Chichay
| Chichay Garcia | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ampario Robles Custodio |
| Born |
January 21, 1918 Tondo, Manila, Philippine Islands |
| Died | March 31, 1993 (aged 75) |
| Spouse | Hercules Saenz Moya |
Chichay (born Amparo Robles Custodio; January 21, 1918 – March 31, 1993) was a Filipino comedian and actress. Her short and stocky stature, scratchy voice and prematurely aged appearance allowed her to portray grandmothers while only in her thirties.
She was born in Tondo, Manila, the daughter of a ship steward, Jose Pacifico Custodio and Maria Robles of Bulacan.
She entered show business as a teen, joining the "Samahang Antonieta" as a singer with her sister Iluminada. She also appeared as a chorus line dancer at the bodabil shows of Katy de la Cruz. Soon a regular at the bodabil circuit, she received her stage name "Chichay" from Atang de la Rama. The name was a corruption of the Japanese word "Chiisai", meaning "short", in reference to Chichay's own short height and she got famous for her toothless appearance but in reality she still got 2 molars left.
Chichay appeared in her first film, Sampaguita Pictures's Huwag Ka Nang Magtampo, in 1949. She became a star in 1953 after appearing in Gorio and Tekla, opposite Tolindoy. In the next decade, Chichay and Tolindoy became a popular comic duo, often paired together in films.
In 1954, the thirty-six-year-old Chichay was cast as the over-protective grandmother of Fred Montilla's titular role, Bondying, an adaptation of a comic character created by Mars Ravelo. Chichay would make two more Bondying films with Montilla. Remarkably, thirty-five years after the first Bondying film, Chichay would be called upon to play the very same role in the Viva Films remake starring Jimmy Santos.
Chichay remained a contract star with Sampaguita Pictures for almost two decades. After her stint with Sampaguita, she remained in demand as a character actress, often in comic roles. In 1972, she was nominated for a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Bilanguang Puso.
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