Carlos Villagrán Eslava (born January 12, 1944) is a Mexican comedy actor and former journalist.
Villagrán combined both acting and writing at first; he became known for a character named Pirolo.
He went on to write for a local newspaper in Mexico City. As a writer, he became friends with screenwriter and future co-star Rubén Aguirre. Aguirre was hired to play Profesor Jirafales by Chespirito in the upcoming El Chavo del Ocho Televisa television series. Aguirre held a party for family and friends at his house, and Villagrán impressed him after expanding his cheeks out of proportion during one of the party's comic steps. As a matter of a fact, that movement would later become a trademark of the character he'd play in El Chavo....
Aguirre recommended Villagrán to Chespirito, and Villagrán was given the Quico character in the show. He also appeared on Chespirito's other hit show, El Chapulín Colorado. Both of Chespirito's shows became major international hits all over Latin America, in the United States, Spain, and other countries. Villagrán acquired great fame with these shows.
Villagrán left the shows in 1978, mostly because he and Chespirito established a legal battle over the rights of the Quico character. It is also rumored that he was involved in a love triangle along with Chespirito and his girlfriend Florinda Meza, who played Quico's mother. At that same time, Ramón Valdez also left the two shows. This marked the beginning of the end for both productions, although they are still seen on many countries around the world with re-runs.
Villagrán went to Venezuela and then on to Peru, where he acted in various shows, but without the same success that Chespirito's productions had in Mexico. He and Valdez reunited, when Tele-Rey hired them to make the television show, Ah, qué Kiko!. With the same name but different spelling, Chespirito was not able to prevent the name Kiko to be used in the new show. The show was having success, however, when Valdez died of lung cancer in 1988, it soon was taken off the air.
Like many of his co-stars in the Chespirito shows, Villagrán went on to enjoy a circus career, touring with his El circo de Kiko.
Villagrán later did exactly what his friend Aguirre had done before, moving to Argentina, where Chespirito has no rights over the Quico character, and playing his old character there.
Villagrán has three sons and three daughters.