# Cheech Marin.........Iranian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177 "2002-04-12T04:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/1 "2002-04-12T04:20:44Z")
This guy at work told me he heard that Cheech Marin (a.k.a. of Cheech & Chong fame) was of Iranian heritage. After thinking about it, I seem to recall hearing this elsewhere, but I don’t remember where. Not that it would otherwise matter but almost every single role he’s ever played he’s portrayed as a hispanic/mexican/chicano/latino. It seems odd to me that a guy whose an Iranian would continously play a charachter with a spanish accent. Any truth to this rumor? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/2 "2002-04-12T04:30:37Z")
This is from Cheech’s biography on the [Barned & Noble Web Site](http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/biography.asp?ctr=624338) : > [@](#): > > While working as an improvisational comedian with Vancouver’s City Work troupe, Marin teamed with Tommy Chong; the **Hispanic/Asian** duo created the characters of Cheech and Chong, a pair of zoned-out dopers ever in search of the “perfect joint.” (bold is mine) The “asian” part of that duo is Tommy Chong, whose parents are Korean (eep! i think!) and Irish. I’m willing to bet he’s hispanic, and it’s entirely possible that he has some Iranian in him. As for him having a mexican accent, he was born and “raised in east L.A.” He could have easily picked that up. but, there’s got to be more info. I’ll keep searching… ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/3 "2002-04-12T04:45:37Z")
Maybe you should ask the Mexican guy… [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=109040](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=109040) I’m not a big Cheech and Chong fan, but it doesn’t strike me as Persian humor. (Whatever that’s like.) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/4 "2002-04-12T04:46:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Father: Oscar Marin, police officer; served on LAPD > Mother: Elsa Marin (née Meza) . From [here](http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Bio/0,128,10040,00.html) . They don’t sound Iranian. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/5 "2002-04-12T04:46:45Z")
My understanding is that David “Cheech” Marin is an American of Mexican descent and his former partner, Thomas Chong, is a Canadian of partially Chinese descent. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/6 "2002-04-12T05:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*My understanding is that David “Cheech” Marin is an American of Mexican descent and his former partner, Thomas Chong, is a Canadian of partially Chinese descent. \*\* David?? I’m pretty sure his name is Richard. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/7 "2002-04-12T05:34:59Z")
I believe Cheech’s nickname derives from his favorite food, chicharrones. Now, unless he’s from the tiny Iranian population that is not Muslim, Jewish, or Christian (maybe Parsis like Freddy Mercury’s folks were), he wouldn’t be eating fried pig bits. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/8 "2002-04-12T06:55:10Z")
If it helps, I believe Casey Casem is of Middle-Eastern descent. Not sure if the OP was geared towards Cheech in particular, or Iranian actors, or what, but hey. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/9 "2002-04-12T07:22:22Z")
I’m pretty sure he is NOT. But here is a list of people who are, at least in part, Iranian. 1. Me!!! 2. Christiane Amanpour, CNN Foreign Correspondent 3. Dineh Mohajer, Founder of Hard Candy 4. Vartan Gregorian, Former President of Brown University 5. Mohammad Khakpour - Player, New York / New Jersey Metrostars 6. Maziar Mafi - Democrat Congressional Candidate (California) 7. Afshin Mohebbi, President and COO, Qwest Corporation 8. Pierre Omidyar, Founder of E Bay (and Tufts graduate) 9. Bijan Pakzad, Owner, Bijan Apparel and Fragrances 10. Shahriar Pourdanesh, Player, Washington Redskins 11. Sohrab Sobhani - Republican Senate Candidate (Maryland) ---
**Author:** ![straykat23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@straykat23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straykat23)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/10 "2002-04-12T07:54:16Z")
To add to the list: 1. Andre Agassi (father born in Persia/Iran) ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/11 "2002-04-12T08:05:30Z")
**Ana** - you forgot someone - **Y**!!! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/12 "2002-04-12T11:29:20Z")
LOL, this idea must have gotten started from a scene in the Cheech & Chong movie _Nice Dreams_. This movie was made in 1981 when the Iranian Hostage Crisis was still fresh in people’s minds. At one point in the movie, C&C, disguised as redneck biker hippies, approach Pee Wee Herman who is working as a hotel desk clerk. He is in a bad mood and they severely piss him off. He calls the cops on them. The police don’t see what the problem is. PWH just wants to get rid of them so he says into the phone: “I think they’re _Eye-rain-ians!_” Immediately we see cop cars flying through the streets, lights flashing, sirens screaming. ---
**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/13 "2002-04-12T14:08:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > \*\*LOL, this idea must have gotten started from a scene in the Cheech & Chong movie _Nice Dreams_. This movie was made in 1981 when the Iranian Hostage Crisis was still fresh in people’s minds. > > At one point in the movie, C&C, disguised as redneck biker hippies, approach Pee Wee Herman who is working as a hotel desk clerk. He is in a bad mood and they severely piss him off. He calls the cops on them. The police don’t see what the problem is. PWH just wants to get rid of them so he says into the phone: “I think they’re _Eye-rain-ians!_” > > Immediately we see cop cars flying through the streets, lights flashing, sirens screaming. \*\* Right Idea. Wrong Movie. I think its Cheech and Chongs Next Movie with the hotel scene. Cheech is not disguised as a redneck biker. The character is Dwayne or “Red”, which is Cheech’s cousin. PeeWee gets mad because Red won’t pay his hotel bill. ~/X(…)/X\ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/14 "2002-04-13T04:38:58Z")
> [@](#): > > David?? > > I’m pretty sure his name is Richard. Well, at the time I posted, I was pretty sure his name was David. So the only difference between us that I see is that you’re right and I’m wrong. It’s at times like this that I take comfort in the words of our fortieth President, Ronald Reagan, who said: “Facts are stupid things.” At least, I’m pretty sure he did. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheech-marin-iranian/103177/15 "2002-04-13T05:31:57Z")
> [@](#): > > I believe Cheech’s nickname derives from his favorite food, chicharrones. In an interview he said that a relative saw him lying in his crib when he was a baby and remarked that he looked like a chicharron. How many people get fame and fortune out of being named after fried pork skins?