Emilio Delgado, who spent more than 40 years entertaining generations of children playing Fix-It Luis on “Sesame Street,” has died, according to his manager.
He was 81 years old.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Emilio’s passing. Emilio was a huge talent who brought so much joy and smiles to his fans. He will be missed by many and we know it. His legacy will live on. We think of his loved ones, including his wife, Carole,” Robert Attermann, CEO of A3 Artists Agency, told CNN in a declare.
The actor died Thursday at his home in New York City. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2020, according to a report from TMZ citing his wife.
Delgado remains active in the theater industry, starring in “Quixote Nuevo,” a version of “Don Quixote,” before the pandemic hit in early 2020. His extensive theatrical work includes doing worked as the artistic director of the Barrio Theater Ensemble in East Los Angeles.
However, he will be best remembered for the popular children’s show. Delgado cited the importance of PBS programming as a subculture in the way people of color are portrayed on TV.
Delgado told the Houston Chronicle in 2020. “For the first time on television, they show Latinos as real people. TV and movies. Here, on ‘Sesame Street,’ there are different people speaking different languages. speak different languages and eat delicious food, and they’re all American.”
Sesame Workshop said of Delgado in a statement to CNN: “A beloved member of the Sesame family for more than 50 years, his warmth and humor has invited the children to share a friendship that has reverberated. thought many generations”. “At the forefront of the role, Emilio proudly claims ‘the record for longest acting role for a Mexican-American in a television series.’ We’re grateful he shared his talent with us and with the world.”
In addition to “Sesame Street,” Delgado has appeared in series such as “Law & Order,” and early in his career in the television series “Lou Grant” and “Falcon Crest.” He also starred in the 1975 TV series “I Will Fight No More Forever”, a true story about Nez Perce Native American leader Chief Joseph.
Delgado was born in Calexico, California, but was raised by his maternal grandparents across the US-Mexico border in Mexicali.
