Guillermo Francella

Guillermo Francella (born 14 February 1955) is an Argentine actor and comedian whose career spans more than five decades and includes a remarkable range of television, film, and theater work. Born Guillermo Héctor Francella in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he grew up in the northern suburb of Béccar after his family moved from Villa del Parque, and he was the younger of two brothers in a household that combined the modest background of a bank‑employee father with the cultural influence of an Italian‑immigrant grandfather. After earning a journalism degree in 1975 and briefly working for Gente magazine, Francella turned to acting, first appearing in a school comedy and then gaining early exposure through a Cinzano commercial in the early 1980s. His television debut came in 1980 with Los hnos. Torterolo, and he quickly became a household name with the 1988 comedy series De carne somos on Canal 13, followed by popular shows such as La familia Benvenuto and Un hermano es un hermano.

Throughout the 1990s Francella cemented his status as a box‑office draw, starring in the cult action‑comedy Los extermineitors series and the hit film Un Argentino en New York alongside Natalia Oreiro. He displayed extraordinary versatility by playing three distinct brothers in the 1999 series Trillizos, dijo la partera and by leading the Argentine adaptation of Married… with Children (Casados con Hijos), a role that earned him a Martín Fierro Award for Best Leading Actor in Comedy. His later work includes acclaimed performances in Oscar‑winning El secreto de sus ojos (2009), the romantic comedy Corazón de León (2013), and the critically praised crime drama The Clan (2015). A devout Catholic, he has been married to Marynés Breña since 1989 and is the father of two children, Nicolás and Johanna. Francella’s enduring popularity and influence make him one of Argentina’s most beloved and respected entertainers.