Marcelo Gastaldi was a Brazilian actor, voice actor, singer, and composer, recognized as a seminal figure in the history of Brazilian dubbing. Born in São Paulo on October 20, 1944, he began his artistic career at a young age, first appearing on television at thirteen and entering the dubbing industry at sixteen. His first credited voice role was as Bud in the series Papai Sabe Tudo. Over the following decades, he worked at several prominent São Paulo dubbing studios, including Gravason, AIC, and BKS, where he voiced numerous characters in series and films.

Gastaldi's voice became widely known through his work on a vast array of animated series and live-action productions. In the realm of anime, he is specifically noted for voicing the title character in the series Rainbow Sentai Robin. His other notable roles in animation included Tom in Moero Arthur, Jonathan in the first dub of Kimba the White Lion, Vadinólio in an old dub of Pinocchio: The Series, and the character Zak in Sectaurs, os Guerreiros de Symbion. He was also the first voice of the protagonist Saber Rider in the Brazilian dub of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. Beyond anime, his extensive portfolio included iconic characters such as Charlie Brown in the early dubs of Snoopy, and Wada in the live-action tokusatsu series Spectreman.

A significant aspect of Gastaldi's legacy was his role as a dubbing director and studio founder. In 1981, he established the cooperative Maga Produções Artísticas, a name derived from the first syllables of his first and last name. Based at the studios of TVS (later SBT), Maga became a central hub for dubbing the network's acquired foreign programming. This venture fostered recurring collaborations with a stable of voice actors, creating a distinct and highly popular body of work for the channel.

Through his work at Maga, Gastaldi achieved his most enduring fame. He was responsible for directing and voicing the lead roles in the Brazilian versions of the Mexican sitcoms El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado. His portrayal of the characters Chaves and Chapolin Colorado became deeply ingrained in Brazilian popular culture, with his adaptations and performance widely credited for the shows' immense and lasting success in the country. This role remains his most celebrated achievement and a landmark in Brazilian dubbing history. His work also extended to live-action series, where he voiced the title character in O Super-Herói Americano, and to films, providing voices for actors like Tom Cruise and Jerry Lewis.

Marcelo Gastaldi passed away in São Paulo on August 3, 1995, at the age of fifty. His impact on the industry was such that his family was later involved in legal proceedings regarding the rights to his enduring work, particularly his voice performances for the Chaves series.