R.I.P.

‘Sesame Street’ Legend Emilio Delgado Dead at 81

The actor first appeared as Luis, the beloved owner of the Fix-It Shop, in 1971.

The lamps of Sesame Street will shine just a little less brightly this week, as it has been announced that beloved Sesame Street performer Emilio Delgado has died. He was 81. Delgado was known to generations of young audiences as Luis Rodriguez, the cheery owner of the Fix-It Shop on the iconic children’s show, which he first graced in 1971. Luis, it was said on Sesame Street, could fix anything—and his presence marked an indelible step forward for Mexican-American representation on television. His death was announced by wife, Carole Delgado, who told TMZ that the actor, singer, and voice artist died Thursday surrounded by family at his New York City home. Delgado had been diagnosed with a blood cancer, multiple myeloma, just over two years ago, and had been moved into hospice care shortly before his death. During his more than four decades on Sesame Street, Delgado took time to appear on other shows, like Hawaii Five-O, The Get Down, and House of Cards. He was also a prolific singer and stage actor, having trod the boards of Carnegie Hall and, most recently, the California Shakespeare Festival.