Gregory Sierra, who played major supporting roles in classic sitcoms in the 1970s, including Sanford And Son and Barney Miller, has died at the age of 83.
The New York City-born actor passed away on January 4, but a spokesman for his family shared the news only on Friday via Deadline.
He died of cancer in Woods Lagoon, California, his family revealed.
Television star: Gregory Sierra, best known for being a regular at Sanford And Son and Barney Miller in the 1970s, died in Woods Lagoon, California, on Jan. 4 of cancer at the age of 84
In 1972, Sierra began one of his most popular roles as Julio Fuentes in the sitcom Sanford And Son, which starred Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson.
His character Julio, a Puerto Rican born in New York, moves in with Fred and Lamont Sanford in the second season of the show.
Julio often had a difficult relationship with the fanatical role of Foxx, who repeatedly told him to return to Puerto Rico, although Lamont often tried to smooth out their differences.
In 1975, Sierra joined the police comedy Barney Miller as Sgt. Miguel ‘Chano’ Amanguale.
Riot laughter: In 1972, Sierra began one of his most popular roles as Julio Fuentes in the sitcom Sanford And Son, which starred Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson as main characters; since Sanford And Son
In 1975, Sierra joined the police comedy Barney Miller as Sgt. Miguel ‘Chano’ Amanguale, who stole the show in the dramatic episode Hero; since Barney Miller
His character offered a comic relief with outbursts in Spanish when he was overheated.
The comic book series took a serious turn with the Hero episode, in which Chano shot two suspects to prevent a robbery.
Although his costars, including Hal Linden as the main character and Abe Vigoda as the sergeant. Fish, recommend him for a praise, is defeated by guilt.
“I think Barney Miller is much more real than any other cop show,” Sierra said in an interview for the 1976 critical study TV Talk 2: Exploring TV Territory via The Hollywood Reporter.
“People in the show have real problems. Kojak never worries. He knows he did. Everything is always under control during the show. You never see the frustrations of police work or the kind of jokes that happen among real cops. These are the kinds of things we show.
Mismatch: Sierra was canceled by Barney Miller without any explanation after the second season, so he could play in the AES Hudson Street sitcom, which was set in an emergency room and led by creator Barney Miller , Danny Arnold; seen on the Barney Miller set in 1974
Sierra, who was born in Spanish Harlem, New York, also played a notable role in the 1973 episode All In The Family of Archie Is Branded as a “radical Jewish vigilante.”
Sierra was canceled by Barney Miller without any explanation after the second season, so he could play in the AES Hudson Street sitcom, which was set in an emergency room and led by Barney Miller creator Danny Arnold .
However, the show lasted only six episodes before being canceled.
Sierra continued to play important recurring roles in the police drama Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice and Murder, She Wrote.
Varied career: Sierra also appeared in films starring Beneath in The Planet of the Apes, Papillon and The Towering Inferno; pictured with Alan Thicke on Growing Pains
Sierra was best known for his work in television, but appeared in profile films throughout his career.
He played a mutant in the 1970s Beneath The Planet Of the Apes and appeared alongside Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen in the classic Papillon during his prison break.
He played a bartender in the 1974 film The Towering Inferno disaster and had a small role in the 1992 Honey I Blew Up The Kid.
The last film released by Sierra was Orson Welle’s experimental film The Other Side Of the Wind, which was shot in the early and mid-1970s, but was not completed and released until 2018.
Final role: Sierra’s last role was in Orson Welle’s experimental film The Other Side Of the Wind, which was filmed in the early to mid-1970s, but was not completed until 2018; illustrated on Farrell For The People