Guillermo Francella
Encyclopedia
Guillermo Francella is an Argentine actor
and comedian
. Apart from being a television performer, he also has had a long theatrical and film career.
, Francella made his television debut in 1984, participating in Historia de un Trepador (A Golddigger's Story). In 1985, he made his first feature film, El Telo y la Tele (Telo and Tele). He also participated in the television series, El Infiel (The Cheating Man) as Felipe during that year. 1986 was a very busy year for Francella: he filmed three movies, including Camarero Nocturno en Mar del Plata
(Nightshift Steward at Mar Del Plata) and Las Colegialas (College Girls), as well as one television series, named El Lobo (The Wolf).
Francella's television and movie acting career continued on with movies as Los Pilotos más Locos del Mundo (The World's Craziest Pilots), Paraíso Relax (Relax Paradise, released as Casa de Masajes in Argentina) and Bañeros II:La Playa Loca (Beach Bums II:Crazy Beach); as well as television series like De Carne Somos (We are Made of Flesh) and La Familia Benvenutto. The aforementioned works were among Francella's acting experiences during the late 1980s.
In 1989, Francella participated in one of his biggest hits to date, Los Exterminaitors, a movie that offered a satirical look at action movies such as Terminator. Francella's next project was a sequel to that film. Los Exterminaitors II, filmed in 1990, was Francella's first acting job of the 1990s. In 1990, he also played a character whose name could be considered a pun on his ("Francachella") in the Brigada Cola (Last Brigade), a comic television series.
Two more sequels to Los Exterminaitors followed, and then Francella took some time off from acting on screen.
When he returned to act in front of the cameras, international interest in his shows and movies had grown, and his first work in three years, 1997's Naranja y Media, was released in various English-speaking
countries, under the name of My Better Halves.
His next movie, 1998's Un Argentino en New York
, was filmed in Spain
and the United States
. It was also a major Argentine cinema
hit. In 2000, he participated in one of Telefe's most viewed shows, Papá es un Ídolo, a show that would also reach English-speaking countries under the name of Daddy is my Idol.
Francella began acting in 2001 in what perhaps may be, his career's defining work: the Telefe
series Poné a Francella (Put on Francella), a comedy show which he hosts and where he participates in comic sketches. As of 2004, the series was being televised for the third year in a row; in Latin America
, for a television series (not including telenovela
s) to last longer than one year, it has to be considered a major hit. Poné a Francella reached the United States by DirecTV
satellite
transmissions.
Cuba
n president Fidel Castro
, upon learning that the 2003 movie, Un Día en el Paraíso (A Day in Paradise) was to include Francella, gave the producers full permission to film the movie in Cuba. Francella played two characters in that movie, Reynaldo and Roy. He returned to slapstick comedy in 2005 with Papá Se Volvió Loco (Daddy's Gone Mad!), and in the theatre with his local production of Young Frankenstein
.
In 2005 he acted on a TV success, Casados con hijos, a local remake of Married... with Children
, playing the role of Pepe Argento, that was a hit in Argentina.
He has of latest garnered critical acclaim due to his performance in Academy Award's winner for best foreign language film El secreto de sus ojos
(2009). The film marks both his first dramatic role - in a drastic departure from his established TV figure - and his first collaboration with director Juan José Campanella. His most recent film is Los Marziano
. As of 2011, he is airing El hombre de tu vida, also directed by Campanella.
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
and comedian
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Apart from being a television performer, he also has had a long theatrical and film career.
Life and work
Born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Francella made his television debut in 1984, participating in Historia de un Trepador (A Golddigger's Story). In 1985, he made his first feature film, El Telo y la Tele (Telo and Tele). He also participated in the television series, El Infiel (The Cheating Man) as Felipe during that year. 1986 was a very busy year for Francella: he filmed three movies, including Camarero Nocturno en Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
(Nightshift Steward at Mar Del Plata) and Las Colegialas (College Girls), as well as one television series, named El Lobo (The Wolf).
Francella's television and movie acting career continued on with movies as Los Pilotos más Locos del Mundo (The World's Craziest Pilots), Paraíso Relax (Relax Paradise, released as Casa de Masajes in Argentina) and Bañeros II:La Playa Loca (Beach Bums II:Crazy Beach); as well as television series like De Carne Somos (We are Made of Flesh) and La Familia Benvenutto. The aforementioned works were among Francella's acting experiences during the late 1980s.
In 1989, Francella participated in one of his biggest hits to date, Los Exterminaitors, a movie that offered a satirical look at action movies such as Terminator. Francella's next project was a sequel to that film. Los Exterminaitors II, filmed in 1990, was Francella's first acting job of the 1990s. In 1990, he also played a character whose name could be considered a pun on his ("Francachella") in the Brigada Cola (Last Brigade), a comic television series.
Two more sequels to Los Exterminaitors followed, and then Francella took some time off from acting on screen.
When he returned to act in front of the cameras, international interest in his shows and movies had grown, and his first work in three years, 1997's Naranja y Media, was released in various English-speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
countries, under the name of My Better Halves.
His next movie, 1998's Un Argentino en New York
Un Argentino en New York
-Track listing:# "Que Si, Que Si" - Performed by Natalia Oreiro# "Caminos" - Performed by Natalia Oreiro# "Welcome To New York"...
, was filmed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was also a major Argentine cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
hit. In 2000, he participated in one of Telefe's most viewed shows, Papá es un Ídolo, a show that would also reach English-speaking countries under the name of Daddy is my Idol.
Francella began acting in 2001 in what perhaps may be, his career's defining work: the Telefe
Telefe
Televisión Federal S.A., best known as Telefe and later as TLF, is an Argentine television network. Formerly known as Canal Once , a state-run network, it was privatised and established as Telefe in 1989, when and News Corporation took over the channel...
series Poné a Francella (Put on Francella), a comedy show which he hosts and where he participates in comic sketches. As of 2004, the series was being televised for the third year in a row; in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, for a television series (not including telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s) to last longer than one year, it has to be considered a major hit. Poné a Francella reached the United States by DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
transmissions.
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n president Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, upon learning that the 2003 movie, Un Día en el Paraíso (A Day in Paradise) was to include Francella, gave the producers full permission to film the movie in Cuba. Francella played two characters in that movie, Reynaldo and Roy. He returned to slapstick comedy in 2005 with Papá Se Volvió Loco (Daddy's Gone Mad!), and in the theatre with his local production of Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein (musical)
Young Frankenstein, officially known as The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, is a musical with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name written by Brooks and Gene Wilder and directed by Brooks, who has...
.
In 2005 he acted on a TV success, Casados con hijos, a local remake of Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
, playing the role of Pepe Argento, that was a hit in Argentina.
He has of latest garnered critical acclaim due to his performance in Academy Award's winner for best foreign language film El secreto de sus ojos
El secreto de sus ojos
The Secret in Their Eyes is a 2009 Argentine crime thriller, directed by Juan José Campanella, based on Eduardo Sacheri's novel La Pregunta de Sus Ojos...
(2009). The film marks both his first dramatic role - in a drastic departure from his established TV figure - and his first collaboration with director Juan José Campanella. His most recent film is Los Marziano
Los Marziano
Los Marziano is a 2010 Argentine film about a reunion between two brothers after a long period of estrangement. Filming began on February 15, 2010....
. As of 2011, he is airing El hombre de tu vida, also directed by Campanella.