Juan Joya Borja, man behind viral Spanish Laughing Guy meme has passed away

New Delhi: Spanish actor and comedian Juan Joya Borja popularly known as ‘El Risitas,’ died in Seville, Spain. Borja was 65 years old and died after what Spanish newspapers described as a “long illness.” He’d been hospitalized in 2020.

In english, “el risitas” means “the giggles,” and that’s an apt nickname for Borja. The moniker ‘El Risitas’ or ‘The Giggles’ came about when a clip of Borja featured on a variety talk show went viral.

The Spanish comedian and actor surged toward internet fame in 2015, as a YouTube video of him laughing during an interview spawned dozens of celebrated parody clips.

During an interview with host Jesus Quintero, Rojas was telling a funny story about throwing dishes into the ocean while working a job as a young man. Borja found his own story so funny that he could barely get through it between fits of laughter.

Watch here:

When Apple announced a new MacBook in 2015, El Ristas giggled through its poor specifications as an Apple Engineer. El Ristats stood in for every person who’d encountered a flat earther, fought with their family about Brexit, or tried to buy a new graphics card in the past year.

Before appearing on the show the giggly Spaniard had spent most of his life working odd jobs such as cooking and unloading cement.