As the youngest of six children, raised by a single mother in Long Beach, world-renowned comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias says he never imagined that he would be recognized by his hometown for what he does.
“It’s not something that you strive for,” he said. “As an entertainer, it’s like I’d love to have a TV special or I’d love to do a movie. Those are things that are in the back of your head, but acknowledgement that’s not something that I expected.”
Iglesias was presented with a Key to the City by Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson on Tuesday, June 18. The comedian received the honor after performing a special show for the community at the Terrace Theater.
“The Key to the City represents an opportunity to recognize the people who have spent their lives working to make a difference and haven’t been recognized enough for it,” Richardson said during the ceremony. “The people I’m honoring in my first Key to the City have a few things in common. They have spent their lives supporting their neighbors through philanthropy, service to our community, and by representing the city of Long Beach to the world stage.”
Along with Iglesias, the mayor is honoring four other community leaders who will receive Keys to the City at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 16.
For Iglesias, Long Beach is home and a place with incredible memories – good and bad, he said.
“Some of my biggest accomplishments clearly like today have been here and some of my biggest heartbreaks,” he said during an interview before the show. “I’ve had situations that happened to me over the years that happened here and you have to take the good with the bad.”
Instead of just accepting the honor at City Hall as receiving a Key to the City typically goes, Iglesias said that he rather wanted to put on a show and make it fun for everyone.
The show was offered at a low cost during ticket sales, and youth between the ages of 16 to 25 had the opportunity to receive a free ticket from their City Council Office. On Tuesday, the show was sold out, officials said.
Partial proceeds from ticket sales benefited the Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach in support of the STRONG Beach Initiative, according to the city’s press release.
“There are a lot of people here tonight that maybe they come from a broken home or maybe they’re on some type of public assistance or maybe they see themselves not in a position to succeed,” Iglesias said. “It’s important for them to see that somebody who was in their position or worse can succeed, can make a good life, can become a productive member of the community, and can do something with their lives.”
As the ceremony and show began, the crowd was enthusiastic about Iglesias’ honor and chanted “Fluffy,” as he took the stage.
Mayor Richardson recognized Iglesias for the impact he has made on Long Beach and communities across the nation, and his example as a father, leader, donations to Long Beach Schools, partner with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and supporting fans, such as helping to pay their medical expenses, and uplifting Long Beach through his work.
In a video presented during the ceremony, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and comedian Martin Moreno shared a few words about Iglesias as well. Moreno also was the opening act before the show began.
“Gabriel loves Long Beach,” Moreno said in the video. “To get the key to the city is, I think, one of the highest honors. When you are recognized in your backyard, it’s a big statement.”
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In 1997, Iglesias set out to hone his comedic skills and performed stand-up anywhere he could find an audience, including biker bars and hole-in-the-wall joints.
Now, he is one of the world’s most successful stand-up comedians. Iglesias recently became the second highest grossing touring comedian and is one of the most watched comedians on YouTube with over 1.1 billion views, according to a press release.
In addition to his comedy series, Iglesias released two stand-up comedy specials with Netflix. The first, “One Show Fits All,” was filmed in front of a sold-out audience at the Toyota Center in Houston and debuted in January 2019. The second, “Stadium Fluffy,” premiered on Oct. 18, 2022, and was taped in front of a crowd of 55,000 fans at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where he made history as the first comedian to perform at and sell out the largest MLB stadium in the U.S.
“Thank you for your long and continued contributions to the Long Beach community and for serving as a positive ambassador of Long Beach to the entire world,” Richardson said as he presented Iglesias his Key to the City after finishing his performance.
Iglesias dedicated his Key to the City to the memory of Sam Rubin, KTLA News entertainment anchor.
“He was one of my biggest supporters in comedy and entertainment,” Iglesias said during the ceremony. “He always covered my specials, he always covered my sitcoms, he was a really great human being and I just want to thank him.”