Nobel Vega (August 21, 1931 – August 7, 2023), better known as Tio Nobel or Uncle Nobel, was a Cuban actor and children's television personality.[1] Vega is mostly remembered for his character as a boat captain who appeared on Puerto Rico's WKAQ-TV's "El Show del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Show"), a daily children's game show he hosted in which children played for prizes, usually Mattel branded toys. His show competed with Spaniard Pacheco's "Cine Recreo", shown on WAPA-TV, Telemundo Puerto Rico's rival television station.
Nobel Vega | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 21, 1931 Cuba |
| Died | August 7, 2023 (aged 91) |
| Other names | Tio Nobel, Uncle Nobel |
| Occupation | Actor |
Early life and career
editNobel Vega became an actor in his native Cuba and he participated in various films before, after the Cuban revolution, he, like many other Cuban nationals of the era, left his country. He settled in Puerto Rico where he found television work and fame, first playing Bozo the Clown for young Puerto Rican audiences on WAPA-TV.[2] Vega also participated in a telenovela, 1969's Conciencia Culpable.[1]
Vega then moved to Telemundo Puerto Rico, where he starred as "Tio Nobel" for more than 20 years on the "Tio Nobel Show" as well as in "El Mundo Infantil del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Children's World") and "El Festival del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Festival"). In later years, he took his "Tio Nobel" character and moved to another Puerto Rican channel, Tele Once.
Personal life
editVega moved from Puerto Rico during the later stages of his life and he resided in Miami, Florida.[3] He was married to his longtime wife, Nadine Zayas.[4]
Illness and death
editVega in his older age suffered a number of health issues, including having a brain stroke which left him with difficulty to speak, heart problems which led to having a pacemaker installed, several injuries and Alzheimer's disease.[5]
Nobel Vega died at his home in Miami on August 7, 2023, at the age of 92.[6]
Filmography
editVega participated in three films, including one Hollywood film.[7]
- "La Justicia de Los Villalobos" (1961, as "Machito")
- "Aqui Estan Los Villalobos" (1962, also known as "La Justicia de Los Villalobos 2" and as "El Terror Blanco", as "Machito")
- "Calendar Pin-up Girls" (1966)
See also
editFellow Cuban expatriates in Puerto Rico
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Una mirada al libro de oro del "Tío Nobel"". Primera Hora. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
- ^ "En la casa del Tío Nobel". El Nuevo Día. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
- ^ "Capitán de todos el Tío Nobel". Primera Hora. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
- ^ Venes, Pablo. "Tío Nobel enfrenta diagnóstico de alzheimer". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-26.
- ^ "Tío Nobel enfrenta diagnóstico de alzheimer". Metro Puerto Rico. October 8, 2019.
- ^ "Fallece Nobel Vega, quien hizo el famoso personaje infantil "Tío Nobel"". El Nuevo Día. August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Nobel Vega". IMDb.