Susa y Epifanio

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Susa y Epifanio are a famous Puerto Rican Comedy duo made up of two fictional characters. They are known for their humor on radio, television, live shows, and in films. They hosted the radio program Prende El Fogón on WSKN-AM in San Juan and the weekday TV show El Fogón TV on WORO-DT in Carolina. They also make many live appearances around Puerto Rico and in the Puerto Rican communities abroad. They even had a cameo in the 2005 film El Sueño del Regreso.

Epifanio González Villamil is played by Víctor Alicea, a Puerto Rican comedian who is also a special education teacher, choreographer and dancer. Epifanio was said to be born in Ponce around 1945 and raised in a fancy area called “La Rambla,” but the real backstory, shared by their former producer, says he came from La Guancha, a working-class part of the city. Epifanio loves Ponce and often says the phrase “Ponce es Ponce y lo demás es parking.” He later moves to Old San Juan. He is a merchant who owns kiosks, small eateries or clubs. He has grey hair (often worn with a toupee) and usually wears a red guayabera. Alicea has said he based Epifanio on his own father, adding bits from people he’s met.

The character started in a spoof called El Derecho de Lavar, which mocked a famous radio/TV telenovela. In the early days, Epifanio ran a laundromat with his sister, and they found a baby girl in a trash can who became their “niece.” The girl, Chachita, grows up with a friend, Papo Tennis, a tall young man who comes to wash his shoes. Epifanio is openly racist toward Papo, and his plans to keep Chachita from dating him create most of the daily plots. The original 20-minute segment on WLUZ-TV was later reworked into Epifanio’s Laundromat, focusing more on Epifanio’s schemes.

When WLUZ-TV was sold to foreign owners, many of its stars, including Alicea, moved on. Alicea joined Luisito Vigoreaux’s company and spent about twelve years in Vigoreaux’s popular comedies, often teaming up with Velázquez. In newer adventures, Epifanio remains a grouchy but funny character, sometimes a misanthrope and later a geriatric, money-spending flirt who loves a nearby club called El Pocito Dulce A-Go-Go. He befriends La Canita, a ditzy blonde played by Waleska Seda, and is nicknamed “El Viejo Daña'o” (The Damaged Old Man). His physical comedy and timing—throwing things on purpose and missing targets—show influences from Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin and other classic comics. Epifanio also often jokes about politics, especially the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), and wears red as a signature color. He even proclaims himself “¡Católico y Popularrrrrrr!” but his views sometimes clash with his behavior.

Jesusa “Susa” Cruz Avilés is played by Carmen Nydia Velázquez. Susa was born in Las Marías and is famous for being the best fritolera (fritter cook) in Puerto Rico. She jokes that she is distantly related to Tom Cruise (a pun on the Spanish name Cruz) and is known for her simple, funny English and her cheerful during work. She usually supports the New Progressive Party (PNP), is single by choice, and loves singing old jíbaro songs. She wears a hair net and speaks with a light, naive humor. Susa is often smarter and streetsmarter than Epifanio, and she frequently responds to his insults with a sharp comeback or a punch from her handbag, which has become a signature moment in their acts. Their on-stage relationship is famously tense: Epifanio often harasses Susa, while she fights back with humor or a slap, and sometimes their banter hints at a possible romance, though they never fully act on it.

The pair’s duo became famous for their live shows, including plays like Amor en La Hamaca, which grew into a long-running hit. That story line eventually led to Amor en La Hamaca II, which ran for more than four years and became a Puerto Rican theatre landmark. Epifanio and Susa would later appear in many TV formats, including Susa y Epifanio, La Taberna Budweiser, El Kiosco Budweiser and Café Teatro El Fogón, and they were fixtures at municipal patron saint celebrations around the island. They also released a Christmas recording together.

Alicea has used Epifanio to promote Puerto Rican artists and a wide range of social causes, including animal rights, education, LGBTQ rights, the welfare of the elderly, HIV awareness and care, and support for children. He has also become more openly liberal in his public voice, while still keeping some risqué humor about women, which he calls “potrancas.”

Susa and Epifanio eventually moved from live TV to radio with Prende El Fogón on WSKN-AM (later WIAC-AM). They used the program to talk about current events, perform décimas, and take calls from listeners, while also doing community service work. They later took the Fogón format to television as El Fogón TV, where they even interview political figures to see if humor can loosen them up. Their first guest was Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. They’ve also produced radio and TV ads, especially aimed at older people, such as health plans and audiology services.

Susa y Epifanio remain a beloved part of Puerto Rican humor, known for their lively performances, catchy lines, and ability to poke fun at politics and society while celebrating Puerto Rican culture.