Biography
Known to audiences by the nickname Fluffy, Gabriel Iglesias has emerged as one of the nation’s most widely followed comedians thanks to routines exploring the daily triumphs and setbacks of contemporary existence alongside his own life as an extra-large individual. Born Gabriel J. Iglecias in San Diego, California, on July 15, 1976, he received that altered spelling from his mother as an intentional slight toward his father, who did not appear when she went into labor. One of six children, Iglesias moved with his family through several California cities before they settled in Long Beach, the place where he spent the bulk of his early years. After being inspired by Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, and Paul Rodriguez, he developed an interest in comedy and began appearing at local clubs while holding a daytime job at a cell phone company. Although his relatives urged him to keep that steady employment, Iglesias quit in 1997 to pursue standup full-time. His progress remained gradual at first, leading to eviction from his residence and repossession of his car before earnings became sufficient to sustain him. In 2000 he received his initial television opportunity when he joined the cast of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy program All That with Amanda Bynes and Nick Cannon.
A 2003 half-hour Comedy Central special followed, after which demand for his live performances increased noticeably. He also secured voice work on animated series including The Emperor’s New School and Family Guy, then competed on Last Comic Standing in 2006, advancing strongly for two weeks until disqualification for using a cell phone to contact family during his set. The 2007 hour-long special Hot and Fluffy marked his breakthrough, introducing the signature line “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy” and achieving strong sales as both a DVD and a Comedy Central broadcast. Another successful special, I’m Not Fat...I’m Fluffy, appeared in 2011, the same year Iglesias began producing and hosting the showcase series Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution.
He portrayed a supporting character in the successful 2012 comedy Magic Mike and later supplied voices for the animated features The Nut Job, Planes, The Book of Life, and Norm of the North. Aloha Fluffy debuted as a standup special in 2013, and in October 2014 he joined the short-lived sitcom Cristela. That year also saw the release of The Fluffy Movie, which interwove concert footage with personal details; in it Iglesias disclosed that his weight had once reached 437 pounds, prompting a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and a prognosis of only two years to live. By adopting exercise and improved nutrition he lost 118 pounds within two years, an experience that later informed the reality series Fluffy Breaks Even, where he and companions seek equilibrium between their enjoyment of food and the physical activity needed to offset the calories.
A 2003 half-hour Comedy Central special followed, after which demand for his live performances increased noticeably. He also secured voice work on animated series including The Emperor’s New School and Family Guy, then competed on Last Comic Standing in 2006, advancing strongly for two weeks until disqualification for using a cell phone to contact family during his set. The 2007 hour-long special Hot and Fluffy marked his breakthrough, introducing the signature line “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy” and achieving strong sales as both a DVD and a Comedy Central broadcast. Another successful special, I’m Not Fat...I’m Fluffy, appeared in 2011, the same year Iglesias began producing and hosting the showcase series Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution.
He portrayed a supporting character in the successful 2012 comedy Magic Mike and later supplied voices for the animated features The Nut Job, Planes, The Book of Life, and Norm of the North. Aloha Fluffy debuted as a standup special in 2013, and in October 2014 he joined the short-lived sitcom Cristela. That year also saw the release of The Fluffy Movie, which interwove concert footage with personal details; in it Iglesias disclosed that his weight had once reached 437 pounds, prompting a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and a prognosis of only two years to live. By adopting exercise and improved nutrition he lost 118 pounds within two years, an experience that later informed the reality series Fluffy Breaks Even, where he and companions seek equilibrium between their enjoyment of food and the physical activity needed to offset the calories.
Albums
