César Costa: Movies & Filmography

César Roel Schreurs, professionally known as César Costa, is a celebrated Mexican actor and rock-and-roll singer born on August 13, 1941, in the Colonia Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City. He received his early education at the German College and later pursued law studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) before ultimately dedicating his life to entertainment. Costa launched his musical career at the age of 17 as César Roel, performing alongside his rock-and-roll band Los Black Jeans, where he played guitar and sang Spanish adaptations of American hit singles. His backup singer during this period was the world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo. The band recorded their first album in 1959 with Peerless Records, featuring the notable single "La Batalla de Jericó." When the group signed with Musart Records, they renamed themselves Los Camisas Negras ("The Black Shirts"), and César Roel adopted the stage name César Costa in honor of music arranger Don Costa. After the band dissolved, César Costa embarked on a highly successful solo career, recording three albums with Orfeón Records before transitioning to romantic ballads with RCA Mexicana. In 1983, he represented Mexico in the 12th national selection for the OTI Festival, finishing in second place with the song "Tierno," composed by Sergio Andrade. Building on his musical fame, Costa ventured into acting, joining other popular singers such as Angélica María, Enrique Guzmán, and Alberto Vázquez in films from the Cinema of Mexico. He made his film debut in 1961 with "Juventud Rebelde" and went on to star in numerous motion pictures throughout the 1960s and beyond. Throughout his television career, Costa starred in the hit sitcom "Papá soltero" (1987–1994), which became a sensation across Latin America and was later adapted into the film "Me tengo que casar" in 1995. He hosted several variety shows, including "La Carabina de Ambrosio" in the 1980s and "Un Nuevo Día" with model Rebecca de Alba in the 1990s. As of 2006, he hosted "Ensalada César" on Canal Once of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Among his many honors, he was named Mister Amigo in 2001, inducted into the Paseo de las Luminarias at the Plaza de las Estrellas, and appointed Mexican ambassador to UNICEF on August 17, 2004.