Emilio Delgado

Emilio Delgado (born May 8, 1940) is a Mexican-American actor (television and film), singer and voice artist. He is best known for his role as Luis, the Fix-it Shop owner, on the children's television series Sesame Street. Delgado joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1971 and remained until his contract was not renewed in 2016, as part of Sesame Workshop's re-tooling of the series, although Sesame Workshop later announced that there'd be talks to bring him back. Following his departure, the workshop stated that Delgado would continue to represent them at public events. He began his professional career in Los Angeles in 1968. Delgado lives in New York City with his wife Carole.

Life and career
Delgado was born in Calexico, California. He can easily claim the longest-running part for a Mexican-American actor in a continuing television series, contracted in the role of Luis from 1971 to 2015. He has also performed in live shows throughout his Sesame Street career, singing the songs of Sesame Street and entertaining thousands of children and their families. The Sesame Street Cast appeared at a live event, Humans of Sesame Street at The Museum of the Moving Image in 2015, sharing their biographies and taking questions from the audience. Delgado has also appeared alongside Bob McGrath at Comic Con and Florida Supercon in 2016, representing their characters Luis and Bob.

On Sesame Street, his character, Luis, was the first human addition to the original cast. Luis was a handyman and an aspiring writer, who debuted on the show in 1971 simultaneously with Raul Julia as Rafael. Together they ran the L&R Fix-It Shop until Julia left the show after one season, and Luis ran the Fix-It Shop alone from then on. In a later season, Luis fell in love with Maria, performed by Sonia Manzano, and married her. The characters Luis and Maria have taught viewers about Hispanic culture and language throughout the run of the show.

In Los Angeles, he was a company member of Inner City Rep, The Group Repertory, and LA Repertory. Some of his New York City theatre credits include Floating Home (HExTC), Boxing 2000 (Richard Maxwell NYC Players), Dismiss All the Poets (New York Fringe Festival 2002), Nilo Cruz's adaptation of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Dinosaurios (IATI), Night Over Taos (INTAR Theatre) an adaptation of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Round House Theatre) and Emilio appeared in the role of King Claudius in Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Hamlet, Prince of Cuba, with alternating performances in English and Spanish, where one reviewer wrote that Delgado "is equally brilliant as King Claudius".

Other television appearances include House of Cards, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He was a regular cast member of Lou Grant and the short-lived Born to the Wind. He also appeared in episodes of Police Story, Hawaii Five-O, and Quincy, M.E.

Delgado's other creative endeavor has been to sing and record with the band Pink Martini. He has performed with the band at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City, The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, in Woodinville, Washington at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, and in Portland, Oregon at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Crystal Ballroom and the Oregon Zoo. He appears on their album Splendor in the Grass, in which he recorded the song "Sing", a duet with China Forbes.

Filmography

 * I Will Fight No More Forever - TV movie - Ollokot (1975)
 * Born to the Wind - White Bull (1982)
 * Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird - Luis Rodriguez (1985)
 * The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland - Luis Rodriguez (1999)
 * A Case of You - Roberto (2013)

Television/Misc.

 * Sesame Street - Luis Rodriguez (1971-2016)
 * Cannon - episode - Cry Wolf - Dr. Guiterrez (1976)
 * Police Story - episode - Spanish Class - Agitator #1 (1976)
 * Hawaii Five-O - episode - The Ninth Step - Vic Salazar (1977)
 * ABC Weekend Specials - episode - Tales of the Nunundaga - White Bull (1977)
 * The Chisholms - TV Mini-Series - Native Trader (1979)
 * Lou Grant - 19 episodes - Rubin Castillo (1979-1982)
 * Quincy, M.E. - episode - Welcome to Paradise Palms - Felix Wanaka (1980)
 * Quincy, M.E. - episode - D.U.I. - Officer Garcia (1981)
 * Falcon Crest - episode - Unaired Pilot - Fernando Diaz (1982)
 * Falcon Crest - episode - Lord of the Manor - Paul (1982)
 * The 10th Annual People's Choice Awards - TV Special - Himself - Accepting Award from Favourite Children's Program (1984)
 * Learning About Letters - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez (1986)
 * Sing Along - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez  (1987)
 * Sesame Street, Special - TV Movie - Luis Rodriguez (1988)
 * Let's Learn to Play Together - Sesame Street Video Game - Luis Rodriguez (1988)
 * Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting - TV Special - Himself/Luis Rodriguez (1989)
 * Sing Yourself Silly! - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez (1990)
 * Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Hospital - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez (1990)
 * Sesame Street Stays Up Late! - TV Special - Himself/Luis Rodriguez (1993)
 * All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! - Sesame Street TV Movie - Luis Rodriguez (1994)
 * Elmo Saves Christmas - Video - Luis Rodriguez (1996)
 * Learn Along with Sesame - episodes - Lead Away, and For Me, For You, For Latter (1996-2011)
 * Elmopalooza! - TV Special - Himself/Luis Rodriguez (1998)
 * Sesame Street 'A Is for Asthma' - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez (1998)
 * Cosby - episode - It's a Wonderful Wife (2000)
 * Between the Lions - episode - The Ram in the Pepper Patch - The Ram (voice) (2000)
 * Law and Order - episode - Surrender Dorothy - Elias Soriano (2000)
 * Sesame Street: Three Bears and a New Baby - Video - Luis Rodriguez (2003)
 * Law & Order: Criminal Intent - episode - Pas de Deux - Ari Hernandez (2004)
 * Red Dead Revolver - Video Game - Bandits #3, D-Troopers #1 (2004)
 * ''Sesame Street Presents: The Street We Live On' - TV Movie - Luis Rodriguez (2004)
 * Sesame Street: Friends to the Rescue - Video - Luis Rodriguez (2005)
 * Guess That Shape and Color - Sesame Street Video short - Luis Rodriguez (2006)
 * Law & Order: Criminal Intent - episode - Amends - Rodolfo Delgado (2007)
 * Ready for School - Sesame Street Video - Luis Rodriguez (2007)
 * Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - episode - Inconceivable - Enrique Diaz (2008)
 * The 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards - TV Special - Himself (uncredited) (2009)
 * Person of Interest - episode - Pilot - Detective Padilla (uncredited) (2011)
 * Sesame Street: Fairy Tale Fun! - Video - Luis Rodriguez (2013)
 * Little Children, Big Challenges - episode - Incarceration - Luis Rodriguez (2013)
 * The Michael J. Fox Show - episode - Couples - Flower Vendor (2014)
 * I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story - Documentary - Himself (2014)
 * House of Cards - episode - Chapter 33 - Ambassador Davila (2015)
 * The Get Down - 2 episodes - Minister Ruiz (2017)