Emilio Delgado, the actor whose portrayal of Sesame Street repair shop owner Luis Rodriguez has endeared generations of young viewers for decades and pioneered the television portrayal of Mexican Americans, died just over two years ago in New York today. years after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma of blood cancer. He was 81 years old.
His death was confirmed by Sesame Workshop in a statement to Deadline. Delgado’s wife, Carol, revealed the cause of death to TMZ.
Delgado during a production of the 50th season of Sesame Street in 2018 by Zach Hyman
Sesame Seminar said: “Emilio Delgado, who played Luis on Sesame Street, passed away on March 10, 2022. A beloved member of the Sesame family for over 50 years, his warmth and humor have invited children to share a friendship that has been passed down from generation to generation. . At the forefront of the show, Emilio proudly claims “the record for the longest-running Mexican-American in a television series.” We are so grateful that he shared his talents with us and with the world.”
“We are devastated by the loss of the brilliant Emilio Delgado,” tweeted the California Shakespeare Theater (also known as the Cal Shakes), where Delgado appeared a few years ago in the world premiere of Octavio Solis’ production of Don Quixote Nuevo, a contemporary retelling of Cervantes’ classic novel ” Don Quixote”. “I was honored to have him on our stage at Quixote Nuevo in 2018.”
Delgado was born in Calexico, California and spent most of his childhood with his grandparents in Mexicali, Mexico. Delgado began acting in school plays and local theater, and in 1968 began his professional television career with a role in a Los Angeles Mexican series. -American soap opera Cancion de la Raza.
Delgado joined the cast of the PBS series Sesame Street in 1971 as Luis, an affable neighborhood handyman and aspiring writer. The hiring of the actor came after several seasons of the show when the producers decided to increase the show’s representation of the Puerto Rican and Mexican communities. Also joining the cast was Raul Julia, who played Luis’ partner in the repair shop, Rafael. (Julia left the series after one season.)
Luis’ main storylines included his romance with the character Maria, played by Sonia Manzano, and their eventual marriage.
For more than 40 years on Sesame Street, Delgado, who performed as a singer at the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall, constantly worked outside the show. Over the decades, he has appeared on shows such as The Gun, Police Story, Hawaii Five-O, In Sight, House of Cards and The Descent, to name a few. Earlier in his career, he was Artistic Director of the Barrio Theater in East Los Angeles.
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Delgado and his wife Carol served on the board of directors for the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice in New York City, an LGBTQIA safe space, community activist center and educational organization. On the Rustin Center website, Delgado is praised for his longstanding advocacy of Chicano rights and social and racial justice.
According to the Rustin Center, Delgado has received the Impact Award from the National Latin American Media Coalition, along with numerous other awards.
Additional information about the survivors was not immediately available.
Emilio Delgaudo. I had no idea you were so sick. When I saw you a few months ago, I told you how cool you look. And you did it. I didn’t think for a second that you were sick. I’m sorry for your loved ones. So glad I could experience your talent and warm smile.
— Frank Oz (@TheFrankOzJam) March 11, 2022
We are devastated by the loss of the brilliant Emilio Delgado. We were honored to have him on our stage at Quixote Nuevo in 2018. Sending love to all my family and friends. pic.twitter.com/zTCofFmwQF
— Kalsheiki (@calshakes) March 11, 2022