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Rafael Padilla

Acting•Born January 1, 1865•Died February 4, 1917 (age 52)

Biography

Chocolat was the stage name of Rafael Padilla (ca. 1865/68 – 4 November 1917), a clown who performed in a Paris circus around the turn of the 20th century. Rafael was of Afro-Cuban descent and was one of the earliest successful black entertainers in modern France. He was the first black clown to play a lead role in a circus pantomime act, and with his longtime partner George Foottit they revolutionized the art of clowning by pairing the sophisticated white clown with the foolish auguste clown.