This is what “Mr. Barriga” from “El Chavo del 8” looks like at 73 years old: From 167 kilos that he weighed, he managed to lose more than 60

The 1970s gave the Hispanic-American audience one of the most iconic series: “El Chavo del 8″. For years, this Mexican production became the favorite of millions of people who enjoyed the stories of a neighborhood with unique residents. And one of them, without a doubt, was “Mr. Barriga”.

The talented Aztec actor Édgar Vivar was in charge of giving life to a character that won the affection of the entire public. His visit to collect the rent, and the subsequent reception were part of the episodes that brought out millions of smiles.

“La Chilindrina”, “Kiko” and of course “El Chavo del 8″, took turns to rile up the man that some did not want to see at the end of each month.

The challenge of “Mr. Barriga” after completing “El Chavo del 8”

The overweight that Édgar Vivar carried for a decade was the main element in the characterization of “Mr. Barriga”. To look like him was to take a black suit and fill out the abdomen, glasses and a matching briefcase.

For millions of children it was common to take that figure and become the charismatic man who suffered rudeness when looking for the money from the payments of each residence in the “nice neighborhood”.

During the time that the famous program lasted, he never lost weight. On the contrary, the artist born in Mexico City, gained more kilos over the years.

After the golden age of “El Chavo del 8”, he continued with his other characters “Botija”, the faithful companion of “Chómpiras”, and other participations in “Chespirito” and “El Chapulín Colorado”, as well as in some Mexican comedy films.

And after the culmination of the emblematic Mexican series, Vivar recently revealed to the Los Angeles Times how he overcame the depression that overwhelmed him when his interpretation came to an end.

He recognized that one of the challenges was “to show the producers that he could do different things”, to what had been pigeonholed in the Mexican comedy. For this reason, he mentioned that “reinvent” was the word he took to move forward.

Thus began the transformation of Édgar Vivar

But without a doubt, the most difficult moments occurred in the 90s, when his life was put at risk due to his overweight. Cardiovascular problems forced him to make a firm decision to reduce his weight to regain his health.

In 2009, Édgar Vivar underwent bariatric surgery at the Monterrey hospital, with the aim of continuing to reduce his weight, the newspaper El Informador published.

At that time he weighed 167 kilos, which compromised his health, and for that reason he decided to stop and undergo an operation to reduce his stomach, managing to lose more than 60 kilos at first.

At 73 years old, the traces of the passage of time are perceptible to the naked eye. To which is added, the significant loss of more kilos, which gave him a new appearance before the millions of followers of him.

Now he sports an incipient beard, along with his inseparable black-rimmed glasses. His pronounced baldness remains the same, but now he has the great power of Spiderman, as he showed in one of his last posts on his Instagram account, in which he is accompanied by Spiderman.

The artist wears an absolute transformation, leaving in the past the image of the obese man. From the stage, where he performs plays with the characters of “Señor Barriga” and “Ñoño”, but now being a man without marked overweight.

In 2019, he participated in the telenovela “Cita a Ciegas”, in the role of Homero López, a security guard in a building. In this Televisa production he was alongside Victoria Ruffo, Omar Fierro, Arturo Peniche and Sofía Garza.

Only three characters from the main cast survive, Florinda Meza, Carlos Villagrán and María Antonieta de Las Nieves, in addition to Édgar Vivar. (AND)