Actor and comedian Ángel Salazar, best known for his role as Chi Chi in the 1983 gangster film Scarface, has passed away at the age of 68.
Salazar’s representative, Ann Wingsong, confirmed to TMZ that he died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, August 11, at a friend’s home in Brooklyn, New York. His body was discovered by a friend who went to check on him on Sunday morning.
The official cause of death has not been disclosed, but Wingsong mentioned that Salazar had been dealing with multiple heart issues.
Born on March 2, 1956, Salazar started his acting career with minor roles in movies like Boulevard Nights, Walk Proud, Where the Buffalo Roam, and A Stranger is Watching. His major breakthrough came in 1983 when he portrayed Chi Chi in the iconic film Scarface alongside Al Pacino.
Throughout his career, the Cuban-American actor appeared in various films including The Wild Life (1984), Sylvester (1985), Punchline (1988), and Carlito’s Way (1993). He also had roles in TV series like Heart of the City, On Our Own, The New $treetz Seriez, and In Living Color.
Aside from acting, Salazar was known for his stand-up comedy and popular catchphrase “Sheck it out!”. He appeared on shows like Showtime at the Apollo and was a regular on Last Comic Standing.
In his final weeks, Salazar was still actively performing stand-up comedy, with his last known show taking place at Reno’s Silver Legacy resort and casino from August 1 to August 4.
Following news of his passing, many of Salazar’s friends and colleagues paid tribute to him on social media.
Comedian Auggie Smith shared, “R.I.P. Angel Salazar. I watched him absolutely murder one night at The Icehouse. He crushed for 90 straight minutes right after I had ate it. I would’ve loved to blame my set on the crowd but Angel made that impossible.”
Comedian Adam Hunter added, “RIP to my friend Angel Salazar. Worked together a few months ago. Comedy legend.”
Comedian April Brucker recalled, “I was lucky enough to work with Angel Salazar during one of the darkest times in both my comedy and personal life. It was a weekend of some growing pains onstage and off, but he was nice enough to lend moral support. He was amazing to watch and inspired me to do a lot of what I do in my live show now.”
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