‘100 percent comedy’ is on its way

Mexican comic Teo González has spent more than 30 years making the world laugh.

The 54-year-old Spanish-language star has carved out a career as one of the most popular stand-ups in Mexico thanks to his nonstop touring and copious television appearances. He will bring his humor, as well as fellow Mexican comic actress Liliana Arriaga, known as the character La Chupitos, to the Gallo Center for the Arts for a double-bill show May 23.

González, who was born in León, Guanajuato, spoke with The Modesto Bee by phone from Mexico about what people can expect from the show, which he promises will be “100 percent comedy so you can leave happy and truly say that it was worth buying a ticket.”

How many shows do you think you perform annually?

An average of 110. I used to do more, but I lowered it to half. I used to do 220.

Why did you lower it?

Because the body tells me, “Not so much.”

You’ve had a more than 30-year career in comedy. Is it true that you got the idea to go into comedy after working as a soccer goalie and making your co-workers laugh?

That is correct. I used to play soccer in the first division team of Club León in México. They used to tell me that I should go into this (comedy) and I so I started to combine soccer with comedy, and I am now going on 32 years of a comedy career.

Have you ever returned to play soccer?

Yes, on an amateur basis. I don’t play professionally, but I do occasionally play soccer with my friends.

How would you describe your style of comedy? Your show is all in Spanish, correct?

Yes, it’s completely in Spanish and it’s very family-oriented. It’s a show that mom, dad, grandparents, children can listen to, because it is not vulgar.

What is it about your humor that has helped you sustain such a successful career for so long?

If you take a look at the big names of Mexican comedy, such as Cantinflas, Tin Tan, Chespirito, Capulina, we continue to see all of their movies and people still enjoy them. They don’t go out of style because they are family-oriented. I think that’s what it is, the fact that my comedy is for the whole family. When I tell a joke, I interpret it, I act. If I tell a joke about a kid, I use a kid’s voice. Or if I tell a joke about a senior citizen, I also change my voice and act as if I have a hump on my back, so it’s all about acting out a joke. I think that has also influenced for people to like my work.

You tour both in Mexico and the United States and beyond. Is there a difference between those audiences and what they find funny?

No, there isn’t much difference. There are some things that have different meaning in other countries, but at the end of it all, comedy is universal, laughter is universal. We all laugh about the same things. I’ve been to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Colombia, all over the United States, Mexico and Venezuela.

Part of your success has been your frequent TV appearances. Why have you done so well and what do you enjoy about that medium?

I really enjoy making people laugh. It’s a delight. My dad used to tell me to do something that I really liked so that I didn’t have to work, and it’s been 32 years that I haven’t worked. For me, it is not work, it’s a pleasure to do it. When I see people smiling, cracking up, I feel accomplished. And I do it with so much joy that I think I transmit that to people and they perceive it.

Would you like to do this for the rest of your days?

Yes. I think that I will do this until I can’t. If I don’t have the strength or the mental agility to do it, then one must retire with dignity and say, “I’ll stop here and no more” because comedy is very agile, you must have a fast brain, and if I don’t have that aptitude or I can no longer do it because the years have taken over, then I have to stop.

Your show here is a double bill with La Chupitos. Have you worked with her before and how do you two complement each other?

She does her show and I do mine. We’ve worked together before sharing the stage, there is no problem at all because we understand each other quite well. As comedians, we are so in tune because we have the same audiences. For many years, we used to do a television show in Mexico called “La Casa de la Ris” (The House of Laughter), where we used to work together, so sharing the stage with her will be extraordinary.

What can audiences expect from your Modesto show?

I tell everyone that I guarantee you will have fun. If not, we will refund your bad sense of humor, because we will not refund your money.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "‘100 percent comedy’ is on its way."