Carlos Alazraqui

{{Infobox person

| name = Carlos Alazraqui

| image = Carlos Alazraqui at Flappers in Burbank 20190706 (cropped).jpg

| alt = Alazraqui holding a microphone

| caption = Alazraqui at Flappers in Burbank, California in 2019

| birth_name = Carlos Jaime Alazraqui

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|7|20}}

| birth_place = Yonkers, New York, U.S.

| other_names = Carlos Jaime Alazraqui
Carlos J. Alazraqui
Dennis O'Connor
Carlos Higgins

| education = California State University, Sacramento

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Actor
comedian
impressionist
producer
screenwriter
director

}}

| years_active = 1982–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Laura Mala|2010}}

| children = 2

| website = {{Official URL}}

| signature = Carlos Alazraqui signature.png

| module = {{Infobox comedian|embed=yes

| medium = {{flatlist|

}}

| genre = Observational comedy, musical comedy, character comedy, clean comedy, impressions

| subject = {{flatlist|

Pop culture}}

}}

Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962){{cite web|date=July 20, 2014|title=Happy Birthday To Yonker's Carlos Jaime Alazraqui|url=https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/yonkers/neighbors/happy-birthday-to-yonkers-carlos-jaime-alazraqui/474012/|access-date=February 22, 2021|publisher=Daily Voice}} is an American actor. His voice acting roles include the original voice of Spyro from Spyro the Dragon, the Taco Bell chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials, Rocko on Rocko's Modern Life, and the Disney character Panchito Pistoles since 2001. He is a weekly contributor on The Stephanie Miller Show. In live action, Alazraqui is known for playing Deputy James Garcia on Reno 911!

Early life

Carlos Jaime Alazraqui was born in Yonkers, New York on July 20, 1962, to Argentine parents. He has Sephardic Jewish heritage from his father.{{cite tweet|number=996477063593844736|user=carlosalazraqui|title=@RavMABAY @charlie_adler Thank you, from this person who's of Sephardic Jewish origin on my father's side!!!|date=May 15, 2018}} His mother was a Methodist priest.{{cite web |first=Carlos |last=Aguilar |url=https://sovas.org/carlosalazraqui/|title=Argentine-American Actor Carlos Alazraqui On Voicing the Taco Bell Chihuahua & 'Rocko's Modern Life' |publisher=Society of Voice Arts and Sciences |access-date=August 8, 2024}} He moved with his family to Concord, California, at an early age.{{Cite news |last1=Young |first1=Susan |date=November 7, 2007 |title='Reno' big fish just a guppie at home |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2007/11/07/reno-big-fish-just-a-guppie-at-home/ |access-date=December 21, 2023 |newspaper=East Bay Times}} Alazraqui graduated from Concord High School.{{cite web | url=https://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20061006/reno-911-character-keeps-laughs-coming/ | title="Reno 911" character keeps laughs coming | date=October 6, 2006 }} He attended college at California State University, Sacramento from 1982 to 1986, where he began competing in open mic contests.{{cite web|url=http://37prime.com/news/2017/07/28/carlos-alazraqui-qa-birthplace-video/|title=Carlos Alazraqui Q&A: Birthplace (Video)|date=December 2009|publisher=37prime.news|access-date=July 28, 2017}}

^a "...then attended school, college in Sacramento after two years of junior college playing soccer and running track. I decided to do four years at Sacramento State from 82-86." — 00:58-01:08.{{cite web|last=Basofin|first=Pete|url=http://blogs.sacbee.com/sac_history_happenings/2012/03/in-historys-spotlight-carlos-alazraqui.html|title=Sac History Happenings: In History's Spotlight: Carlos Alazraqui|access-date=2013-12-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040328/http://blogs.sacbee.com/sac_history_happenings/2012/03/in-historys-spotlight-carlos-alazraqui.html|archive-date=January 6, 2014|df=mdy-all}} After winning in his fourth year, Alazraqui took his prize money and moved to Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfranciscocomedycompetition.com/Pages/WholeCarlos.html|title=Carlos Alazraqui profile|publisher=San Francisco Comedy Competition|access-date=December 11, 2013}}

Career

=Stand-up comedy=

Alazraqui originally began his career in stand-up comedy, he was the winner of the San Francisco Comedy Competition in 1993.{{Cite web|url=http://sanfranciscocomedycompetition.com/about-the-competition/past-winners/|title=Past Winners}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20061006/reno-911-character-keeps-laughs-coming|title="Reno 911" character keeps laughs coming|date=October 6, 2006}} He beat out fellow comedians Marc Maron and Patton Oswalt.{{Cite web|url=https://thecomicscomic.com/2020/07/27/episode-307-carlos-alazraqui/|title=Episode #307: Carlos Alazraqui|date=July 27, 2020 }}

In addition, Alazraqui joined Miller's Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour in 2014, playing some of the dates with Ward and he has a semi-regular segment on Miller's radio show Coffee with Carlos.{{Cite news |url=https://freespeech.org/stories/the-stephanie-miller-show-august-5-2015/ |title=The Stephanie Miller Show - August 5, 2015 - Free Speech TV |work=Free Speech TV |access-date=December 3, 2018 |language=en-US}}

=Film and television=

Alazraqui is known for his live-action work in Reno 911!, in which he portrayed Deputy James Garcia for five seasons (2003–2008). He played the same role in the series' 2007 spinoff film Reno 911! Miami. As a nod to this role, he also played a "bumbling" Reno cop in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Let it Bleed". He has been a celebrity on the Tom Bergeron version of Hollywood Squares.{{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1281666/ |title="Hollywood Squares" - Episode dated 28 December 1998 |website=IMDB |date=December 28, 1998 |access-date=December 3, 2018}}

Alazraqui also wrote and starred in The Last White Dishwasher, a short film.{{cite web|url=http://spotlightonentertainment.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/pedro-almodovars-broken-embraces-opens-the-los-angeles-latino-film-festival/|title=Pedro Almodovar's 'Broken Embraces' opens the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival - Spotlight on Entertainment|work=Spotlight on Entertainment|date=October 2, 2009 }}

In 2020, Alazraqui reprised his role as Deputy James Oswaldo Garcia in the seventh season of Reno 911! which aired on Quibi. He also appeared in the 2021 Paramount+ movie, Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon. The eighth season of the series, now titled Reno 911! Defunded, premiered on The Roku Channel in February 2022.

He reprised his role as Denzel Crocker in The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, a live-action sequel to The Fairly OddParents, which premiered on Paramount+ in March 2022.{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=Timothy |title=The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder Exclusive Clip Reveals the Return of Mr. Crocker |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-fairly-oddparents-fairly-odder-mr-crocker-return-clip/ |website=ComicBook |access-date=March 28, 2022 |date=March 28, 2022}}

=Voice acting=

Alazraqui has performed several voices for Nickelodeon cartoons, including Rocko on Rocko's Modern Life, as well as Denzel Crocker and Juandissimo Magnifico on The Fairly OddParents, Winslow T. Oddfellow and Lube on CatDog, Scooter on SpongeBob SquarePants, and Scissors on Rock, Paper, Scissors. He also voiced several additional voices for the Cartoon Network shows, Cow and Chicken, Kidscity: The Village Dome of Kids, and I Am Weasel during their runs in the mid-late 1990s. He also voiced Spyro in Spyro the Dragon. He was later replaced by Tom Kenny as Spyro in Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, Spyro: Year of the Dragon and Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly. In 1997, he voiced Crash Bandicoot in promotional trailers for the game Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back,{{cite tweet|number=900762317624795136|user=carlosalazraqui|title=#TBT to the Crash Bandicoot and Taco Bell days... #90s|accessdate=June 12, 2019|language=en|date=August 24, 2017}} also switching out live performances as him with Tom Kenny at E3 1997.{{cite tweet|number=1733903169070272956|user=carlosalazraqui|title=We both interchanged during those years at the conference. Not sure about 97|accessdate=February 16, 2024|language=en|date=December 10, 2023}} He also voiced the Taco Bell chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials,{{cite web| last = David| first = Long| title = Taco Bell Dog Story| url = http://www.everwonder.com/david/tacobell/story.html}} Rikochet in the first two seasons of ¡Mucha Lucha! and Mr. Weed (the head of the "Happy Go Lucky" toy factory) on Family Guy. It is mentioned in the DVD commentary track that Alazraqui was reluctant to leave Family Guy. In particular, Seth MacFarlane suggests that the death of Alazraqui's character took the actor by surprise. He also voiced Dr. Julius No in GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.

File:Carlos Alazraqui 2005.png

In 2004, he voiced Paco the Parrot on the PBS Kids series Maya & Miguel and in 2005, he added the voices for two Cartoon Network series: The Life and Times of Juniper Lee where he played Monroe, a guardian dog with a Scottish accent and three characters in Camp Lazlo: Lazlo, Clam and Chef McMuesli. In 2006, he added Salty Mike from Squirrel Boy and Walden in Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! on Nick Jr. to his credits. He played Wisk in Glen Hill's 2000 film version of L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. He also provided the voice of Nestor in the Happy Feet films. He has also voiced the Hanna-Barbera characters Baba Looey, Mudsy the Funky Phantom, and Loopy De Loop in modern appearances.

Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, a storyboard writer for Rocko's Modern Life, described Alazraqui's normal voice as bearing "no accent at all". Marsh describes Alazraqui's "Scottish accent" as "one of the best" and that he performs his other accents as "all very well". According to Marsh, Alazraqui uses various accents in his comedy routines.[http://www.title14.com/rocko/contributors/interview.html Dan Abrams' interview with Jeff "Swampy" Marsh], The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ He had worked for the Disney Channel on Handy Manny, where he provided the voice for Felipe, the bilingual Phillips-head screwdriver and for Abuelito, Manny's grandfather. He was the original "voice guy" on the Stephanie Miller Show, later being replaced by Jim Ward, who had previously substituted for him. In January 2008, Alazraqui returned to fill in briefly while Ward recovered from surgery. In 2014, he voiced Mesmo and Torts in Mixels. He voices Tio Tortuga in Sheriff Callie's Wild West.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2769458/ Sheriff Callie's Wild West] on IMDb

In 2023, Alazraqui joined the cast of The Case of the Greater Gatsby, a noir parody podcast produced by Shipwrecked Comedy, playing a singing cowboy actor in 1940s Hollywood.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29056881/ The Case of the Greater Gatsby] on IMDb.com The show also features his Fairly Odder co-stars Lesli Margherita and Mary Kate Wiles (Wiles is also a producer). The show premiered on July 26, 2023.[https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-case-of-the-greater-gatsby/id1697174591 The Case of the Greater Gatsby] on Apple Podcasts

=Web=

In 2009, he collaborated with Ted Nicolaou on the web series The Club,{{cite web |url=http://www.theclubontheweb.com/ |title=The Club on The Web |publisher=The Club on The Web |access-date=December 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912183057/http://theclubontheweb.com/ |archive-date=September 12, 2014 |url-status=dead}} which was released in November 2010. The series features Jill-Michele Meleán, Debra Wilson, Johnny A. Sanchez, Lori Alan, and Daran Norris.

In 2013, Alazraqui starred as a drug dealer{{cite web|title=brand new episode up today starring Carlos Alazraqui!|url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/46624141/romantic-encounters-with-melinda-hill/posts/568623|access-date=October 24, 2013}} in one episode of the Melinda Hill web series Romantic Encounters.{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|title=Melinda Hill Seeking 'Romantic Encounters' On My Damn Channel Network|date=June 26, 2013|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/06/26/romantic-encounters-my-damn-channel-comedy-network-melinda-hill/|publisher=Tubefilter|access-date=October 24, 2013}}

Personal life

Alazraqui resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and two daughters.{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/gabriel-iglesias-carlos-alazraqui-planes-interview/|title=Gabriel Igelsias and Carlos Alazraqui Talk Disney's PLANES, Voicing Their Characters, Voice-Over vs Stand-Up, Improv, and Their Upcoming Projects|website=Collider|date=August 7, 2013}} One daughter, Rylee, is a voice actor as well. Rylee is the voice of Rohk-Tahk in the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Prodigy.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

2012 – Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in a Television Production – The Fairly OddParents - Nominated
2015 – Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in a Television Production – The Fairly OddParents - Nominated
2016 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – The Fairly OddParents - Nominated
2017 – Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in a Television Production – The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show: Ponce de León - Won
2022 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie - Reno 911!: The Hunt for QAnon - Nominated

References

External links

{{Official website}}
{{IMDb name}}
{{BTVA person}}
{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229094102/http://www.comediansusa.com/php/featuredartist.php?id=106|date=December 29, 2008|title=Comedians USA Profile}}

{{succession box | before = none | title = Voice of Spyro the Dragon | years = 1998 | after = Tom Kenny}}

{{Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production}}

Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Yonkers, New York

Category:American impressionists (entertainers)

Category:American male comedians

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male video game actors

Category:American male voice actors

Category:American people of Argentine-Jewish descent