Charo 1941(?)–

PERSONAL

Original name (according to most sources), Maria Rosario Pilar Martina Molina Baeza; born March 13, 1941 (the actress has claimed birth date of 1951), in Murcia, Spain; naturalized U.S. citizen, 1977; father a lawyer; mother a homemaker; married Xavier Cugat (a singer, bandleader, and composer), August 6, 1966 (divorced, 1978); married Kjell Rasten (a personal manager), August 11, 1978; children: (second marriage) Shel Joseph.

Addresses: Agent—William Morris Agency, 1 William Morris Pl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Actress, singer, and guitarist. Performer in casinos, concerts, and solo shows; appeared in commercials, including one for Diet Pepsi soft drinks, 1991, and one for Geico auto insurance, 2006. Charo's (Mexican restaurant), partner, 1985–. Muscular Dystrophy Association, vice president and volunteer.

Awards, Honors: Award for female popular album of the year, Billboard International Latin Music Conference, 1995, for the album Guitar Passion; award for best variety show in Las Vegas, Time, 2001; Gold Eagle, outstanding entertainer of the year, Council on International Nontheatrical Events; Distinguished Career Award, Hispanic Exhibitor and Distributor; platinum record certifications, Recording Industry Association of America.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

The Hollywood Squares, NBC and syndicated, between 1972 and 1978.

Aunt Charo, Chico and the Man, NBC, 1977–78.

April Lopez, a recurring role, The Love Boat, ABC, between 1977 and 1984.

The Surreal Life, VH1, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Host, Charo, ABC, 1976.

Cher, Joys (also known as Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope in "Joys"), 1976.

The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977.

Happy Birthday, Las Vegas, ABC, 1977.

Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Spectacular from Lake Tahoe, NBC, 1977.

The Bob Hope Special, NBC, 1978.

Happy Birthday, Bob (also known as Bob Hope Special: Happy Birthday, Bob!), NBC, 1978.

Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Special from Australia, NBC, 1978.

"Mickey's 50," Disneyland (also known as Disney's Wonderful World, The Disney Sunday Movie, The Magical World of Disney, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and The Wonderful World of Disney), NBC, 1978.

The Celebrity Football Classic, NBC, 1979.

Paul Lynde Goes M-a-a-a-ad, ABC, 1979.

Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes, CBS, 1979.

Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's All-Star Birthday Party, NBC, 1979.

Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops, 1941–1972, NBC, 1980.

Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Women I Love—Beautiful but Funny, NBC, 1982.

Easter in Guadalajara (also known as Perry Como's "Easter in Guadalajara"), ABC, 1982.

The CBS All-American Thanksgiving Parade, CBS, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997.

MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon, syndicated, 1992.

Christmas Special (also known as Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse, Pee-Wee Herman's Christmas Special, and Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special), CBS, 1988.

The Love Boat: TV Tales, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

VH-1 Where Are They Now: TV Bombshells, VH1, 2003.

VH1 Big in '04, VH1, 2004.

Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson, Comedy Central, 2005.

I Love the Holidays, VH1, 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Toast of the Town (also known as The Ed Sullivan Show), CBS, 1965, 1967.

The Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1969.

Herself, "I Love You, Billy Baker: Parts 1 & 2," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1970.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (also known as Laugh-In), NBC, 1971.

The dancer, "Find a Victim," Ironside (also known as The Raymond Burr Show), NBC, 1972.

"Celebrity Roast: Ed McMahon," The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1972.

The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1972, 1976, 1977.

The Carol Burnett Show (also known as Carol Burnett and Friends), CBS, 1973.

The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters, syndicated, 1974.

The Peter Marshall Variety Show, syndicated, 1976.

The Midnight Special, 1976.

Herself, The Brady Bunch Hour, ABC, 1977.

3rd Annual Circus of the Stars, 1978.

Dolores, "Mr. Nobody/La Liberatora," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1981.

Herself, "Revenge of the Forgotten/Charo," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1983.

Yolanda Morales, "Surrogate Mother/Ideal Woman," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1984.

Introducer, Star Search, syndicated, 1985.

Herself, "You'll Never Get Rich," The Jeffersons, CBS, 1985.

Herself, "Come Back to the Truck Stop, Natalie Green, Natalie Green," The Facts of Life, NBC, 1985.

Cookie, "Chinny Chin Chum," Marblehead Manor, syndicated, 1988.

Panelist, The New Hollywood Squares, syndicated, 1988.

Herself, "Bully for Dave," The Naked Truth (also known as Wilde Again), NBC, 1997.

Sin City Spectacular (also known as Penn & Teller's "Sin City Spectacular"), FX Channel, 1998.

Singer, "Red Sees Red," That '70s Show, Fox, 2000.

"Charo! Charo! Charo!," Viva Vegas!, Telemundo, 2001.

Voice of Chiquita, "Psycholahoma," The Brak Show, 2001.

(In archive footage) Celebrities Uncensored, E! Entertainment Television, 2003.

Hollywood Squares (also known as H2 and H2: Hollywood Squares), syndicated, multiple appearances, 2003–2004.

"Top 10 TV Dads," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2004.

"The Andy Griffith Show Episodes," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2004.

"Top 10 TV Cars," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2004.

"Charo in Charge," That's Kentertainment!, 2005.

"Lyle & Substance," Las Vegas, NBC, 2005.

"George Buys a Vow," The George Lopez Show, ABC, 2005.

Also appeared in episodes of The Captain and Tennille, and the Sonny and Cher variety show, c. 1976–77.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 4th Annual Desi Awards, syndicated, 1992.

The 1999 ALMA Awards, ABC, 1999.

The Second Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV, TV Land, 2004.

Gabrielle Solis Susan Mayer, "Desperate Housewives" skit, The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards (also known as TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV), TV Land, 2005.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic:

The Merv Griffin Show, syndicated, 1968, CBS, 1970, syndicated, 1977.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (also known as The Best of Carson), NBC, multiple appearances, between 1971 and 1979.

The Mike Douglas Show, syndicated, 1976.

The John Davidson Show, 1981.

The RuPaul Show, 1998.

The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2003.

I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, 2003.

"Las Vegas," Insomniac with Dave Attell, 2003.

The Today Show, 2003.

After Hours with Cal Thomas, 2003.

The Yesterday Show with Johnny Kerwin, Trio, 2004.

Cold Turkey, 2004.

The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2005.

Guest cohost, Queer Edge with Jack E. Jett and Sandra Bernhard, 2005.

Chappelle's Show (also known as Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episode), Comedy Central, 2006.

I Love the '70s: Volume 2, VH1, 2006.

So NoTORious, VH1, 2006.

Also appeared in episodes of the Martha Stewart show, 2006, and The Test, FX Network.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Charo Palmer, Charo and the Sergeant, ABC, 1976.

Film Appearances:

Darlita, Tiger by the Tail, Commonwealth United Entertainment, 1968.

(Uncredited) Elvis: That's the Way It Is (documentary; also released as Elvis: That's the Way It Is—Special Edition), Warner Bros., 1970.

Margarita, The Concorde: Airport '79 (also known as Airport '79, Airport 80: The Concorde, The Concorde, and S.O.S. Concorde), Universal, 1979.

Madame Loop, Moon Over Parador, Universal, 1988.

Voice of Mrs. Toad, Thumbelina (animated; also known as Hans Christian Andersen's "Thumbelina"), Warner Bros., 1994.

Made film debut in the Spanish film Don Juan Tenerio.

Stage Appearances:

Pete 'n' Keely, Broadway production, 2001.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

La Salsa, 1976.

Cuchi-Cuchi, Salsoul, 1977.

Ole-Ole, Salsoul, 1978.

Dance a Little Bit Closer, Salsoul, 1978.

Bailando con Charo (also known as Dancing with Charo), Salsoul, 1981.

Guitar Passion, Universal Wave, 1994.

Gusto, Universal Wave, 1997.

Charo and Guitar, Universal Wave, 2005.

Other albums include Flamenco Salsa and La Salsa, both released by Capital. Also recorded singles.

Videos:

Appeared in the music videos "Mamacita, Donde esta Santa Claus," Salsoul, 1978; and "Blame It on the Macarena!," 1996.

WRITINGS

Songs Featured in Films:

"Let's Drink, Friend," Tiger by the Tail, Commonwealth United Entertainment, 1968.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

People Weekly, July 17, 1995, p. 38.

Time Out New York, March 1, 2001, p. 172.

TV Guide, September 12, 2004, p. 15.

Electronic:

Charo official site, http://www.charo.com, September 10, 2006.