Guide Note

Actor Cheech Marin's work with Tommy Chong—as half of the marijuana-themed comedy team Cheech and Chong—garnered millions of fans by the time the pair split in 1985.¹ His separate career as a mainstream actor, however, has been successful as well.²

In July of 2008, a Cheech and Chong reunion tour was announced for later in the year.

Fast Facts

1. Birth Date: July 13, 1946
2. Birth Place: Los Angeles, CA
3. Real Name: Richard Anthony Marin
4. Cheech short for "Chicharron" (pork rinds)
5. Formerly teamed with Tommy Chong
6. Attended California State University, Northridge
7. Guest role on the television show Lost as the dad of "Hurley"
8. Avid collector of Chicano (Mexican-American) art³

Cheech and Chong met through an improv comedy troupe, releasing their first album as a duo in 1971. The pair made eight more albums and nine films before falling out in 1985 over creative differences.¹ Along the way, their drug humor influenced a wide range of comedy, including the work of Dave Chappelle and the Harold and Kumar movies.^{4 1} The reunion tour, entitled Light Up America, is slated to begin September 12, 2008, in Philadelphia.¹

Between 1985 and 2008, Marin's acting career brought him closer to mainstream—and even family-oriented—entertainment. His post-Cheech and Chong work has included the movies Born in East L.A., Once Upon a Time in Mexico and From Dusk til Dawn, and television roles on Nash Bridges and Judging Amy.