NEW YORK (AP) – Gregory Sierra, who had memorable roles in the 1970s “Barney Miller” and “Sanford and Son” series, has died after battling cancer. He was 83 years old.
Sierra’s widow, Helene, said Saturday in a phone interview with The Associated Press that the actor died Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California.
Sierra’s breakthrough came in 1972 when he played the role of Fred G. Sanford’s neighbor, Julio Fuentes, in “Sanford and Son.” He also gained a lot of attention for playing Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amanguale to “Barney Miller”, which was released in 1975.
“He was an amazing human being, unlike any other person, male or female, I’ve ever met,” Helene told the AP. “He was just extremely smart and a brilliant actor. He had a heart (of gold). Whenever someone needed something, he would be there and defend the helpless at any time. And he was a very charming man. He was really a man and women fell in love with him all the time.
Sierra, of Puerto Rican descent, was born on January 25, 1937 in New York City. His television credits include “All in the Family,” “Soap,” “Miami Vice,” “Fox and Son,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Hill Street Blues” and more. He also appeared in films such as “Beneath the Planet of the Apes”, “Papillon”, “The Towering Inferno”, “Honey I Blew Up the Kid” and “The Other Side of the Wind”, which premiered on 2018 after more than 40 years in development.
In addition to Helene, Sierra is survived by her daughters, Kelly and Jill, and her granddaughter, Emma.