Gabriel Iglesias | |
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 Iglesias in 2025 | |
| Born | Gabriel Jesús Iglesias (1976-07-15)July 15, 1976 (age 49) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Fluffy |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Comedy career | |
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| Website | fluffyguy |
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Gabriel Jesús Iglesias (born July 15, 1976), nicknamedFluffy, is an Americanstand-up comedian and actor. He has produced a number of stand-up specials for television outlets such asComedy Central andNetflix, includingI'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy, andHot and Fluffy. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous live-action and animated TV shows and films, including starring in the sitcomMr. Iglesias on Netflix, playing Tobias in the 2012 movieMagic Mike andits 2015 sequel, and providing the voice ofSpeedy Gonzales inSpace Jam: A New Legacy. He was also the host of the showsStand Up Revolution on Comedy Central andFluffy's Food Adventures onFuse.
In 2018, Iglesias was one of the top 10 highest paid comedians in the world.[1]
Iglesias was born July 15, 1976,[2] in San Diego, California,[3] to Esther P. Mendez and Jesús Iglesias.[4] His mother Esther raised him as a single mother.[5] He is of Mexican heritage. He lived inRiverside,Corona,Santa Ana,Baldwin Park, andCompton before settling inSection 8 low-income housing inLong Beach, where Iglesias spent most of his youth.[3][5]
Iglesias worked for a cell phone company in Los Angeles and in 1997 went into comedy full-time, though it resulted in him being evicted from his home and losing his car.[5][6]
In 2000, Iglesias appeared in the sixth season of theNickelodeonsketch comedy seriesAll That, co-starring withAmanda Bynes andNick Cannon.[6]
Iglesias was a contestant on thefourth season of reality TV seriesLast Comic Standing in 2006, surviving elimination to become one of the final eight comics. He was disqualified at that point for having used a smuggledBlackBerry to communicate with family and friends, which violated the rules of the show.[6][7]
In 2007, Iglesias voiced an entire Mexican family in "Padre de Familia", asixth season episode of theFox TV animated comedyFamily Guy. That same year, he began voicing a recurring set of identical twin characters onThe Emperor's New School, aDisney animated series that he describes as his favorite voice work.[6]
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In 2011, Comedy Central debutedGabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution, a stand-up series that Iglesias produced and hosted, running for three seasons before ending in 2014.
Iglesias hosted/co-hosted six episodes ofEquals Three, and played a strip club DJ and drug dealer in the 2012 filmMagic Mike.
Iglesias voiced Ned and Zed in the 2013DisneyToon Studios film,Planes.[8] He also voiced characters in the animated filmsThe Nut Job (2014)[9][10] andEl Americano: The Movie (2016).[8]
Iglesias is featured in the reality seriesFluffy Breaks Even, which premiered onFuse on October 1, 2015.[11] The show was renamedFluffy's Food Adventures upon its third season renewal in January 2017.[12] From 2019 to 2020, he played Gabe Iglesias, inMr. Iglesias, aNetflix original series about a teacher atWoodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. In 2021, he voiced the character ofSpeedy Gonzales in the filmSpace Jam: A New Legacy and Picchu inMaya and the Three.
In 2022, Iglesias was the first comedian to sell outDodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The concert was released to Netflix on October 18, 2022, asStadium Fluffy.[13]
In 2025, Iglesias performed inSaudi Arabia'sRiyadh Comedy Festival, an event taking place from September 26th to October 9th.[14][15] Iglesias performed on October 1st, the day before the seventh anniversary ofthe assassination ofJamal Khashoggi. Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher atHuman Rights Watch, said in a statement that the Saudi government is using the comedy festival towhitewash itshuman rights abuses.[16][17] Iglesias has performed in the region before, having spoken about performing in Saudi Arabia during his 2013 set "Aloha Fluffy: Live from Hawaii."[18][19]
Iglesias' comedy influences arePaul Rodriguez,Eddie Murphy,Robin Williams, andBill Cosby.[20] He is known for his trademarkHawaiian shirts.[21]
Iglesias often references his weight in his comedy. One of his most well-known sayings is "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", which he proves by explaining the different "levels" of fatness. The five original levels, according to Iglesias, are "Big", "Healthy", "Husky", "Fluffy", and "DAMN!". A sixth level ("Oh, hell no!") was added in 2009, following its perceived discovery inLas Cruces.[22]
Regarding how novice comedians can widen their fan base, Iglesias stated in a January 2016 interview:[23]
In the beginning, work as clean as you possibly can and stay away from topics that could be controversial or offensive. For example, don't talk about politics, don't talk about religion. Stay away from sports. Talk about things that are relatable to everyone. The more relatability you have, the bigger the fan base you're going to have.
On February 10, 2012, Iglesias was presented with several awards by the city ofEl Paso, Texas, including thekey to the city and the Beacon of H.O.P.E Award from the nonprofit organizationOperation H.O.P.E.[24] On March 12, 2025, Iglesias had his handprints and signature cemented atGrauman's Chinese Theater.[25]
Since 2010, Iglesias has lived inWhittier, California.[26] He was in a long-term relationship with Claudia Valdez, with whom he has a self-proclaimedstepson named Frankie whom he calls his son.[27][28] According to a June 2020People article, he and Valdez divorced in 2017, which led him to cancel some performances, and toquit drinking for two years. Despite the breakup, he still maintains a close relationship with Frankie, whom he helped raise.[27]
In a 2024 interview withNeal Brennan, Iglesias stated that he did not grow up with a specific religion despite his family being originallyRoman Catholic, since his mother heldsyncretist beliefs regarding religion—for example displayingcrucifixes andimages of the Virgin Mary alongsideBuddha andGanesh statues and wearing aStar of David necklace. He remained uncatechized and mostly uninvolved in organized religion during his upbringing, occasionally going to church on a friend's invite but ultimately shaping his moral framework based on his mother's guidance and personal experiences.[29]
InThe Fluffy Movie, Iglesias describes how at his heaviest, which he states was 445 pounds (202 kilograms), he was diagnosed withtype 2 diabetes, and with his blood sugar spiking to over 300 mg/dl (16.6 mmol/L) regularly, was given two years to live by his doctor. He said the shock of being told this had prompted him to reevaluate how he took care of himself and explained that he decided to lose weight to ensure his continued presence in the lives of his family. Iglesias described the struggle to incorporate a healthier lifestyle, relating how he was told by a specialist that his heavy touring schedule precluded him from being a candidate forbariatric surgery, and how he instead resorted toweight-lifting,Diamond Dallas Page Yoga, and ahigh-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which helped him shed over 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Iglesias has also struggled with depression and alcoholism, which he attributes partly toburnout from his heavy touring schedule.[28]
On July 15, 2021, his 45th birthday, Iglesias tested positive forCOVID-19, and canceled his remaining shows at theTobin Center for the Performing Arts as well as the taping of his upcoming comedy special.[30][2]
| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Entre vivos y plebeyos | Piarta | Short film |
| 2003 | El Matador | Gabe | |
| 2004 | Days of Santiago | Coquero | |
| 2006 | The Surfer King | Aokee | |
| 2012 | Magic Mike | Tobias | |
| 2013 | Planes | Ned and Zed | Voice |
| 2014 | The Nut Job | Jimmy | Voice[31] |
| A Haunted House 2 | Miguel | [32] | |
| The Fluffy Movie | Himself | comedy film[33] | |
| The Book of Life | Pepe Rodríguez | Voice | |
| 2015 | Magic Mike XXL | Tobias | |
| 2016 | Norm of the North | Pablo and Stan | Voice |
| El Americano: The Movie | García | Voice[34][35] | |
| 2017 | Smurfs: The Lost Village | Jokey Smurf | Voice |
| The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature | Jimmy | Voice | |
| Coco | Clerk | Voice | |
| The Star | Rufus | Voice | |
| Ferdinand | Cuatro | Voice | |
| 2018 | Show Dogs | Sprinkles | Voice |
| 2019 | UglyDolls | Babo | Voice |
| 2021 | Space Jam: A New Legacy | Speedy Gonzales | Voice |
| 2022 | Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank | Chuck | Voice |
| 2023 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever | Officer Vasquez | Voice |
| 2025 | Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado | Boots | Voice[36] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | All That | Himself / various characters | 13 episodes |
| 2002 | My Wife and Kids | Nabu | Episode: "Table for Too Many" |
| 2002–2003 | The USO Comedy Tour | Himself | Stand-up special; Episode unknown |
| 2003 | Comedy Central Presents | Himself | Stand-up special; season 7, episode 1 |
| 2006 | Last Comic Standing | Himself (contestant) | 4 episodes |
| 2006–2008 | The Emperor's New School | Additional voice | Voice; 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy | Himself | Stand-up special |
| Family Guy | Mexican No. 5 | Voice; episode: "Padre de Familia" | |
| 2009 | Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 2011–2014 | Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution | Himself (host) | 19 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer |
| 2012 | The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange | Chicken / Krazy Klaus / Mr. Cash / Smash / Mr. Juicy Fun | Voice; 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Gabriel Iglesias: Aloha Fluffy | Himself | Stand-up special |
| Key & Peele | Himself | Episode: "Joke Stealing" | |
| 2014 | Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals | Professor Perez | Voice; television special |
| Gabriel Iglesias Presents Rick Gutierrez: I'm Not Mad. I'm Just a Parent | Himself | Television special | |
| 2014–2015 | Cristela | Alberto | 13 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Fluffy's Food Adventures | Himself (host) | 20 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer |
| 2016 | Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade | Cholly Bear | Voice; television special |
| Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry For What I Said While I Was Hungry | Himself | Stand-up special | |
| 2017 | Narcos | Dominican Gangster | Episode: "The Cali KGB" |
| 2017–2019 | Funny You Should Ask | Himself | 35 episodes |
| 2018 | Modern Family | Jorge | Episode: "Daddy Issues" |
| 2019 | Gabriel Iglesias: One Show Fits All | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 2019–2020 | Mr. Iglesias | Gabe Iglesias | 21 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2020 | Unleashed | Himself (host) | 10 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2021 | Ridiculousness | Himself (guest) | Episode: "Gabriel Iglesias" |
| Monsters at Work | Gary | Voice; 2 episodes | |
| Hell's Kitchen | Himself | Chef's table guest diner in the blue kitchen; Episode: "More Than a Sticky Situation" | |
| Maya and the Three | Picchu | Voice; 4 episodes | |
| 2022 | Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy | Himself | Stand-up special[37] |
| StoryBots: Answer Time | Mr. Karate Guy | Episode: "Dizzy" | |
| 2023 | The Santa Clauses | Kris Kringle | Main cast; season 2 |
| Barmageddon | Himself | Episode: "Gabriel Iglesias vs.Jelly Roll" | |
| 2024 | WWE Rivals | Himself (host) | Season 4 |
| 2024 | Pupstruction | Felipe | Voice; episode: "The Friendliest Frog" |
| 2024–2025 | Primos | Tio Gustavo | Voice; recurring role |
| 2024–present | Everybody Still Hates Chris | Romeo (voice) | Voice; Episode: "Everybody Still Hates Drew's Brother" |
| 2024 | American Dad! | Vicente (voice) | Voice; Episode: "Touch the Sun: A Chimborazo Adventure" |
| 2025 | Gabriel Iglesias: Legend of Fluffy | Himself | Stand-up special[38] |
| 2025 | Krapopolis | Pandosia | Voice; episode: "Mazed and Kingfused" |
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