Guillermo Rodriguez is a popular name in Hollywood and has been a longtime fixture on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In fact, he’s Kimmel’s sidekick in many ways, and was part of a gag that showed Kimmel wanting to leave the US when Donald Trump won his second presidency. Rodriguez was the one who convinced him to stay, in the skit, before packing and leaving for Mexico himself.
Now, with Kimmel’s show suspended indefinitely by ABC, following his remarks on Charlie Kirk’s shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson, there is a renewed interest in Rodriguez, Kimmel’s comedic partner of many years.
Rodriguez first caught his big break while working as a parking lot security guard at Hollywood Boulevard Studios, where he received an offer to appear on Kimmel’s popular late-night show. After initially rejecting the offer due to an inherent shyness in front of the camera, Rodriguez managed to finally make his first appearance on the show as ‘Uncle Potenza’ in a series of skits called Security Night Live.
Due to gradual success, Rodriguez originally went on to become an integral part of the show and soon started playing the role of an Everyman, including characters like Michael Jackson’s Spanish cook. As a result of his charming personality, his signature segment, called Guillermo’s Hollywood Roundup, featured instances of him joking about popular shows and movies.
He frequently edited himself into movie trailers, which were screened during the late-night show and acted as small comedic bits in themselves. He even makes frequent appearances at the NBA Finals Media Day to conduct interviews and revel in his usual on-set antics. Rodriguez played the role of an uncredited policeman in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Rodriguez has an estimated $3 million to his name, which includes an annual salary of $500,000. He shares a son, Benji, with his current wife, along with two pet chihuahuas.
Kimmel reportedly even named his son “Billy” after Rodriguez.
