Emilio Delgado, who played Luis on Sesame Street for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 81, The Associated Press reports.
Delgado delighted young viewers for 45 years while he played the fix-it shop owner Luis on the long-running series.
Addressing the tragic news, Sesame Workshop wrote in a statement: "Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of Emilio Delgado, known the world over for his role as Luis on Sesame Street."
They went on: "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," the statement concluded.
His wife, Carol Delgado, confirmed to the outlet that he passed away from blood cancer multiple myeloma at their home in New York. He had been battling the disease since 2020.
Delgado's character Luis, who first appeared in the series in 1971, was commended for stepping away from Latino stereotypes, which were rife in the media at the time.
"There really wasn't any representation of actual people," Delgado said in a 2021 interview on the YouTube series, Famous Cast Words. "Most of the roles that I went out for were either for bandits or gang members."
Delgado joined the show in its third season and said the producers were happy to accept his suggestion to include some Spanish words and phrases in the script.
"The first time that I saw Big Bird walk on, my line was, ‘Big Bird!’" Delgado said in the interview. "But I didn’t say ‘Big Bird,’ I said, ‘pájaro!’"
Following a meeting that saw Delgado explain that "pájaro" meant "bird," the producers decided to keep it in. "I called him ‘pajaro’ from then on every time I saw him," Delgado recalled.
The actor took a year-long hiatus from the series sometime in the '80s but eventually returned and carried on playing Luis, who was a hit with viewers.
Our thoughts are with Delgado's family at this difficult time.
