Abraham Bueno de Mesquita

Abraham ('Appie') Bueno de Mesquita (July 23, 1918 in Amsterdam – August 19, 2005 in Lelystad), commonly known under his stage name Bueno de Mesquita was a Dutch comedian, actor and stage artist, well known for his ability to make funny faces.

His comical talents literally saved his life. In World War II, the (Sephardi) Jewish Bueno de Mesquita was imprisoned in the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen, Belgium, and was scheduled to be deported to Auschwitz. However, the camp commander was looking for musicians. His ability to even play a one string cello combined with his mimical talents saved him.

Bueno de Mesquita was one of the first television artists, as early as 1952, Bueno de Mesquita appeared on television as a comedian. In the 1960s, he made many shows with Rita Corita, both on television, and in theaters. In 1968, he started working with Rudi Carrell on German television, which he continued doing for 13 seasons. Since his name was hard to pronounce for many Germans, in Germany, he was known as the small on with the moustache. He has stated that his success in making Germans laugh sometimes felt like a small revenge.

Beside working with Rita Corita and Rudi Carrell, he also worked a lot with the Mounties, both on television and the theaters.

He wrote an autobiography titled Cello met één snaar (Cello with one string).

Bueno de Mesquita died in the night of August 18/19, 2005, in his hometown of Lelystad, aged 87, after a long battle with lung cancer and brain tumor.

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