NEW YORK (AP) – Gregory Sierra, who had memorable roles on the 1970s sitcoms “Barney Miller” and “Sanford and Son”, has died after battling cancer. He was 83.
Sierra’s widow, Helene, said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Saturday that the actor died in Laguna Woods, California on Jan. 4.
Sierra’s breakthrough came in 1972 when he played Fred G. Sanford’s neighbor, Julio Fuentes, in “Sanford and Son.” He also received a lot of attention for playing Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amanguale on “Barney Miller” which was launched in 1975.
“He was an amazing person, unlike any other person, man or woman I’ve ever known,” Helene told the AP. “He was simply extremely intelligent and a brilliant actor. He had a heart (of gold). Anytime someone needed something, he was there for them, defending the underdog at every moment. And he was a very charming man. He really was a man and women fell in love with him all the time. “
Sierra, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was born on January 25, 1937 in New York City. His TV credits include “All in the Family”, “Soap”, “Miami Vice”, “Zorro and Son”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “Hill Street Blues” and more. He has also appeared in such films 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 came out in 2018 after more than 40 years in development.
In addition to Helene, Sierra is survived by his daughters, Kelly and Jill, and his granddaughter, Emma.