Rubén Aguirre Dead At 82: 5 Roles On 'Chespirito' That Made Mexican Actor A Childhood Icon

The world is heartbroken with the passing of Rubén Aguirre, known for his remarkable character "Profesor Jirafales" in "El Chavo del 8." Although many news reports state that he died of diabetes, the Mexican actor's daughter confirmed that her father passed from complications with pneumonia Friday morning. He was 82.

The Mexican actor was hospitalized in May, but was released on June 7 to rest at home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he passed away.

Many generations grew up watching Aguirre on TV, that is why we keep his legacy alive by highlighting some of his characters on "Chespirito," a series of different shows created by the late Roberto Gómez Bolaños.

LOS CHIFLADITOS

Aguirre portrayed Lucas Tañeda on "Los Chifladitos," a funny show that told the story of two friends: Lucas Tañeda and Chapparón Bonaparte (Roberto Gomez Bolaños). The two friends were a bit nuts in the head but believed they were very normal people. Lucas and Chapparon often sat down in a sofa, dressed alike, and talked just about anything. One of Aguirre's most popular phrases on the show is: Oye, Chaparrón ¿Sabías que la gente sigue diciendo que tú y yo estamos locos?

EL CHAVO DEL 8

His most notable character was Profesor Jirafales on all-time favorite "El Chavo del 8." The name “Jirafales” came from from “jirafa,” which means “giraffe” in Spanish. On the show, Aguirre portrayed the professor of all the kids in el vecindario. Although he was very patient with his students, there were times that he would loose his patience and react with the phrase, "¡Tá, tá, tá, tá, tá!" He was also the love interest of Doña Florinda (Florinda Meza) and was always giving her flowers and inviting her to una tacita de cafe.

LOS CAQUITOS

In Los Caquitos," Aguirre portrayed Sargento Refugio Pazguato, a very hardworking yet dumb policeman. Cops were a regular on the funny show, but it was not until the mid '80s that Aguirre became the show's official policeman. His character was always on duty and protection Licenciado Morales from criminals; however, he ends up becoming good friends with some of the bandits in town, including Botija, Chompiras and La Chimoltrufa.

LA CHICHARRA

"La Chicharra," which aired in 1979, tells the story of Vicente Chambon, a ditzy and reckless reporter who works for a newspaper called "La Chicharra." On the show, Aguirre portrayed Don Lino, the editor and owner of the company. The show did not have a lot of success; nonetheless, it continued to be part of the "Chespirito" series until 1982.

DOCTOR CHAPATIN

Although he did not have a regular role on "Dr. Chapatin," Aguirre would always appear acting on the show with different characters. The late Bolaños Gomez portrayed Dr. Chapatin, an old doctor who's always confused and hitting people with a paper bag. As in this show, Aguirre also made appearances in "Chapulin Colorado."