Known for his quirky, no-nonsense demeanour, acerbic sense of humour, and frequent reliance on foul language and malapropisms, he reached fame during his stint as a member of the comedy troupe Hermes & Renato from 2002 to 2008, gaining further proeminence in the early 2010s after joining YouTube.

By 1985, Gil had acquired a passion for dancing; he was inspired by soul and funk artists such as Little Richard and James Brown which he grew up listening to, and he began performing in commercial spaces and bus stations for money.

[6] Following his experience with Hermes & Renato, Gil announced he no longer intended to appear in media,[7] but in 2011 the video production company Jigsaw Produções invited him to open his own YouTube channel, the "Canal Away".

[11] On 30 May 2023, it was reported that a week prior, on 23 May, Gil had suffered a stroke following an accidental fall in which he hit his head, being rushed to an ICU;[12] his family members set up a crowdfunding page for his medical expenses.

[20][21] Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro posted his condolences on X, calling Gil a "true legend of Brazilian humour",[22] and his former Hermes & Renato colleagues used their respective social media profiles to pay tribute to him.