Emilio Delgado, ‘Sesame Streets’ Luis passes away

Emilio Delgado who played Luis, the Fix-it Shop owner, on the children’s television series Sesame Street has died at the age of 81. Delgado spent more than 40  years as this loveable character entertaining and teaching generations of children. 

The actor died Thursday at his home in New York City. He had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in 2020. 

Delgado had cited the PBS show’s importance as a cultural touchstone in the way people of color were depicted on TV. “For the first time on television, they showed Latinos as real human beings,” Delgado told the Houston Chronicle in 2020. “We weren’t dope addicts. We weren’t maids or prostitutes, which was the way we were being shown on television and in film. Here, on ‘Sesame Street,’ there were different people who spoke different languages and ate interesting foods, and they were all Americans.

Sesame Workshop issued a statement saying, “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.”

A theater and stage actor, Delgado will be best remembered for the popular children’s program and the joy he brought to many of our hearts.