality series Fluffy Breaks Even, which premiered on Fuse on October 1, 2015.[13] The show was renamed Fluffy's Food Adventures upon its third season renewal in January 2017.[14] From 2019 to 2020, he played Gabe Iglesias, in Mr. Iglesias, a Netflix original series about a teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. In 2021, he voiced the character of Speedy Gonzales in the film Space Jam: A New Legacy and Picchu in Maya and the Three.

In 2022, Iglesias was the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The concert was released to Netflix on October 18, 2022, as Stadium Fluffy.[15]

Influences and style

Iglesias' comedy influences are Paul Rodriguez, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Bill Cosby.[16] He is known for his trademark Hawaiian shirts.[17]

Regarding how novice comedians can widen their fan base, Iglesias stated in a January 2016 interview:[18]

In the beginning, work as clean as you possibly can and stay away from topics that could be controversial or offensive. For example, don't talk about politics, don't talk about religion. Stay away from sports. Talk about things that are relatable to everyone. The more relatability you have, the bigger the fan base you're going to have.

Awards and honors

On February 10, 2012, Iglesias was presented with several awards by the city of El Paso, Texas, including the key to the city and the Beacon of H.O.P.E Award from the nonprofit organization Operation H.O.P.E.[19]

Personal life

In 2010, Iglesias lived in Whittier, California.[20] He was in a long-term relationship with Claudia Valdez, with whom he has a stepson named Frankie.[21][22] According to a June 2020 People article, he separated from Valdez in 2017, which led him to cancel some performances, and to quit drinking for two years. Despite the breakup, he still maintains a close relationship with Frankie, whom he helped raise.[21]

In The Fluffy Movie, Iglesias describes how at his heaviest, which he states was 445 pounds (202 kilograms), he was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, and with his blood sugar spiking to over 300 mg/dl (16.6 mmol/L) regularly, was given two years to live by his doctor. He said the shock of being told he had two years to live prompted him to reevaluate how he took care of himself and explained that he decided to lose weight in order to ensure his continued presence in the lives of his family. Iglesias described the struggle to incorporate a healthier lifestyle, relating how he was told by a specialist that his heavy touring schedule precluded him from being a candidate for bariatric surgery, and how he resorted instead to weight-lifting, Diamond Dallas Page Yoga, and a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which helped him shed over 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Iglesias has also struggled with depression and alcoholism, which he attributes partly to burnout from his heavy touring schedule.[22]

On July 15, 2021, on his 45th birthday, Iglesias tested positive for COVID-19, and cancelled his remaining shows at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts as well as the taping of his upcoming comedy special.[23][3]

Filmography

Film

† Denotes productions that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2002 Entre vivos y plebeyos Piarta Short film
2003 El Matador Gabe
2004 Days of Santiago Coquero
2006 The Surfer King Aokee
2012 Magic Mike Tobias
2013 Planes Ned and Zed Voice
2014 The Nut Job Jimmy Voice [24]
A Haunted House 2 Miguel [25]
The Fluffy Movie Himself Stand-up comedy film [26]
The Book of Life Pepe Rodríguez Voice
2015 Magic Mike XXL Tobias
2016 Norm of the North Pablo and Stan Voice
El Americano: The Movie García Voice [27][28]
2017 Smurfs: The Lost Village Jokey Smurf Voice
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature Jimmy Voice
Coco Clerk Voice
The Star Rufus Voice
Ferdinand Cuatro Voice
2018 Show Dogs Sprinkles Voice
2019 UglyDolls Babo Voice
2021 Space Jam: A New Legacy Speedy Gonzales Voice
2022 Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Chuck Voice
2023 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever Officer Vasquez Voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2000 All That Himself / various characters 13 episodes
2002 My Wife and Kids Nabu Episode: "Table for Too Many"
2002-2003 The USO Comedy Tour Himself Stand-up special; Episode unknown
2003 Comedy Central Presents Himself Stand-up special; season 7, episode 1
2006 Last Comic Standing Himself (contestant) 4 episodes
2006–2008 The Emperor's New School Guaca Voice; 5 episodes
2007 Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy Himself Stand-up special
Family Guy Mexican No. 5 Voice; episode: "Padre de Familia"
2009 Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy Himself Stand-up special
2011–2014 Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution Himself (host) 19 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer
2012 The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange Chicken / Krazy Klaus / Mr. Cash /
Smash / Mr. Juicy Fun 		Voice; 3 episodes
2013 Gabriel Iglesias: Aloha Fluffy Himself Stand-up special
Key & Peele Himself Episode: "Joke Stealing"
2014 Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals Professor Perez Voice; television special
Gabriel Iglesias Presents Rick Gutierrez: I'm Not Mad. I'm Just a Parent Himself Television special
2014–2015 Cristela Alberto 13 episodes
2015–2017 Fluffy's Food Adventures Himself (host) 20 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer
2016 Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade Cholly Bear Voice; television special
Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry For What I Said While I Was Hungry Himself Stand-up special
2017 Narcos Dominican Gangster Episode: "The Cali KGB"
2017–2019 Funny You Should Ask Himself 35 episodes
2018 Modern Family Jorge Episode: "Daddy Issues"
2019 Gabriel Iglesias: One Show Fits All Himself Stand-up special
2019–2020 Mr. Iglesias Gabe Iglesias 21 episodes; also executive producer
2020 Unleashed Himself (host) 10 episodes; also executive producer
2021 Ridiculousness Himself (guest) Episode: "Gabriel Iglesias"
Monsters at Work Gary Voice; 2 episodes
Hell's Kitchen Himself Chef's table guest diner in the blue kitchen; Episode: "More Than a Sticky Situation"
Maya and the Three Picchu Voice; 4 episodes
2022 Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy Himself Stand-up special [29]
StoryBots: Answer Time Mr. Karate Guy Episode: "Dizzy"
2023 The Santa Clauses Kris Kringle Amusment Park Owner
Barmageddon Himself Episode: "Gabriel Iglesias vs. Jelly Roll"

Discography

References

  1. ^ "The World's Highest-Paid Comedians Of 2018". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Iglesias, Gabriel (December 19, 2016). "Gabriel Jesus Iglesias. Yeah my fam was pretty religious". Twitter. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Ushe, Naledi (July 15, 2021). "Comedian Gabriel Iglesias Cancels Show After Testing Positive for COVID, Says He Feels 'Pretty Good'". People. Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Bio" Archived April 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. fluffyguy.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. ^ "Gabriel Iglesias". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Gabriel Iglesias takes the stage at The Show for three days" Archived March 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Desert Entertainer.
  7. ^ a b c d e Duck, Allison (July 23, 2009). "Gabriel Iglesias: Fabulously Fluffy" Archived September 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Las Vegas Weekly
  8. ^ Feldberg, Sarah (July 23, 2009). "A very early morning in the life of Gabriel Iglesias". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  9. ^ "NBC's 'Last Comic Standing 4' eliminates three, reveals Top 5 finalists". Reality TV World. July 12, 2006. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Waits, Anne (December 11, 2013). "Comedian Gabriel Iglesias ready to bring on the laughs". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  11. ^ Bickel, Britt (January 24, 2014). "Gabriel Iglesias On His New Animated Movie 'The Nut Job'". Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  12. ^ Rivera, Zayda (January 16, 2014). "Gabriel Iglesias is a fluffy furry friend in 'The Nut Job'". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  13. ^ Iglesias, Gabriel (September 30, 2015). "Fluffy Breaks Even" Premieres Tomorrow, October 1st on FuseTV!. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  14. ^ Pena, Jessica (January 6, 2017). "Fluffy Breaks Even: Season Three Ordered by Fuse, Show Title Changed". TVSeriesFinale. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  15. ^ McCarthy, Sean (October 18, 2022). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy' On Netflix, Swinging For The Fences At Dodger Stadium". Decider (website)Decider. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  16. ^ King, Scott ( October 6, 2011). "The Laughspin interview with Gabriel Iglesias" Archived October 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Laughspin.
  17. ^ Benitt, Michael (November 8, 2019). "7 Funniest Latino Comedians You Should Stream Now". Latin Post. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  18. ^ Garasa, Cesaro (January 13, 2016). "Gabriel Iglesias hits stage - and Bakersfield restaurants". The Bakersfield Californian. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2022 – via Bakersfield.com.
  19. ^ Hinojosa, Alex (February 10, 2012). "Comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias gets key to the city". El Paso Times.
  20. ^ "Gabriel Iglesias". Last Comic Standing. NBC. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  21. ^ a b Strohm, Emily (June 17, 2020). "Netflix Star Gabriel Iglesias on Why He Took a Break from Comedy: 'I Needed an Emotional Rebuild'". People. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (January 15, 2018). "After Battle with Alcohol & Depression, Comedian Gabriel Iglesias is Back with New Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  23. ^ Iglesias, Gabriel (July 15, 2021). "Important announcement I DON'T want to make on my bday ☹️ #gabrieliglesias #COVID19". Facebook. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  24. ^ Deanne, Derrick (November 15, 2013). "Go Nuts for New 'Nut Job' Poster, Trailer Coming Monday" Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Movies.com.
  25. ^ "Jaime Pressly, Two Others Enter Wayans' A Haunted House 2". ComingSoon.net. August 24, 2013. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "Open Road Acquires Gabriel Iglesias Comedy Concert Pic" Archived June 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Deadline Hollywood. February 13, 2014.
  27. ^ Hopewell, John (May 20, 2014). "'El Americano 3D' Kicks Off Pre-Sales at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety (magazine). Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  28. ^ Amaya, Mayra (April 30, 2014). "'El Americano': The Animated Film You Haven't Heard of… Yet". Rotoscopers. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  29. ^ Petski, Denise (February 24, 2022). "'Hungry': Gabriel Iglesias & Ryan McPartlin Join NBC Comedy Pilot, James Burrows To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.

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