Marcelo Gastaldi

Marcelo Gastaldi Júnior (October 20, 1944 – August 3, 1995) was a Brazilian actor, comedian, singer, composer, and voice actor. He is best known as the Brazilian Portuguese dub voice of El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado. He was a member of the musical group Os Iguais and founded the Maga dubbing cooperative, which operated within the TVS-SBT studios.

Career

Gastaldi acted in several television series during the 1960s and 1970s, including Regina e o Dragão de Ouro. His early television work included roles in the telenovelas Eu Amo Esse Homem (1964) on TV Paulista, Turbilhão on RecordTV, Tchan, a Grande Sacada on Rede Tupi, and Sombras do Passado (Shadows of the Past) on SBT in 1983. Gastaldi also produced and starred in Feroz e Mau-Mau (Fierce and Mau-Mau), a series inspired by El Chavo del Ocho featuring several of the show's voice actors, in which he played the character Mau-Mau.

Gastaldi also served as the presenter of Madureza, a supplementary education program produced by TV Cultura in São Paulo during the 1970s. The program featured dramatized math lessons in which he performed alongside Carlos Zara. Other actors who appeared included Luís Carlos Arutin, Lutero Luiz, Luciano Ramos, Rodolfo Mayer, and Branca Ribeiro.

Gastaldi was a singer with Os Iguais, a musical group associated with the Jovem Guarda movement, alongside Mário Lúcio de Freitas, Antônio Marcos, and Apollo Mori. He also performed songs in some of his voice acting roles.

Death

Gastaldi died on August 3, 1995, at the age of 50. Initial reports stated that he lost consciousness while in traffic due to a weakened immune system, leading to unconfirmed speculation that he had been struck by a vehicle. However, his death certificate stated that he died of respiratory failure caused by pneumonia, which in turn resulted from immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and diabetes.

After his death, Gastaldi's family pursued legal action over the rights to his dubbing work, particularly his performances in El Chavo del Ocho. In 2011, SBT was ordered to compensate Gastaldi's heirs with R$150,000 in compensation for using his dubbing in El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado for years without paying royalties.