Ángel Salazar
Cuban-American comedian and actor (1956–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early life
Salazar was born in Cuba in 1956. He left the country as a teenager, swimming to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and eventually settling in New York City.[2]
Career
Salazar first began performing stand-up comedy when he was eighteen, debuting his "check it out" line in his first open-mic appearance, and soon went on to acting.[2] In his most famous role, he played Chi Chi in Scarface (1983); his other film credits included Punchline (1988) and Carlito's Way (1993).[2][3] Salazar also appeared on Last Comic Standing and many HBO Comedy specials. His last film he was shooting was The Brooklyn Premiere aka "ScarFace Resurrection" by Brooklyn-born director Eric Spade Rivas, which had him reunite in scenes with Steven Bauer (Manolo from Scarface) for one more go as partners in crime. He continued to do stand-up throughout his life, with his last performance at the Reno, Nevada, location of the Laugh Factory in July 2024.[2]
Personal life and death
Salazar divided his time between Florida and New York City. On August 11, 2024, he died while staying at a friend's residence in Brooklyn. He was 68 and had an enlarged heart.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Boulevard Nights | 11th Street Gang | |
| Walk Proud | Angel | ||
| 1980 | Where the Buffalo Roam | Waiter | |
| 1982 | A Stranger Is Watching | Dude at Phone Booth | |
| 1983 | Scarface | 'Chi-Chi' | |
| 1984 | The Wild Life | Benny | |
| 1985 | Sylvester | Tommy John | |
| 1988 | Hot to Trot | 'Snake' | |
| Punchline | Rico | ||
| 1990 | Maniac Cop 2 | Traffic Officer | |
| 1993 | Carlito's Way | Walberto | |
| 2003 | Harlem Blues | Trainer | Video |
| Vote for Me | Machito | ||
| 2005 | Rose Woes and Joe's | Hector | |
| 2007 | Made in Brooklyn | Sergio | |
| 2009 | Engaging | Angel | |
| Trust Me | Louis | Short | |
| 2010 | Crumble | S&M Partygoer | Short |
| 2011 | The Last Gamble | Angel | |
| 2012 | Da Pinche Code | Rocco | |
| Ante' | Jenti | ||
| Saved by the Pole | Big Daddy Paco | Short | |
| 2015 | Laugh Killer Laugh | 'Cricket' | |
| Vamp Bikers Dos | Arestus | ||
| 2016 | Take it Back | Ceasar | |
| Vamp Bikers Tres | Priest | ||
| 2017 | Un Delincuente en Nueva York | Jerry | |
| The Streetz' | Freddie | ||
| Tatalia | Janitor | ||
| 2018 | Make America Great Again | Rogelio Yola | |
| 2019 | Counterpunch | Neighborhood Man | |
| Japanese Borscht | El Rico | ||
| 2020 | For NYC | Himself | Short |
| The Streetz 2' | Freddie | ||
| 2021 | Duke of New York in New Ghost City | Ron King | |
| Night Rapper' | Lion Heart | ||
| 2022 | The Black Caeser | Nino Diamond | |
| 2023 | The Gilbert Diaries: The Movie | Cha Chi | |
| 2024 | The Brooklyn Premiere | Chi Chi 2024 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Heart of the City | Sparrow | Episode: "Cezanne, and Other Dreams" |
| 1992 | Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Episode #5.23" |
| 2014 | Screen Machines | Himself | Episode: "Scarface Cadillac" |
| 2017 | SacTown Underground | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.11" |
Documentary
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | The Latin Legends of Comedy |
Music video
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "I'm Not a Player" | Big Pun |