In Popular Culture
An archetypal playboy, after his death, Lamas's image lived on in popular culture via the "Fernando" character developed by Billy Crystal on Saturday Night Live in the mid-1980s. The character was outlandish and exaggerated but reportedly inspired by a remark Crystal heard Lamas utter on The Tonight Show; "It is better to look good than to feel good." This was one of the Fernando character's two catchphrases along with the better-remembered "You look marvelous!" (usually spelled "mahvelous" in this context).
His friend, actor Jonathan Goldsmith, took inspiration from Lamas for the character The Most Interesting Man in the World.
Read more about this topic: Fernando Lamas
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