Gregory Sierra.
Gregory Sierra, the actor best known for his roles inSanford and SonandBarney Miller, has died. He was 83.
Sierra died from cancer on Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California, according to his wife Helene Tabor.
“He was quite wonderful, and my heart is broken into 400 million pieces,” she toldCNN, explaining the cancer persisted “for quite a while and he was doing the best he could and just couldn’t do it anymore.”
Tabor also called Sierra “a brilliant actor,” noting that he was still receiving fan mail after his death.
Born in New York, Sierra kick started his acting career with the National Shakespeare Company and at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He acted in off-Broadway plays before relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s to pursue a career in television.
Once on the west coast, Sierra appeared on shows such asIt Takes a Thief, Medical Center,The High Chaparral,Mod Squad, The Flying NunandKung Fu.
He found success in the early 1970s when he appeared as Julio Fuentes, Fred G. Sanford’s neighbor, inSanford and Son. He held the recurring role for 12 episodes from 1972 to 1975.
In 1979, Sierra joined the cast ofBarney Milleras Detective Sergeant Chano Amengual, starring in a total of 35 episodes.
Outside of television, Sierra had roles in iconic films such asBeneath the Planet of the Apes,PapillonandThe Towering Inferno.
His last credited role was for 2018’sThe Other Side of the Wind, an Orson Welles experimental film that was released after more than 40 years in development.
Actor Edward James Olmos recentlypaid tribute to Sierrain the wake of news of his death, writing on his Twitter, “Gregory Sierra Will forever be with us. Those that knew him. His laughter His wit His kindness His extraordinary artistic ability.”
“He was a friend a Mentor a force of nature that I was so grateful to have known & worked with,” theMiami Vicestar continued.
source: people.com
