| Nobel Vega | |
| Birth Date: | 21 August 1931 |
| Birth Place: | Cuba |
| Death Place: | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Other Names: | Tio Nobel, Uncle Nobel |
| Occupation: | Actor |
Nobel Vega (August 21, 1931 – August 7, 2023), better known as Tio Nobel or Uncle Nobel, was a Cuban actor and children's television personality.[1] Vega is mostly remembered for his character as a boat captain who appeared on Puerto Rico's WKAQ-TV's "El Show del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Show"), a daily children's game show he hosted in which children played for prizes, usually Mattel branded toys. His show competed with Spaniard Pacheco's "Cine Recreo", shown on WAPA-TV, Telemundo Puerto Rico's rival television station.
Nobel Vega became an actor in his native Cuba and he participated in various films before, after the Cuban revolution, he, like many other Cuban nationals of the era, left his country. He settled in Puerto Rico where he found television work and fame, first playing Bozo the Clown for young Puerto Rican audiences on WAPA-TV.[2] Vega also participated in a telenovela, 1969's Conciencia Culpable.[1]
Vega then moved to Telemundo Puerto Rico, where he starred as "Tio Nobel" for more than 20 years on the "Tio Nobel Show" as well as in "El Mundo Infantil del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Children's World") and "El Festival del Tio Nobel" ("Uncle Nobel's Festival"). In later years, he took his "Tio Nobel" character and moved to another Puerto Rican channel, Tele Once.
Vega moved from Puerto Rico during the later stages of his life and he resided in Miami, Florida.[3] He was married to his longtime wife, Nadine Zayas.[4]
Vega in his older age suffered a number of health issues, including having a brain stroke which left him with difficulty to speak, heart problems which led to having a pacemaker installed, several injuries and Alzheimer's disease.[5]
Nobel Vega died at his home in Miami on August 7, 2023, at the age of 92.[6]
Vega participated in three films, including one Hollywood film.[7]