'Sesame Street' Star Emilio Delgado Dies At 81

Emilio Delgado, who is popularly known for playing Luis Rodriguez on the series "Sesame Street," has died at the age of 81. The actor died in New York City on Thursday.

Delgado's wife Carole revealed that the cause of death was multiple myeloma. The actor has been battling with it since December 2020.

Delgado's agent Renee Glicker opened up about the actor's death. "Emilio Delgado passed away at his home here in NYC today. He had multiple Myeloma. His wife Carole was his biggest fan and advocate," Glicker told ET Thursday. "She traveled with him when he recently did a theater tour of Quixote Nuevo playing the title role."

"He had this youthful spirit and energy that will be greatly missed," Glicker added.

"Sesame Street" series revolves around educating kids and adults by talking about various cultures and filling the gap between them. The actor played Luis' character on the show. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind "Sesame Street," mourned the death of the actor on Twitter.

"Sesame Workshop mourns the passing of Emilio Delgado, known the world over for his role as Luis on Sesame Street," the nonprofit tweeted. 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 tweet added.

Fans in the comments section shared their condolences.

"I grew up with Luis and Maria. Thank you Mr. Emilio for enriching my childhood and teaching me English," a fan wrote. Another fan commented, "He will be greatly missed. I grew up watching him and many others who were on Sesame Street."

On the work front, the actor was a regular on "Sesame Street" from 1971 to 2017. He also appeared in TV series like "The Get Down," "The Bravest Knight" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He was recently seen in the movie, "iGilbert," which was dropped last year.