Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes, known casually as Mario Moreno, and known professionally as
Cantinflas (August 12, 1911 – April 20, 1993), was a Mexican
comic film actor, producer, and screenwriter and an iconic figure in
Mexico and
Latin America. He often portrayed impoverished
campesinos or a
peasant of
pelado origin. The character came to be associated with the national identity of Mexico, and allowed Cantinflas to establish a long, successful film career that included a foray into
Hollywood.
Charlie Chaplin once commented that he was the best comedian alive, and Moreno has been referred to as the "Charlie Chaplin of Mexico". To audiences in the
United States, he is best remembered as co-starring with
David Niven in the
Academy Award winner for Best Picture film
Around the World in 80 Days, for which Moreno won a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.