Cacho de la Cruz
Cacho de la Cruz | |
|---|---|
De la Cruz in 2024 | |
| Born | Arturo de la Cruz Feliciani 8 May 1937 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | 7 November 2025 (aged 88) Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4, including Maximiliano |
Arturo de la Cruz Feliciani (8 May 1937 – 7 November 2025), better known by his stage name Cacho de la Cruz, was an Argentine-born Uruguayan television presenter, comedian and entertainer. Over a career spanning more than 45 years, he hosted several variety and comedy programs, becoming one of the most prominent figures in Uruguayan television.[1]
Early life and background
De la Cruz was born on 8 May 1937, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to an Italian mother and a Moroccan father.[2] Her father, whose surname was "De la Croix," was originally from Tangier.[3] He moved to Argentina with his twin brother, who died during the journey, and upon arrival worked as a prison guard.[4]
In his adolescence, he studied advertising design, radio, fine arts, and trombone at the Escuela Técnica Raggio. After that, he began performing in cabarets and creating characters. He later started working at the newly inaugurated Channel 7 in Argentina with producer Jaime Yankelevich, where he appeared in Las tardes de conejito. At the age of 20, he emigrated to Uruguay.[5]
Career
In 1962, he was signed by the newly established Uruguayan channel Teledoce to host the variety and sketch show El show del mediodía alongside fellow comedian Alejandro Trotta.[6] In the program, which aired for 46 years, he portrayed various characters in different sketches, including “Chichita,” a parody of Almorzando con Mirtha Legrand.[7]
Among his most iconic and enduring programs were the midday hit El Show del Mediodía and the children's program Cacho Bochinche.[8]
Personal life
In 1962, he married Hada Helena Reffino, comic actress who contributed to the creation of Cacho Bochinche.[9] The couple had three children: Daniella, Rodrigo, and Maximiliano (b. 1976). They divorced in 1990, and that same year De la Cruz married actress and television presenter Laura Martínez, with whom he had a son, Santiago (b. 2000).[10]
De la Cruz died in Montevideo on 7 November 2025, at the age of 88 from COPD and COVID-19.[11][12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–2008 | El show del mediodía | Himself / Various | |
| 1973–2010 | Cacho Bochinche | Himself / Various | |
| 2024 | ¿Quién es la máscara? | Himself/Lion King | Guest contestant |
References
- ^ "Murió Cacho de la Cruz, el músico y conductor que cautivó a generaciones y se convirtió en el "Señor Televisión"". El País (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "Cacho de la Cruz es Ciudadano Ilustre de Montevideo | Portal institucional". montevideo.gub.uy. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Cacho de la Cruz, el argentino que se convirtió en el ícono de todos los uruguayos". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Cacho de la Cruz, el argentino que se convirtió en el ícono de todos los uruguayos". Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "De 'El Show del Mediodía' hasta 'Chichita' y 'Cacho Bochinche': la trayectoria de Cacho de la Cruz a través de sus programas y personajes". Teledoce.com (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Biógrafo de Cacho de la Cruz lo recordó como "un tipo que irradiaba luz y que cuidaba a sus amigos"". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Chichita, Julio Pedemonte, El Mago: algunos de los personajes que inmortalizó Cacho de la Cruz". subrayado.com.uy (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ Cacho de la Cruz hauls over the coals (in Spanish)
- ^ "Titina Reffino, primera esposa de Cacho de la Cruz, publica libro y revela detalles de su tormentoso divorcio". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 14 December 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ "Titina Reffino y Laura Martínez, los dos grandes amores en la vida de Cacho de la Cruz". EL PAIS (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^ Con cariño y admiración: así despidieron a Cacho de la Cruz en las redes sociales (in Spanish)
- ^ "Falleció Cacho de la Cruz; llevaba varios días internado como consecuencia de una infección respiratoria". Telenoche (in Spanish). 7 November 2025. Archived from the original on 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
External links
- Cacho de la Cruz at IMDb
- Cacho de la Cruz discography at Discogs