Biografia
Spanish humorist, actor, and writer. His father passed away when he was one year old, and after the Spanish Civil War, his mother went into exile in Argentina. He remained in Cuenca with his brother, uncle, aunt, and grandparents, where he began his education.
Years later, he started studying Law but did not complete it, choosing instead to work for a journal in Cuenca and later at Radio Nacional de España. In 1955, he moved to Madrid to serve as a secretary for César González Ruano, who introduced him to Antonio Mingote and Álvaro de la Iglesia. Soon after, he began contributing to the weekly humor magazine 'Don José'. He also pursued acting for a time, appearing in plays such as 'Ninette y un señor de Murcia', 'Amor', and 'Las mujeres sabias', as well as musical shows like 'Buenos días amor' and 'El baile de Savoy'.
By 1959, he was collaborating with the journal La Codorniz, where he met Luis Sánchez Polack. Together, they would later form the comedy duo 'Tip y Coll'. In 1961, he worked as a scriptwriter for various TV programs, including 'La tortuga perezosa', 'Aquí la Ponderosa', 'La vida secreta de Walter Gómez', and 'Sonría, por favor'. In 1962, he premiered his play 'El sueño de unos locos de verano' in Madrid and wrote scripts for television and film, such as 'Érase una vez... o dos' and 'La garbanza negra, que en paz descanse...' (1972), collaborating with Manuel Summers and Luis Sánchez Polack. This film established the iconic look of 'Tip y Coll'—formal attire with a top hat for Tip and a bowler hat for Coll. In 1969, they began working together regularly on TV shows like 'Galas del sábado', the play 'Qué bello es ser tonto', and other programs including 'El último café'. They performed a nightly club show in Madrid for eight consecutive years, while Coll also contributed to press releases. Their performances enjoyed considerable success but often featured sharp critiques of public figures, especially politicians, leading to frequent censorship. In 1981, he returned to television with the program 'El colibrí', which had a short run. In 1985, he contributed to 'Como Pedro por su casa' and 'Esta noche Pedro', both directed by humorist Pedro Ruiz.
In 1988, he was appointed president of the Spanish Billiards Federation, having been an amateur player since his youth. In 1992, he was nearly appointed to the Authors' Society Board of Management, though he ultimately did not assume the position. In 1990, he began hosting the TV show 'Hablando se entiende la gente' on a private channel; its success led to daily broadcasts. He also collaborated on the same channel with programs like 'Querida Concha', alongside Concha Velasco, and 'Este país necesita un repaso'.
His published works include 'Libro de poemas' (written during his early years in Cuenca), 'Epitafios' (1982), 'El hermano bastardo de Dios' (1984)—a semi-autobiographical work set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War that inspired the 1986 film of the same name—'Eroticoll' (1991), which won the Papagayo Award, 'El diccionario de Coll', 'Las dedicatorias de Coll' (1979), 'El libro de Tip y Coll' and 'Tipicoll Spanish' (both co-written with Luis Sánchez Polack), and the farce 'Otelo y el moro de Valencia'.
