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Cheech Marin

Cheech Marin has built a screen career that moves easily between countercultural comedy, character acting and animation. Born in South Los Angeles on July 13, 1946, Marin identifies as Chicano and has often incorporated Spanish into his work. Even his familiar nickname carries that history: “Cheech” comes from “chicharrón,” a name given to him by an uncle when he was a baby. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with an English degree in 1968, Marin moved to Canada, where he eventually met Tommy Chong. As Cheech & Chong, the pair became a successful comedy duo through albums and feature films during the 1970s and 1980s. Marin co-wrote and starred with Chong in all seven of their films, developing a comic persona that became central to his early movie career. When the duo disbanded in 1985, Marin established himself as a versatile solo performer. He starred in Born in East L.A., which also marked his directing debut, and later appeared in films including Tin Cup, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ghostbusters II and Machete. His recurring collaborations with director Robert Rodriguez extended across seven projects, including entries in the Mexico and Spy Kids trilogies and From Dusk Till Dawn. Marin’s voice work has been just as wide-ranging. He played Tito in Oliver & Company, Banzai in The Lion King and Ramone across the Cars films, bringing his recognizable comic timing to several generations of animation. On television, his substantial roles have included The Golden Palace and Nash Bridges, along with recurring appearances in Lost and Lodge 49. Actor, comedian, writer, screenwriter, director and art collector all belong on Marin’s résumé. That range helps explain the shape of his career: he began with a sharply defined comedy partnership, then kept expanding into supporting roles, television and voice performance without losing the personality that made his work distinctive.