Gaspar Henaine

Gaspar Henaine was a Mexican comedian, actor, singer, film producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for partnering with Marco Antonio Campos as the double act Viruta and Capulina and for his subsequent solo career. He was later given the nickname "El Rey del Humorismo Blanco" (The King of White Humor), due to his clean, innocent style of comedy. He started his musical career as one of the vocalists of the quartet Los Excéntricos del Ritmo. Later, in 1946, he formed part of the trio Los Trincas. The trio was hugely successful and toured Mexico and some cities of the United States. In 1951, he started filming with Viruta. The two comedians made 26 films. At first they imitated the comedy style of Laurel and Hardy, thanks to their physical resemblance to them. With time they developed their own characteristic comedy style. The main difference with Laurel and Hardy is that Viruta, the thin character, was also the intelligent and aggressive one, while Capulina, the portly character, was the fool and cowardly one. In the peak of their popularity they had a television program called Cómicos y canciones, where they alternated with other comedians and singers. Some of their sketches were written by a then unknown Roberto Gomez Bolaños who later gained legendary fame as comedian Chespirito. Many rumors surfaced when the two co-workers stopped making films together; some suggested that Viruta felt underpaid, but Capulina attributed the separation to a feud between the two caused by lack of film jobs towards the end of their working relationship. Although he admitted that both he and Viruta felt some animosity against each other during their last six films together, Capulina also felt deep sorrow when Viruta died. A sufferer of three previous heart attacks, Viruta died after his fourth heart attack. Capulina made a total of 84 movies, 58 of them after separating from Viruta. He also had a successful career in television, where he starred in several shows, such as El show de Capulina, El mundo de Capulina, and Las aventuras de Capulina. He also appeared in some theater plays and recorded some albums as a singer. He was known for his trademark mustache, gap-toothed smile, and quivering voice. He often played a naive and cowardly character who always managed to overcome the obstacles with luck and wit. He died of pneumonia at the age of 84. He is considered one of the most beloved and influential comedians in Mexican history.