Sesame Street actor Emilio Delgado passes away at 81-years-old: "We are saddened by the news"
By Mike-Ross
Legend and Actor Emilio Delgado, who was most famously known for his acting role of Luis in Sesame Street, has died at 81-years-old. "A beloved member of the Sesame family for over 50 years, his warmth and humor invited children to share a friendship that has echoed through generations," noted the nonprofit Sesame Workshop, which is behind the show Sesame Street, in a news release.
"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.' We are so grateful he shared his talents with us and with the world," it added of Delgado's death, which happened on Thursday.
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During an interview with All Arts TV last year, Delgado shared that his path to Sesame Street was a rather unusual one. Apparently, he received a phone call one day "out of the blue" to audion for the show. The timing couldn't have been better as Delgado was looking at his "last unemployment check" at that time. So attending the audition was a no-brainer for him. The producer asked him a couple of questions and wanted to know if he was okay shaving off his mustache. "I’m like, 'Yeah, sure — I’m thinking I’ll shave anything,'" he quipped.
Per TODAY, the Mexican-American actor was cast in the show back in 1971 as Luis. He played the role until 2016 but after this, his contract was not renewed. Although he kept playing the character for Sesame Workshop's events, there was a massive outcry for his absence. Thus in 2019, Bob McGrath (who played the character of Bob), Roscoe Orman (who appeared as Gordon), and Delgado were brought back for Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.
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People close to Delgado were extremely saddened by his passing as his agent, Renee Glicker expressed how proud they were to have represented him for the past 15 years. "Emilio was one of the most loving, generous and kind people I ever met," said Glicker. Even the CEO of A3 Artists Agency, Robert Attermann, shared, "We are saddened by the news of Emilio’s passing."
"Emilio was an immense talent who brought so much joy and smiles to his fans. He will be missed by many and we know his legacy will live on. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, including his wife, Carole," he shard. Delgado, who enjoyed a lengthy career on the children's show, also appeared in Law and Order and House of Cards. For him, showcasing representation on screen was extremely important. "When I first got to Hollywood … there really wasn’t any representation of actual people, you know? Most of the roles that I went out for were bandits or gang members or whatever … those were the only parts that were around for us. Things have changed a little bit but it still has a long way to go," she shared.
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