Thousands Of Fans Gather To Honor The Memory Of Beloved Comedian Chespirito

The death of beloved Mexican comedian Chespirito, born Roberto Gómez Bolaños, has been a great loss to the entertainment world.

Chespirito, 85, died from heart failure Friday afternoon in Cancuin. His funeral was held inside the studio where he spent much of his life.

After the plane carrying Chespirito to Mexico City landed, his remains were transported to the television studio where hundreds of celebrities had gathered to pay their respects to the late actor, reports the Telegraph.

His widow Florinda Meza attended the touching memorial.

Later, thousands of fans gathered to honor the memory of the beloved actor. A coffin bearing his remains was carried into the arena while the packed crowd chanted “Chespirito! Chespirito!” Florinda Meza, his widow, who also starred in his TV shows, waved to fans. The crowd was filled with fans dressed up in costumes of Chespirito’s most beloved characters, such as El Chapulin Colorado (The Red Grasshopper, complete with antennas and armed with a yellow and red hammer), Bumblebee Man, the Spanish-speaking character he played on the animated series The Simpsons.

Before his remains were brought to the stadium, where thousands waited, his coffin was paraded through the streets of Mexico.

Bolaños was born in Mexico City on February 21, 1929. His father was an illustrator for a newspaper, who passed away when he was only 8. Bolaños studied engineering, but before he turned 22, he began write for an advertising company. He then moved on to radio, television, and script writing

His beloved TV show Chespirito ran for 25 years, and was watched by millions in 25 countries. Bolaños said that he was inspired by the works of Laurel and Hardy.

Bolaños also wrote for the theatre. Back in 1992, his play called 11 and 12, about a man who lost his genitals in an accident but wants to impregnate his wife, set a Mexican record for running 3,200 performances, reports Reuters. Bolaños’ Twitter account gained 6.6 million followers after the play opened.

“Nicknames are the most essential in life, more valuable than names,” said Bolaños when he was asked about being called Chespirito.

Back in 2005, he was interviewed by the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, and he said that he always wrote with the working class people in mind.

“There are writers who pour out words, concepts that sound really important but that basically say nothing. I always tried to be as concise as possible, all to try and reach everyone, but especially the simple people, those who needed to be reached more than anyone else,” he said.

“Mexico has lost an icon whose work has transcended generations and borders,” Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said.