Ulises Toirac

Ulises Toirac is a popular Cuban actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director of theater and television. He is the creator of characters from Cuban humor such as Juan Marchante (Chivichana), Matute, and Yudmila, among many others.

Ulises Toirac Abelenda was born on June 29, 1963. He graduated in Electrical Engineering from the José Antonio Echeverría Technological University of Havana (CUJAE) in 1986. However, his professional career has been in the cultural field.

Since his pre-university days, he began to act as an amateur artist. In 1981, he formed a theater group for which he wrote the humorous play Colón en el Onceno Festival. With this company, he also staged the first production of the theatrical adaptation Un Brindis por el Zonzo, based on a story by Onelio Jorge Cardoso.

At CUJAE, Ulises joined the amateur theater scene. He first became part of an experimental group led by Augusto Cañozares, with which he participated in the play Ópera X. Later, he joined the Carlos Pous theater group.

After these experiences, Ulises, along with several friends, founded the First National University Humor Festival. He took this opportunity to invite Alejandro García Villalón (Virulo) to close the event with the National Show Ensemble. This marked a turning point in Toirac's life, leading him to pursue acting, particularly in the realm of comedy.

After completing his university studies, he founded the group Onondivepa with a group of friends. They mounted the play "Despedida de duelo del compañero Benito" and participated in summer shows alongside well-established Cuban artistic groups and comedians, such as La Seña del Humor and the National Entertainment Ensemble.

In 1988, Ulises joined the cast of the Ramón Program on Radio Ciudad de La Habana, where he acted, wrote scripts, and became familiar with radio production. A year later, he began working on the youth magazine broadcast by Radio Progreso, titled Juventud 2000. At this station, he also wrote, directed, and starred in the humorous magazine Contalco.

His breakthrough in television came with Doble Filo, a program in which he played the character Pupi, a young and talkative barber. In 1993, he became part of the cast of Sabadazo, the show that ultimately led him to fame.

On Sabadazo, the television program hosted by Carlos Otero, Ulises portrayed more than fifteen characters, among which Matute and Yudmila stood out.

Despite being a time of success, Ulises has stated in several interviews that it was a contradictory period, as it also marked the beginning of an era characterized by the trivialization of the joke and the simplification of humor in Cuba.

This provided him with the necessary momentum to delve into one-man shows. He excelled in linking different themes, attitudes, and talents. His first solo performance was Con Las Tiras del Pellejo (1995), followed by El Flaco (1996).

In 1999, he made his return to television with his own show, inviting young comedians from across the country to participate: "So, What Are You Laughing At?"

In 2002, he began his most ambitious project, "Jura Decir La Verdad." It was a television show that paid tribute to La Tremenda Corte, an internationally renowned Cuban comedy program created by Castor Vispo and starring Leopoldo Fernández and Aníbal de Mar.

In "Do you swear to tell the truth?" Toirac portrayed Chivichana, a descendant of Trespatines. The show had 5 seasons and aired until 2009. Some scripts were adapted to the theater, achieving great success.

Ulises Toirac has performed on international stages. In 2011, he toured the United States. In Florida, he showcased his one-man show "Cuentos, Canciones y otras IDEAteces" at the Miami Dade County Auditorium.

Ulises Toirac is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Throughout his artistic career, he has received significant awards that affirm his popularity in Cuba, including distinctions such as the Order for National Culture (2004).

Movies in which he has participated as an actor:

• Alicia in Wonderland (1992)
• Tropical Dream (1993)
• Adorable Lies (1993)
• Pata Negra (1999)
• A King in Havana (2004)
• Chivichana The Movie (2005)