Actor and comedian Ángel Salazar, who played Chi Chi in the successful 1983 gangster film Scarfacehas died. He was 68.
A representative of Salazar, Ann Wingsong, said TMZ that the actor “died in his sleep” at his friend’s house in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, August 11. A friend went to check on Salazar on Sunday morning and found his body in his bed.
An official cause of death has not yet been announced, but Wingsong noted that Salazar suffered from several heart problems.
Salazar was born on March 2, 1956 and began his film career with small roles in films such as Boulevard Nights, Walk Proud, Where the Buffalo Roam And A stranger observesHis first major role came in 1983 when he landed the role of Chi Chi, the sidekick of Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in the groundbreaking gangster film Scarface.
From there, the Cuban-American actor appeared in films such as 1984 The wild life1985s New Year’s Eve1988s Punchlineand 1993 Carlito’s Way. He also appeared in various television series, including Heart of the City, On Your Own, The New $treetz Series, Jersey Mafia ChroniclesAnd In vibrant color.
In addition to his work as an actor, Salazar also performed as a stand-up comedian and coined the slogan “Sheck it out!”. He appeared in Showtime at the Apollo and had regular appearances in the NBC series Latest comic status.
In recent weeks he has performed as a stand-up comedian; his last known appearance was from August 1 to 4 at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno.
Following the news of Salazar’s death, several of his friends and colleagues expressed their condolences on social media.
“RIP Angel Salazar. I saw him absolutely stunning one night at the Icehouse. He was an absolute stunner for 90 minutes after I ate it. I would have loved to blame my performance on the audience but Angel made that impossible,” wrote comedian Auggie Smith.
Comedian Adam Hunter added: “Rest in peace my friend Angel Salazar. We worked together a few months ago. Comedy legend.”
Meanwhile, comedian April Brucker said: “I was lucky enough to work with Angel Salazar during one of the darkest times in my life as a comedian and as a person. It was a weekend of growing pains on and off stage, but he was kind enough to give me moral support. He was incredible to watch and inspired a lot of what I do now in my live show.”
