He died in his New York City home on Thursday after a battle with cancer, his wife, Carole Delgado, confirmed. She said that Emilio Delgado had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in December 2020.
The actor’s death led to an outpouring of emotion from fans who know Delgado for his decades of work on Sesame Street. He first appeared on the street in 1971 and remained a fixture until he left in 2016. The star also appeared again in 2019 for Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations.
The Sesame Workshop, the makers of Sesame Street, paid tribute to Delgado in a series of statements. They wrote: “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.
“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.”
Within Sesame Street, his character Luis was the Fix-It Shop owner. One of Delgado’s most memorable moments came in a 1988 episode when Luis married Maria. He left an indelible impression on Sesame Street viewers, as proved by the thousands of messages written about him across social media.
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote on her Twitter account: “I need a moment. With this loss, I think we all do. [heart emoji]” British actor Samuel West also reflected on the importance of seeing Delgado on television when he was a child. He wrote on Twitter: “Yours was the first Latino face I remember on TV. Thanks for the joy you brought me as a child, as an adult and now as a parent. And for introducing millions of us to the pleasure of fixing things.”
Senior writer for the Rolling Stone Ej Dickson shared touching video footage of a Sesame Street cast event filmed just before the pandemic. It shows Delgado, amongst many other recognizable faces, performing “Sing,” which is a classic Sesame Street song.
Radio host Dana Cortez was full of praise for Delgado and emphasized the importance of seeing a Latino on TV. In her tribute to him, she wrote: “In an interview he said “my goal is to bring a positive portrayal of Latinos to mainstream.” It meant so much to see my family represented. RIP good sir. [sad face emoji[[praying emoji]”
Delgado joined the cast of Sesame Street as Luis the handyman in 1971 at the same time as Sonia Manzano (Maria), Panchito Gómez and famed actor Raul Julia. He remained part of the show for more than 40 years until in 2016, co-star Bob McGrath (Bob) confirmed that he, Delgado and Roscoe Orman (Gordon) had all been released from Sesame Street.
Alongside his iconic role in Sesame Street, Delgado also appeared in TV shows like House of Cards, Law & Order, The Get Down and many more. Delgado also recently lent his voice to the video game Red Dead Redemption II while his final performance came in the 2021 movie iGilbert.
