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Raúl De Molina
De Molina at the 2010 Latin Grammys in Las Vegas
Born	(1959-03-29) March 29, 1959 (age 65) Havana, Cuba
Education	The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
Occupation(s)	Television presenter and photojournalist
Television	El Gordo y La Flaca
Spouse	Millie de Molina
Children	1

Raúl "El Gordo" De Molina (born March 29, 1959, in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban-American television presenter, best known as the co-host of the Univision Network entertainment news show El Gordo y la Flaca, for which he won multiple Emmy Awards.

Early life and education

Raúl De Molina was born in Havana, Cuba in 1959. De Molina's father was detained as a political prisoner for 24 years by the Communist Party of Cuba. De Molina's family left Havana and lived in Spain when he was 10 years old. They moved to the United States when he was 16. As a child, De Molina became interested in photography. While in high school, he took photos for the school yearbook. He later attended The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. He was also a graduate of Miami Photography College in North Miami.

Career

Photojournalism

After graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, De Molina worked as a freelance photographer during the 1980s. He first freelanced for Associated Press, before freelancing for the Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today.

He documented news and live sports events, before eventually becoming a celebrity photographer. He was known for photographing celebrities and royalty including Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro and Melanie Griffith. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, De Molina commented on the lengths he went to for his photographs, including dangling outside of a helicopter to photograph the wedding of Jane Fonda and Ted Turner.

His candid photos appeared in publications such as Life, ¡Hola!, and Paris Match. During the United States invasion of Panama, De Molina was one of the first photographers present and took photos of the inside of Manuel Noriega's house. In addition, he was a special contributor for the Spanish edition of Travel + Leisure magazine and has been featured in National Geographic Traveler, and The New York Times Travel section.

In 2005, De Molina's photography was displayed in the "Pictures of a Lifetime" exhibition at the Gary Nader Gallery in Miami.

Television

De Molina began appearing on various talk shows during the 1990s, including The Joan Rivers Show, Maury Povich Show, and Geraldo. These early television appearances brought him to the attention of Spanish-language channels Telemundo and Univision. He made appearances on shows like Sábado Gigante, and in 1998 became the co-host of El Gordo y la Flaca, alongside Lili Estefan. He has continued to host the show ever since, which has more viewers on its time slot than ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX combined.

He has hosted and reported for programs such as Primer Impacto, Ocurrió Así, Hola América, and Club Telemundo, as well as primetime specials and his own productions.

De Molina has also covered live events such as the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, and the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, Manhattan. While in South Africa to cover the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Molina was stranded during a safari when his car engine caught fire, and he was surrounded by lions. According to Molina, he was rescued after a passing family gave him a ride.

In 2008, De Molina was chosen as one of the "Most Influential Hispanics" in the United States by People en Español. He was featured in both the "Most Beautiful" and "Best Dressed" special issues of People en Español.

In October 2008, Random House published his second book La Dieta del Gordo about his own struggles with weight, and his secret to losing 70 pounds. De Molina was an inaugural contributor to the HuffPost's Food section. He continues to write regular columns on food, healthcare, sports and Hispanic culture. He is also a regular contributor to AOL News.

In 2008, De Molina appeared on After Hours with Daniel Boulud. He was a judge on Iron Chef America in 2011. He was also a guest on The Chew and The Wendy Williams Show.

He was also a judge in the Miss America 2012 pageant besides Kris Jenner, Mark Ballas, and Lara Spencer. In 2015, De Molina was a panelist on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.

De Molina was prominently featured in the 2020 documentary film Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, about the life of Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado.

Personal life

De Molina married his wife Millie de Molina in 1994, and they have a daughter named Mia. He travels extensively and documents his journeys through photography, and frequently vacations with his family. He is a survivor of kidney cancer, and has spoken publicly about his efforts to lose weight and improve his health.

De Molina is an avid watch collector and his collection has been featured in The New York Times and Hodinkee. He has also cultivated a collection of art and photography, which includes works by Hunt Slonem, José Bedia Valdés, Li Hongbo, Liu Bolin, Valérie Belin, Lalla Essaydi, Manuel Mendive and Jean-François Rauzier [fr].

De Molina serves on Art Basel's host committee, and his annual party is regarded as the unofficial "kick-off" event of the international exhibition show.

He has an interest in cars, which he developed as a young teen living in Spain where he often watched car races. His personal car collection includes a special edition 2013 Mini Cooper GP, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and a 2006 Ford GT40.

Philanthropy

De Molina has supported various philanthropic organizations, especially those related to children's health. He sponsors Voices for Children and the Miami Children's Health Foundation. He is an ambassador and sponsor for the Nicklaus Children's Hospital. De Molina photographed the hospital's patients and employees for its 2016 benefit calendar.

Awards

De Molina has received several Emmy Awards, with his most recent nomination in 2016. In addition, he has won three Suncoast Regional Emmys.

In 2013, he was presented with the 20 Years Career Award during the 31st TVyNovelas Awards to commemorate his career. He was awarded the "Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic Television" at the 14th Annual Hispanic Television Summit in 2016.

De Molina and his co-host Lili Estefan were awarded their own stars on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in 2009.

Filmography

Television

Film

See also

• List of television presenters/Cuban American

References

1. Raúl de Molina (2010-04-06). "Paquita From the Hood". HuffPost. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
2. ^ Bowl, Paula Conway / The Candy (3 February 2016). "The Candy Bowl: 'El Gordo' Raul de Molina is living large". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
3. ^ "The Artsy Questionnaire: Raul de Molina, Photojournalist-Turned-Collector and Univision's Most Popular Host". Artsy. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
4. ^ Holloway, Daniel (2020-11-06). "Univision's Raúl De Molina on Trump's Gains With Latinos and Hollywood's Representation Problem". Variety. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
5. ^ Sun-Sentinel, John Hughes, Ft Lauderdale (27 June 1991). "CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER GETS HIS SHOTS AT STARDOM". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2021-09-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "One on One: Travels of the Fat Man -- National Geographic Traveler". Travel. 2010-10-20. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
7. "'El Gordo y La Flaca' host Raul de Molina takes the EW Personality Quiz". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
8. Wulfhart, Nell McShane (2019-03-05). "What Raúl de Molina Can't Travel Without". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
9. "Past Exhibitions 2004-2009 auf artnet". www.artnet.de. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
10. Gebreyes, Rahel (2014-09-04). "How Joan Rivers Helped Catapult A TV Veteran Into Stardom". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
11. ^ Siegemund-Broka, Austin; Siegemund-Broka, Austin (2014-09-04). "Emmy-Winning Univision Host Raul De Molina Pays Tribute to Joan Rivers for Starting His TV Career". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
12. McClellan, Steve (2010-10-25). "Univision on Track to Become Top U.S. Broadcast Network". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
13. "Enrique Gratas Died: Raúl De Molina, María Celeste Arrarás And More Celebrities React To Death Of Journalist [TWEETS]". Latin Times. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
14. "Raul De Molina Pictures - The 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards - Green Carpet". Zimbio. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
15. "Raul de Molina Takes Over New York - Entertainment News". redOrbit. 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
16. Ryzik, Melena (2011-02-23). "Oscar Picks, Courtesy of Univision's El Gordo". The New York Times.
17. Munzenrieder, Kyle. "Univision Host Raul De Molina Almost Eaten by Lions After Mini Cooper Explodes in Africa". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
18. "Raúl De Molina Takes Over!". 2011-07-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
19. "Mezcalent: Raúl de Molina es bello". Mezcalent. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
20. "Nonfiction Book Review: La Dieta del Gordo: Como Perder Libras Sin Pasar Hambre by Raul De Molina, Author Grijalbo $18.95 (195p) ISBN 978-0-307-39241-1". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
21. Raúl de Molina (2010-06-03). "The World's Best Restaurant". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
22. Raúl de Molina (2010-03-18). "Thanks for the Welcome". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
23. Raúl de Molina (2010-08-12). "Alinea". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
24. Raúl de Molina (2010-05-24). "Health Care Experiences and Observations from around the World". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
25. "Opinion: My Kind of World Cup". AOL News. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
26. "Iron Chef America Season 10 Episode 14 - Watch Full Episodes". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
27. Nacional, El (8 December 2011). "El presentador Raúl de Molina formará parte del jurado de Miss América". El Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-09-29.
28. Thompson, Avery (2020-07-27). "'Mucho Mucho Amor': Raúl De Molina Reflects On Walter Mercado's Legacy — 'No One' Can Replace Him". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
29. Univision. "La historia de amor de Raúl y Millie de Molina que 25 años después sigue intacta". Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-09-30.
30. Catron, Jennifer García. "Q&A With Univsion Host El Gordo on Managing His Weight". AARP. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
31. Gomelsky, Victoria (2019-09-11). "'I Love You Wearing Your Watches.'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
32. Clymer, Benjamin (March 2, 2015). "Talking Watches: With Raúl de Molina". HODINKEE. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
33. "Unofficial Art Basel Kick-Off Party". Haute Living. 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
34. Saldana, Janel (2015-12-31). "Raúl 'El Gordo' De Molina Reveals Philanthropic Side, Shares Career Beginnings And New Year's Eve Plans [EXCLUSIVE]". Latin Times. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
35. "Raúl de Molina desempolva su lente de paparazzi por una buena cau". People en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-09-30.
36. "Daytime Emmy Awards 2016 Nominations: Raúl De Molina, 'East Los High' And More Score Nods!". Latin Times. 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
37. "Los ganadores de los Premios TVyNovelas 2013". Univision (in Spanish). April 28, 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
38. Taylor, Kage (2016-07-23). "The Source |'El Gordo y la Flaca' Scores Big at Hispanic Television Summit". The Source. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
39. "exposay.com". exposay.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-04-01.

External links

• Raúl De Molina page at Univisión
• Raúl De Molina on Facebook
• Raúl De Molina at IMDb

• Cuban television presenters
• Cuban emigrants to the United States
• 1959 births
• Living people
• American television hosts
• American photojournalists