Cheech Marin
Playing a pair of zany stoners, Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong left their indelible mark on the American cultural landscape in the '70s and '80s. Starting first as a stand-up comedy team, Cheech & Chong branched out to albums and movies before screeching to a halt.
But what a great run it was. Marin co-starred with Chong in Up in Smoke, Next Movie, Nice Dreams, Things Are Tough All Over, Still Smokin, Yellowbeard, The Corsican Brothers and Get Out of My Room. The duo split up in 1985. Following Born in East L.A., Rude Awakening and Far Out Man, Marin went mainstream, appearing in Nash Bridges, Tin Cup, Spy Kids, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Judging Amy, Cars, Lost and Machete.
Born on July 13, 1946 in Los Angeles, Marin's nickname is derived from chicharron, the fried-pork snack food.
After Chong was arrested and jailed for interstate sales of paraphernalia in 2001, Marin joined him on The Tonght Show and for a reunion performance at the Comedy Arts Festival in 2004.
In 2008, Cheech & Chong reunited and launched the Light Up America tour. A movie about the tour, Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This, was released in 2009. They continue to do sporatic shows around the U.S. and Canada.
Like his comedy partner, Marin's now in the cannabiz. He launched Cheech's Stash in 2018.
Marin, who has divorced twice, married Russian pianist Natasha Rubin in 2009. He has three chilldren from his previous marriages.
