Chocolat (clown)
Chocolat | |
|---|---|
Chocolat Clown (right) and his long-time partner George Foottit (left) | |
| Born | c. 1865 |
| Died | 4 November 1917 (age 49) |
| Other names | Rafael Padilla |
| Occupation | Clown |
Rafael Padilla (ca. 1865/68 – 4 November 1917), known professionally as Chocolat, was a clown who performed in a Paris circus around the 1900s. Rafael was an 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.