Arévalo
Francisco Rodríguez Iglesias, known professionally as Arévalo or Paco Arévalo, was a Spanish comedian and actor. Born on September 2, 1947, in Madrid, he spent his childhood in Catarroja, Valencia, and was raised there. He died on January 3, 2024, at his home in Valencia, leaving behind a career spanning several decades. He was 76 years old at the time of his death. Arévalo began performing in 1970, initially portraying a comedic bullfighter in ‘El Bombero Torero,’ a role that contributed to the origin of his nickname derived from his father's surname, who was also a comedic bullfighter. He gained prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s with jokes about individuals he referred to as 'gangosos y mariquitas,' which he sold on approximately thirty cassette tapes. His popularity significantly increased starting in 1983 when he became a regular on ‘Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez,’ appearing in every edition of ‘Un, dos, tres... La Subasta’ until 2004. He also starred in several comedic films directed by Mariano Ozores between 1983 and 1985. Throughout his career, Arévalo appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Moscow Gold (2003) and Isi & Disi: High Voltage (2006). He hosted ‘Arévalo y Cía’ on Antena 3 in 1997 and participated in the reality show 'La Granja' in 2005. From 2007 to 2009, he frequently appeared on ‘La tarde con María’ on Canal Sur. He also starred in plays such as 'Dos Mellizos' with Bertín Osborne in 2011 and collaborated on the television program ‘Sábado Deluxe’ from April 21, 2018. His humor, initially celebrated, was later described by critics as 'grotesque and stale,' leading to the phrase 'to look like an Arévalo joke' becoming a descriptor for that style of comedy.
