Beloved Mexican clown Cepillín dies at age 75

Ricardo González Gutiérrez played Cepillín for decades, appeared in multiple shows and films

A woman wipes tears during the wake of Ricardo González Gutiérrez, the legendary clown known as Cepillín, or "Little Toothbrush," at a funeral home in Tlalnepantla de Baz, the State of Mexico, Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Also a singer, TV host, and actor, the 75-year-old started his career as a dentist who painted his face so kids would not be afraid of him as he worked on their teeth. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) (Marco Ugarte, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Ricardo González Gutiérrez, the actor known for playing the beloved Mexican clown Cepillín on Latin American television, has died at the age of 75. Several media outlets reported Gutiérrez died on Monday.

His son, Ricardo González Jr., said his father had been dealing with health issues and battling spinal cancer.

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Gutiérrez was born on Feb. 7, 1946, in Monterrey, Nuevo León. He was a dentist by profession and said he started to paint his face so children would not be afraid of him.

Gutiérrez quickly became famous in Mexico after a local television interview. He went on to create songs for children’s albums, TV shows and movies as Cepillín the clown. Those shows and movies were seen in multiple Latin American countries.

His shows for children were educational and comedic. He was also a TV host and acted in movies for several decades. Gutiérrez founded a circus and toured Mexico and the United States from 1982 to 2006 while playing Cepillín.

A funeral was held on Tuesday for Cepillín in the State of Mexico.


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