HBO's star Pablo Cruz on Becoming Chespirito, What He Took From the Set and the Hardest Scenes to Film - INTERVIEW

Before the acting. Before the physical transformation. Before the streaming success. For Pablo Cruz Guerrero, the first step in becoming Chespirito was accepting one simple truth: the drama behind the scenes would be just as powerful as the comedy on screen.

"I mean... we knew the gossip was going to come back," Cruz says with a knowing smile.

He's talking, of course, about the triangle: the one that ended Roberto Gómez Bolaños's 23-year marriage to Graciela Fernández and began his long-lasting romance with Florinda Meza, his co-star on El Chavo del 8. Their love story was a seismic shift in Mexican pop culture, and now, decades later, it's trending again thanks to Chespirito:Sin querer queriendo, the HBO Max biopic series that's stirring up feelings across generations.

In this exclusive interview, Cruz talks about that emotional weight, the scenes that nearly broke him, the pants he stole from set, and the one souvenir he's still negotiating to keep: the Chipote Chillón. And he also gives a not-so-subtle hint that a second season may already be in the works.

The man behind the comedy

For those unfamiliar: Roberto Gómez Bolaños, known to the world as Chespirito, was Mexico's most beloved comedy writer and actor, creator of El Chavo del 8 and El Chapulín Colorado. His shows aired across Latin America for decades, becoming part of the childhood of millions.

In Sin querer queriendo ("Accidentally on Purpose"), Cruz plays Chespirito from his early rise to the peak of his fame, including the professional and romantic entanglements that reshaped his life and legacy.

"When I first got the call to audition, the thing that stayed with me most was his eyes," Cruz recalls. "They held so much tenderness, but also sadness. It was like he saw the weight of the world, and his humor was his way of trying to fix it."

The elephant in the vecindad

The most viral storyline of the series — and of Chespirito's real life — has been his decision to leave his wife, Graciela, and start a relationship with Florinda Meza, who played Doña Florinda in El Chavo. It's treated delicately but honestly in the show, and Cruz had to live that internal conflict onscreen.

"The hardest scenes were the ones where he had to justify his time — to his family and to his creative team," Cruz says. "He was torn between two lives. That emotional tension... it took real work to get there."

The actor says the production team knew this storyline would reignite headlines. "We were ready. People have a lot of feelings about that part of his life," he says. "But we didn't approach it like gossip — we approached it like the truth."

Was El Chavo really that innocent?

For many viewers, El Chavo was the embodiment of childhood innocence. But Cruz challenges that notion: "I think he was kind of a troublemaker," he laughs. "Sure, he was sweet. But he could also be a little passive-aggressive. He liked to stir things up."

That complexity, tenderness and mischief, is what made the character so real, and so beloved.

About that second season...

Officially, HBO Max hasn't confirmed anything. But Cruz hints the team already knows what's coming. "They haven't told us anything... but we kind of know," he teases. "Let's just say I haven't given up on negotiating for the Chipote Chillón."

The show remains in Max's top 10 in Latin America and the U.S., and social media has kept the conversation going. For Cruz, the role has already been transformative. "It changed my life," he says simply.

To physically become Chespirito, Cruz stopped working out and lost weight. "I wanted him to feel light, like he floated through his ideas," he says. Still, he admits to stealing a pair of pants from set. "They fit great. I warned the wardrobe team, kind of. They never made it back."

As for what he learned from the experience? Cruz doesn't hesitate.

"Genius is meaningless if it isn't paired with empathy," he says. "Some directors are brilliant, but they mistreat their crews. Imagine what could happen if talent and kindness worked together."

Cruz, who previously produced the film La Nave, wants to direct. And playing Chespirito only deepened that desire. "He taught me that it's possible to demand excellence and still be playful. That's the balance I want to explore as a filmmaker."

Whether or not we see Season 2, one thing is clear: Pablo Cruz Guerrero is just getting started.

And yes! The pants look great.

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