Argentine actor Antonio Gasalla, a brilliant, radiant, and influential figure across comedy, theatre, cinema and television, has died at the age of 84.
Gasalla, the star of classic 1985 film Esperando la carroza, died Tuesday at the Sanatorio Otamendi in Buenos Aires. He had recently been discharged from the institution after 10 days of hospitalisation with severe pneumonia.
Gasalla's health had deteriorated in recent years. In 2020, he had been diagnosed with senile dementia. The star's brother said last week that Antonio's health had worsened and that he could not walk.
His passing was announced by theatre entrepreneur Carlos Rottemberg, producer of many of his shows and a friend of the artist. “News of Antonio Gasalla's death closes a page of humour in our country. Our condolences to his brother Carlos and family," he wrote on social media.
Tributes flooded in for the star. In a statement, the Asociación Argentina de Actores described him as "an undisputed icon of humour and creator of characters that are part of Argentina’s popular culture."
Gasalla's death will have a profound impact on the domestic entertainment world, where his legacy as a comedian and creator of unforgettable characters left a lasting mark on generations of people.
Across an extensive career in theatre, cinema, and television, he was first and foremost a keen observer of the Argentine idiosyncrasy.
An actor, producer, director and writer of sharp-witted monologues that portrayed the average person with grotesque and riotous humour, Gasalla brought larger-than-life characters to stage and screen.
For example, in Esperando la carroza, he crossdressed to bring to life grandmother 'Mamá Cora,' a riotous presence that would go on to become one of the most beloved and popular characters of his vast repertoire.
Emerging from the alternative theatre scene in the 1960s, Gasalla initially delivered sharp-edged humour full of sarcasm, which earned him success and public acclaim for his performances in major productions.
He also brought more than 30 characters to the small screen, including 'Flora,' an authoritarian civil servant; 'Inesita,' a vain high-society lady obsessed with plastic surgery; and 'Soledad Dolores Solari', a naïve, insecure, and self-conscious young woman.
Born in 1941 in Buenos Aires, he abandoned his dentistry studies to devote himself to acting. He trained at the Conservatorio de Arte Dramático de Buenos Aires, before dedicating his entire life to comedy.
By the 1980s, he had established himself on television, with hugely popular shows such as El palacio de la risa, Gasalla en la tele, and Gasalla en Libertad, which broke ratings records.
In later years, he again found fame with 'La Abuela,' a renamed version of 'Mamá Cora' (for legal reasons) that appeared in several seasons of the Susana programme hosted by popular actress and presenter Susana Giménez.
Recognised by the public and by his colleagues, Gasalla won his first Martín Fierro award in 1989 and took home the Gold statuette in 1995.
His final stage appearance was cut short in 2020 when he had to withdraw from a play he was performing in Mar del Plata due to health issues.
In 2023, he was honoured with the Martín Fierro Lifetime Achievement award, but his health prevented him from attending the ceremony.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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