'Sesame Street' Star Emilio Delgado Dead At 81
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‘Sesame Street’ Star Emilio Delgado Dead At 81

'Sesame Street' Star Emilio Delgado Dead At 81
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‘Sesame Street’ Star Emilio Delgado Dead At 81

Emilio Delgado has passed away. He was the actor most well-known to many generations as Luis on Sesame street. He was 81 years of age.

Carol Delgado, Delgado’s wife, confirmed the sad news to TMZ. She said that he died at home in New York surrounded with friends and family on March 10, 2010. In December 2020, the actor was diagnosed with Multiple myeloma.

Delgado was born in Calexico (California) on May 8, 1940. He developed an interest in acting at a young age. He began acting professionally in 1968 and was a well-respected actor in California’s theatre scene. His screen debut came in 1968’s Cancion de la Raza. He would soon take up a role as Angie’s Garage’s child’s series for Mexican-American kids.

Delgado was added to the cast of Sesame Street one year later. It had just begun its third season. Delgado was cast as Luis Rodriguez, the street’s first human character and the owner of The Fix-It Shop. Delgado’s inclusion was intended to promote diversity and help younger viewers learn Spanish.

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Luis would become a beloved character on Sesame Street and would remain on the show for four decades. His character got married in 1988 during the show’s nineteenth season.

In an interview last year, Delgado stated that “up until that point, the inclusion of peoples of color on television had been very minimal.” Although there were some successes in integration across the networks, there wasn’t a coordinated effort to find people of color for shows. The creators of Sesame Street were open-minded and recognized the need for inclusion, especially for children, at the time it happened.

The series was created by Sesame Workshop. There were many tributes on social media to Delgado.

The nonprofit said that Sesame Workshop is sad to announce the passing Emilio Delgado’s death. He was well-known for his role in Sesame Street’s Luis character. His warmth and humor, which allowed children to form a bond that has been resonating through the generations, made him a beloved member of Sesame’s family for more than 50 years.

Emilio was at the forefront of representation and proudly claimed the “record for longest-running Mexican-American role in a TV series.” We are so thankful that he shared his talents both with us, and the rest of the world.

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‘Sesame Street’ Star Emilio Delgado Dead At 81
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