Emilio Delgado, who appeared on "Sesame Street" as the fix-it shop owner Luis for 45 years, has died at 81.
The actor's wife, Carol Delgado, revealed that he had been battling the blood cancer multiple myeloma and died at their home in New York, BBC reported.
Delgado, who was Mexican American, first appeared in "Sesame Street" in 1971. At the time there were few ordinary Latino characters on TV and he drew praise for avoiding Latin-American stereotypes.
"There really wasn't any representation of actual people," Delgado recalled in a 2021 interview on the YouTube series "Famous Cast Words," according to BBC. "Most of the roles that I went out for were either for bandits or gang members."
Delgado shared a similar viewpoint during a 2020 interview with the Houston Chronicle.
"I’d been trying all my professional life to be somewhere I can change that, whether I was talking about it or trying to get into a project that showed Latinos in a good light," he explained. "That’s why ‘Sesame Street’ was such a good thing. For the first time on television, they showed Latinos as real human beings."
In a statement on Twitter, Sesame Workshop said Delgado's "warmth and humor invited children to share a friendship that has echoed through generations."
"At the forefront of representation, Emilio proudly laid claim to the “record for the longest-running role for a Mexican American in a TV series,” the statement continued. "We are so grateful he shared his talents with us and with the world."
In 2016, Delgado left "Sesame Street" after his contract was not renewed. The show was undergoing a revamp at the time. Four years later he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
In addition to working on "Sesame Street," Delgado's other TV credits include "Quincy M.E.," "Falcon Crest," "Lou Grant," "Law & Order," "Person of Interest" and "House of Cards," according to Fox News. He worked right up until the time of his death, his wife told TMZ, explaining that Delgado appeared in theater productions and also did voice-over work.