Melwin Cedeño

2025-07-01T20:37:03Z

2604:B000:B208:3534:F6:9E1B:37BA:E0D6:

{{short description|Puerto Rican actor, dancer and comedian}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Melwin Cedeño
| image =
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| caption =
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| birth_place = [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]]
| height =
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| website =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* comedian
* host
* dancer
}}
| spouse = Phaedra Michalzik
| children = 3
}}

'''Melwin Cedeño''' (born in Ponce) is a [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] actor, comedian,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/sorprendidonelsonbermejoconsullegadaa%C2%A1quenoche!-440528.html|title=Sorprendido Nelson Bermejo con su llegada a ¡Qué noche! |date=November 1, 2010|work=[[Primera Hora (Puerto Rico)|Primera Hora]]|language=Spanish|accessdate=November 10, 2010}}</ref> host, and dancer. Cedeño is better known for his comedic performance as [[Chevy, el Ponzonu|Chevy]].

== Early years and studies ==

Melwin Cedeño was raised in [[Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico]]. His parents are Noel Cedeño and Lilina Irizarry. During childhood, he enjoyed making people laugh and admitted he was frequently "kicked out of school for making jokes in the classroom".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.primerahora.com/entretenimiento/tv/nota/melwincedenoquieresermasdivertidoquechevy-974972/|title=Melwin Cedeño quiere ser más divertido que "Chevy"|author=Santiago Torres, Amary|work=Primera Hora|date=December 7, 2013|accessdate=September 12, 2015}}</ref> Cedeño began to pursue [[Pre-medical|pre-med]] studies at the [[Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico]] in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]]. However, he dropped out, and moved to study [[Drama]] at the [[University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus|University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prpop.org/biografias/melwin-cedeno/|title=Melwin Cedeño - Biografía|work=Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular|author=Rivera González, Yaira|date=June 27, 2014|accessdate=September 12, 2015}}</ref>

== Career ==

While studying, Cedeño joined a local [[merengue music|merengue]] orchestra called ''Los Nenes de Puerto Rico''. His partners in the orchestra later became members of the popular group [[Límite 21]]. He also joined the university theatre group working in several plays like ''La Celestina'' and ''Bodas de Sangre''. Cedeño also debuted in television shows in [[drama]]tic roles in [[soap operas]] such as ''Alejandra'', ''Karina Montaner'', and ''Apartamento de Solteras'' . He achieved recognition for his dramatic role as a young [[drug addict]] in the [[telenovela]] ''Andrea''.

At the end of the 1980s, Cedeño started working as a [[comedian]] in popular shows like ''Show del Mediodía'' and ''El Kiosko Budweiser''. It was during this time that his character of [[Chevy, el Ponzonu|Chevy]] was born. According to him, he had played a [[Nuyorican]] character in the play ''Tres hombres y un bébe'', which prompted actress [[Yasmín Mejías]] to invite him to participate in one segment of a [[Luisito Vigoreaux]] show called ''Cafetería la 15''. "They were looking for a 'son' for the character of Georgina Borri ... Luis didn't want me to play 'Chevy', but one day he wasn't at work, I put on the glasses and the handkerchief... the place was about to fall down."

The popularity of the character spawned a daily show titled ''[[Con Lo Que Cuenta Este País]]'', which debuted in 1991. It was broadcast by [[Telemundo]] [[Puerto Rico]] and produced by [[Hector Marcano]]. The show remained among the top shows in audience ratings for several years until its cancelation in 1993.

After that, Cedeño hosted the comedy [[game show]] ''Alto Voltaje'', also produced by Marcano in [[Telemundo]], but the show was canceled after just three months. After the end of the series, Cedeño decided to retire briefly from public life. He moved to the United States exploring offers from [[Telemundo]] and [[Univision]]. Eventually, he returned to Puerto Rico and continued working in theater and with brief comedic appearances in shows like ''Eso Vale''.

In the late 1990s, Cedeño made a film titled ''Chevy... Episodio I'', along with producer Gabriel Suau, marked the come-back of his popular character. As a result of the response to the film, Cedeño received an offer to host a new show for kids titled ''Pégate con Chevy''. The show debuted in 2000, and received the acknowledgment of [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] children's audiences. However, in 2002, the show was canceled despite its favorable reviews.

Cedeño still works regularly in television and theatre, and his character of ''[[Chevy]]'' remains popular among Puerto Ricans. He is currently a co-host in the show ''Pégate al Mediodía'', along with [[Angelique Burgos]], Jaime Mayol, and Natalia Rivera. Cedeño was initially brought in as a guest host but was made permanent when Mayol left to work on another show.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://prpop.org/2015/03/el-aprendizaje-de-melwin-cedeno/|title=El aprendizaje de Melwin Cedeño|work=Fundacion Nacional para la Cultura Popular|author=Torres, Edgar|date=March 10, 2015|accessdate=September 12, 2015}}</ref>

== Personal life ==

Melwin is currently married to former model and actress Phaedra Michalzik. They have two children together: Xander and Ackerly. Melwin has an adult son, Melwin Ahmed, from a previous relationship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santaisabelpr.com/melwin-cedeno-un-multifacetico-comediante|title=Melwin Cedeño un comediante multifacético|work=SantaIsabelPR|author=Rivera Velázquez, Melvin|accessdate=September 12, 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Biography}}
*[[List of Puerto Ricans]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0147810|name=Melwin Cedeño}}
*[http://www.prpop.org/biografias/m_bios/melwin_cedeno.shtml Biography] from Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular (an agency of the Puerto Rican Department of State)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cedeno, Melwin}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican male soap opera actors]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican male stage actors]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican male television actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Puerto Rican male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Puerto Rican singers]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican comedians]]
[[Category:University of Puerto Rico alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American comedians]]

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Melwin Cedeño