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Cheech Marin

Cheech MarinAKA Richard Anthony Marin

Born: 13-Jul-1946
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor, Comic

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: The stoned half of Cheech and Chong

Richard "Cheech" Marin is best known as the shorter, rounder half of the dope-addled comedy duo Cheech & Chong. His taller, thinner partner was Tommy Chong. "Cheech" is short for chicharron, a spicy fried pigskin snack that Marin loved as a kid. Though he sang of being "Born in East L.A.", he was actually born in South Central Los Angeles, where his father was a policeman. Marin was a counterculture cut-up who went to college in the 1960s to sidestep the draft, then moved to Canada to escape it. There he met Chong at a strip club in Vancouver, B.C.

They became fast friends, and wrote and performed "modern day burlesque" together, evolving into the stoned comedy act that made them famous. Their 1971 comedy album was beloved by pot-smoking high school and college kids everywhere, and they eventually wrote and starred in such reefer-themed motion pictures as Up In Smoke, Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, and Still Smokin'. While remaining on good terms, Cheech & Chong stopped performing together in 1985.

Sans Chong, Marin wrote, directed, and starred in the deportation comedy Born In East L.A. with Paul Rodriguez and Daniel Stern. He then mellowed into a character actor, playing a cop on Nash Bridges with Don Johnson, and chasing Tyne Daly on Judging Amy. He has appeared in supporting roles in films from Spy Kids to Christmas with the Kranks. He also voiced an evil hyena in Disney's The Lion King.

For all the endless warnings from governmental authorities that marijuana will rot your mind, Marin still has his wits about him. In 1992, he won the first celebrity tournament on Jeopardy, and in his spare time, he volunteers for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and serves on the Inner City Arts Council. He is also a collector of Hispanic art, and markets his own hot sauce. In 2004, while Chong was imprisoned for selling bongs, Marin accepted an award on Chong's behalf from Comedy Central, for Best Comedian Behind Bars. He then led the crowd in chanting "Free Tommy Chong."

Father: Oscar Marin (LAPD officer)
Mother: Elsa Meza Marin
Sister: (3 sisters)
Wife: Darlene Morley ("Ricky Mae", m. 1-Nov-1975, div., one daughter)
Daughter: Carmen (b. 1978)
Wife: Patti Heid (m. 1-Apr-1984, div., one son, one daughter)
Son: Joey (b. 1985)
Daughter: Jasmine (b. 1992)
Wife: Natasha Rubin (pianist, m. 8-Aug-2009)
Son: Max (stepson, b. circa 1996)

    University: BA English, California State University Northridge

    Cheech and Chong
    Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity
    Grammy Best Comedy Record, Los Cochinos 1973
    Endorsement of Target 2004-05
    Mexican Ancestry
    Risk Factors: Marijuana

    TELEVISION
    Lost David Reyes (2007-09)
    Judging Amy Ignacio Messina (2004-05)
    Nash Bridges Joe Dominguez (1996-2001)
    Jeopardy! Contestant (1992)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS DIRECTOR
    Born in East L.A. (21-Aug-1987)
    Get Out of My Room (1985)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Coco (20-Oct-2017) [VOICE]
    Cars 3 (10-Jun-2017) [VOICE]
    The Book of Life (2-Oct-2014) [VOICE]
    Cars 2 (18-Jun-2011) · Ramone [VOICE]
    Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (29-Apr-2011) · Mad Hog [VOICE]
    Troubadors (Jan-2011)
    Pure Country 2: The Gift (15-Oct-2010) · Pedro
    Machete (1-Sep-2010) · Padre
    The Perfect Game (21-Mar-2009)
    Race to Witch Mountain (11-Mar-2009)
    Beverly Hills Chihuahua (25-Sep-2008) [VOICE]
    Planet Terror (21-Jun-2007)
    Grindhouse (6-Apr-2007)
    a/k/a Tommy Chong (14-Jun-2006) · Himself
    Cars (14-Mar-2006) [VOICE]
    Underclassman (2-Sep-2005)
    Christmas with the Kranks (24-Nov-2004)
    The Lion King 1� (10-Feb-2004) [VOICE]
    Good Boy! (10-Oct-2003) [VOICE]
    Once Upon a Time in Mexico (27-Aug-2003) · Belini
    Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (25-Jul-2003) · Felix Gumm
    Masked and Anonymous (22-Jan-2003) · Prospero
    Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (7-Aug-2002) · Felix Gumm
    Spy Kids (18-Mar-2001) · Felix Gumm
    Picking Up the Pieces (26-May-2000)
    Luminarias (3-May-2000)
    Paulie (17-Apr-1998)
    Tin Cup (16-Aug-1996)
    The Great White Hype (3-May-1996) · Julio Escobar
    From Dusk Till Dawn (19-Jan-1996) · Border Guard
    The Courtyard (24-Sep-1995)
    Desperado (May-1995) · Short Bartender
    Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie (Feb-1995) · Himself
    The Lion King (15-Jun-1994) [VOICE]
    A Million to Juan (15-May-1994)
    The Cisco Kid (6-Feb-1994)
    Charlie's Ghost: The Secret of Coronado (1994) · Coronado
    FernGully: The Last Rainforest (10-Apr-1992) · Stump [VOICE]
    Ring of the Musketeers (1992) · Burt Aramis
    The Shrimp on the Barbie (31-Aug-1990) · Carlos
    Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (19-May-1990)
    Far Out Man (11-May-1990) · Himself
    Rude Awakening (16-Aug-1989)
    Ghostbusters II (16-Jun-1989) · Dock Supervisor
    Troop Beverly Hills (22-Mar-1989) · Himself
    Oliver & Company (18-Nov-1988) [VOICE]
    Fatal Beauty (30-Oct-1987) · Bartender
    Born in East L.A. (21-Aug-1987)
    Echo Park (1986) · Syd
    After Hours (13-Sep-1985)
    Get Out of My Room (1985) · Himself
    Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (27-Jul-1984) · Louis Corsican
    Cannonball Run II (29-Jun-1984)
    Yellowbeard (24-Jun-1983)
    Still Smokin' (6-May-1983)
    It Came from Hollywood (29-Oct-1982) · Himself
    Things Are Tough All Over (9-Apr-1982)
    Nice Dreams (24-Jul-1981) · Himself
    Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (25-Jul-1980) · Cheech
    Up In Smoke (15-Sep-1978)

Official Website:
http://www.thecheech.com/


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