Cheech Marin

The surname Marin is of Spanish language origin. In Spanish, it is spelled Marín, with an acute accent on the í. Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is a Mexican American comedian, actor, musician, and activist. He gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s with Tommy Chong and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez, on Nash Bridges. He has also voiced characters in several Disney films, including Oliver & Company, The Lion King, the Cars series, Coco and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Marin's trademark is his characters' strong Chicano accents, although Marin himself is not fluent in Spanish. Early life Marin was born on July 13, 1946, in South Los Angeles, California, to Mexican parents Elsa (née Meza) (1923–2010), a secretary, and Oscar Marin (1922–2015), a police officer for the LAPD. Marin was born with a cleft lip, which was surgically repaired. Marin identifies as Chicano; he speaks some Spanish and often uses it in his movies, but he is not fluent.