In 1992, Sierra played drug dealer Felix Barbossa in the Bill Duke-directed film Deep Cover, which also starred Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum, and appeared in the comedy sequel Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Julio Fuentes? Believing that the ignorant, bigoted Archie has been the victim of anti-Semitism, Paul tells him to his confusion and consternation You sure dont look Jewish., Well theres a good reason for that, Archie says. His kindness. He is survived by his wife, Helene Tabor, and his two step-daughters. ', Dead at 83: 'Rest Easy'. Gregory passed away in January of 2021 from stomach and liver cancer. 2. Chano was a dedicated cop with an emotional side that was showcased in the Season 1 closing episode, "The Hero." He is later killed by a car bomb planted by the neo-Nazis. Gregory Sierra, a character actor who navigated easily between comedy and drama but was best known for his supporting roles on the sitcoms Sanford and Son and Barney Miller, died on Jan. 4 at his home in Laguna Woods, Calif. His wife spoke toCNN on Friday and confirmed that hed passed away from cancer on January 4, 2021. Originally from New York, Sierra relocated to California, pursuing a film and stage career that ultimately spanned five decades. In 1979, Sierra joined the cast of Barney Miller as Detective Sergeant Chano Amengual, starring in a total of 35 episodes. Veronique was by his side when he passed. (1998). Miguel "Chano" Amanguale on the ABC police series "Barney Miller" and as Julio Fuentes on the NBC sitcom "Sanford and Son," has died, his wife,. Once on the west coast, Sierra appeared on shows such as It Takes a Thief, Medical Center, The High Chaparral, Mod Squad, The Flying Nun and Kung Fu. A recurring gag on the first four seasons of "Barney Miller" was the quality of the precinct's coffee, which could be charitably described as unpalatable. The storyline hinted that there was some prior connection between Garak and Entek, but this was never revealed because of Garaks secrecy about his connections to the Obsidian Order. Why dont you go do some work in your yard, Fred tells Julio in one episode. Actor Gregory Sierra has died at the age of 83. Chano on Barney Miller TELEVISION Murder, She Wrote Lt. Gabriel Caceras (1985-95) Miguel "Chano" Amenguale on Barney Miller, has died. After school, he worked with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival before moving to Los Angeles, where he started getting bit parts in television and supporting roles in movies like Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Getting Straight, Papillon and The Towering Inferno.. Gregory Sierra, best known for his roles as Sgt. In the plot, he volunteers in helping to chase away neo-Nazi thugs presiding in the neighborhood who spray-painted a swastika on the Bunkers front door. After he left that series, Sierra played one of the original detectives working out of the diverse 12th Precinct in Greenwich Village on ABCsBarney Miller, joining Hal Linden, Abe Vigoda, Ron Glass, Max Gail and Jack Soo when the show premiered in 1975. ", (It's a good episode. His wife said, "He was quite wonderful, and my heart is broken into 400 million pieces," Tabor said. Sierra went on to play such recurring characters as ADA Alvarez onHill Street Blues, Commandant Paco Pico onZorro and Son, Det. Barney Miller Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. Sierra died from cancer on Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California, according to his. He logged his final screen appearance in the TV movie "Surrender, Dorothy" in 2006, and died five years later on November 2, 2011, just one day before his 88th birthday. He starred as Dr. Tony Menzies on the short-lived 1977 sitcom A.E.S. ), The loss of Gregory Sierra as Julio at the start of the fifth season (he was steadily being written out even during the fourth season) spelled the first signs of trouble for the show, Paul Mavis wrote in a 2008 entry for the website DVD Talk. He stayed until 1975. Here is all you want to know, and more! Character actor George Murdock played Scanlon in 11 episodes of "Barney Miller," which marked only a fraction of his long film and TV careers. Terribly sorry to hear of Gregory's death. 4:05 AM EST, Sat January 23, 2021, Gregory Sierra in a 1975 episode of "Barney Miller", Gregory Sierra (left) as neighbor Julio Fuentes in an episode from "Sanford and Son". He died of cancer at the age of 82 at his home in Venice, California on January 7, 2016. His last credited acting role was in 2018. [1], Gregory Joseph Sierra was born on January 25, 1937, in Manhattan. Carey, who was born Ronald Cicenia, began his career in the same manner as co-stars Jack Soo and Steve Landesberg: as a stand-up comic. She had him arrested for liquidating their assets in Season 4's "The Sighting," and then lodged complaints against him for becoming a mercenary (the Season 5 two-parter "Wojo's Girl") and a nudist (Season 7's "Agent Orange"). Chano was written out of the series at the end of the second season so that Sierra could star in a new sitcom fromBarney Millercreator Danny Arnold, this one set in a frenetic New York emergency room. The TV actor Gregory Sierra died at the age of 83. Gregory Sierra was an actor best known for his roles in the sitcoms "Barney Miller" and "Sanford and Son." . The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. He then moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s to work in film and television.[1]. Why dont you try Alaska? Fred responds. It didnt take long for his career to take off. Gregory Sierra's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) January 25, 1937 Death Date January 4, 2021 Age of Death 83 years Cause of Death Cancer Profession TV Actor The TV actor Gregory Sierra died at the age of 83. His wife Helene Taber shared the tragic news on Sunday. He was 83 years old. It took Levitt five more seasons to make the grade as sergeant, which came in the series finale. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Sierra was with a friend who was auditioning for an acting class when the teacher invited him to try some improvisation and was impressed. The swastika, it turns out, was meant for a Jewish neighbor with a similar address. Gregory Sierra was an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amengual on Barney Miller and as Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbo. Those that knew him. Mr. Sierra left Sanford and Son to become a member of the original cast of Barney Miller, the Emmy Award-winning sitcom starring Hal Linden set in a police precinct in Greenwich Village. He died on January 4, 2021, after battling cancer for a long time. The cancer persisted for quite a while and he was doing the best he could and just couldnt do it anymore, she said. Actor Edward James Olmos recently paid tribute to Sierra in the wake of news of his death, writing on his Twitter, "Gregory Sierra Will forever be with us. Roles in feature films and television series soon followed, including "M*A*S*H" and "Return to Witch Mountain.". As fans of "Barney Miller" came to learn, the show's cast of regular and recurring actors frequently changed over the series' network run. Go take a bath. Gregory's Death And Legacy At the age of 87, Peck died in his sleep on June 12, 2003, after a brief bout with bronchopneumonia. Abe Vigoda had been working steadily, if near-anonymously, on the New York stage and the occasional television series (including a handful of appearances on "Dark Shadows") from the mid-1940s until 1972, when he was cast as the doomed mobster Tessio in "The Godfather." Written by J.J. Coyle. Its believed to be the only episode of the famed sitcom to end with stark silence rather than applause from the studio audience. The retrospective concluded with his castmates raising a cup of coffee as a toast to his talent. He also landed a few film roles, though the majority of his work was on the small screen. The actor was known . Costume Design by Pearl Somner. Directed by Philip Rose. In later episodes, Marty calls on Barney in Season 2's "Discovery" to aid him and his partner, Mr. Driscoll (Ray Stewart), with a harassment case involving a cop, and in Season 6's "The Child Stealers," when Driscoll takes extreme measures to see his son. A semi-regular for the remainder of Seasons 2 and 3, Dietrich became a series regular in Season 4 and remained with the show until its final episode. CNNs Travis Caldwell contributed to this report. Invariably, these "remember-when" sessions turned gruesome or got jumbled up in the inspector's mind; more often than not, they caused him to get weepy over how much he loved his long-gone and equally hard-nosed former partners. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a . Sierra died from cancer on Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California, according to his wife Helene Tabor. Born in New York, Sierra kick started his acting career with the National Shakespeare Company and at the New York Shakespeare Festival. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Actor Gregory Sierra, best known for his roles in Sanford and Son and Barney Miller, died on January 4 from cancer, his widow Helene Tabor confirmed to CNN Friday. He performed with the National Shakespeare Conservatory in the New York Shakespeare Festival. Vigoda appeared to take the joke in stride, and in fact, outlasted most predictions about his demise until January 2, 2016, when the 94-year-old actor died in his sleep from natural causes. You never see the frustrations of police work or the kind of joking that goes on among real policemen. On paper, Fish seems like the least likely stan candidate: an aged, downtrodden cop with a litany of physical complaints (many of Fish's "Miller" gags were based aroundtrips to the bathroom) and a demeanor that made Eeyore seem sunny. He had over 125 acting credits according to his IMDB page. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was raised by his aunt after his parents abandoned him when he was 6. RIP #SSWA https://t.co/GLwS55rxpf, Edward James Olmos (@edwardjolmos) January 23, 2021. Anyone can read what you share. In NBCs Sanford and Son, he was a series regular as the Sanfords neighbor Julio Fuentes. Lt. Lou Rodriguez onMiami Viceand Lt. Gabriel Cacereson Murder, She Wrote. He was born on January 25, 1937, in New York, United States, and died on January 4, 2021, in Laguna Woods, California. His final screen credit came with a 2009 episode of "The Cleaner"; Landesberg died the following year from colon cancer at the age of 74 on December 20, 2010. In 1984, he was hired for the main cast of Miami Vice where he played Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez, but he asked to be written out of the series after four episodes, not wanting to reside in Miami where the show was being filmed, according to the season 1 DVD commentary; he was subsequently replaced by Edward James Olmos and his character, Lieutenant Martin Castillo. Toward the end of the 1960s, Sierra moved to California to pursue a career in television acting. I aint Jewish.. He also appeared as Corbin Entek in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Second Skin. In that episode, Fish is placed on restricted duty and returns to his apartment for lunch. When I was a baby, we were a typical Puerto Rican family, he said. Gregory Tyree Boyce's cause of death is yet to be confirmed publicly after he and girlfriend Natalie Adepoju were found dead in their Las Vegas apartment - as mystery surrounds their final hours . He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". Close. The show lasted two seasons. His last credit was in 2018 in the movieThe Other Side of the Wind. Hudson Street as silly, often downright stupid and occasionally insultingly tasteless. But, he added, With Mr. Sierra around to hold the absurdities together, it should not be written off to quickly., Mr. Sierra was also part of the original cast of Miami Vice in 1984, as the commanding officer of the detectives played by Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson. Often cast in ethnic roles, he saw his career take off in the 1970s as a recurring character on Sanford and Son and a regular on Barney Miller.. A series regular for the entire network run of "Barney Miller," Ron Glass played the stylish and savvy Detective (later Sergeant) Ron Nathan Harris, who pursued a literary career with the same zeal with which he ran down criminals. "He was a friend a Mentor a force of nature that I was so grateful to have known & worked with," the Miami Vice star continued. He was cast as South American anti-Communist revolutionary El Puerco whose friends simply call him El on the serial spoof Soap, figuring prominently in the series unresolved final episode in 1981. Of course, one of the show's most crucial elements was its cast, led by stage veteran Hal Linden as the hard-working titular police captain. From 1972 to 1975, he had the recurring role of Julio Fuentes, a Puerto Rican neighbor of the Sanfords, on Sanford and Son. One of the most popular players to depart the series during its early years was Gregory Sierra, a talented character actor who played Det. Much of Dietrich's character the deadpan but amiable delivery, the seemingly limitless databank of knowledge seemed to be drawn from Landesberg's career as a stand-up comic, which began in the late '60s. The Clark County Coroner's Office found that an accidental drug overdose . We had been together six years, and her death leaves me feeling guilty as well as feeling the grief., Born on Jan. 25, 1937, Sierra was raised by his aunt after his parents abandoned him when he was 6. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Miguel "Chano" Amenguale on Barney Miller, has died. Photo of Gregory Sierra from the television program Barney Miller. He was 83. Sierra died on January 4, 2021, after a long battle with stomach and liver cancer, three weeks before his 84th birthday. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Eleven episodes later (in "Fish"), he made his debut as Arthur Dietrich, a coolly cerebral and undeniably offbeat cop transferred from the 33rd Precinct to replace a depressed Fish, who was on restricted duty. [1][2], He began his career on the stage, touring with the National Shakespeare Company, and in 1967 appeared as the Duke of Austria in King John at the New York Shakespeare Festival. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Chano Amenguale, Mr. Sierra earned particular praise for a 1975 episode which he was emotionally devastated and nearly broke down after killing two gunmen. Gregory Sierra Early Life Story, Family Background and Education Sierra was of Puerto Rican descent. They were residents of Laguna Woods, California. Stanley's distinctive gravel tones made her a natural for animated projects after "Barney" and "Fish," and she contributed voices to "Dinosaurs" and "Family Guy," among other shows. He then convinced the official that she was his daughter, and used an interrogation of her to get the official to reveal his ties to the rebellion. Gregory Sierra Death He died on January 4, 2021, in Laguna Woods, California after a long battle with cancer. Eccentrics seemed to be actor Richard Libertini's specialty. Gregory Sierra, a longtime character actor who appeared in television shows and movies, most notably on Barney Miller and Sanford and Son, died Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, Calif., from cancer. Stanley died at the age of 79 due to complications from a stroke on October 3, 2009. His big-screen rsum also includedThe Trouble With Spies(1987),Honey, I Blew Up the Kid(1992),Hot Shots! Did you encounter any technical issues? Dietrich follows him there and is introduced to Bernice, who was played by Doris Belack of "Law and Order" fame. Why has "Barney Miller" maintained such a devoted following decades after completing its primetime run on ABC (1975-1982)? Tabor said he was the first person to help anybody that needed help and he cared about people very much., Sierra is also survived by two stepdaughters and a step-granddaughter, all of whom, Tabor said, loved him and called him Dad.. I said, Greg, dont be afraid, its not a big deal. He came prepared and did very well., Gregory Sierra, 83, Actor Known for His Sitcom Work, Is Dead, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/arts/television/gregory-sierra-dead.html. [3] He married Eileen Defelitta in 1969, and they were divorced in 1972. The vigilante wants to go after the group responsible and Archie has no trouble with that but gets killed by a car bomb that explodes just outside the house. A proud Puerto Rican New Yorker, Sierras Chano was dedicated and dauntless, a cop who emotionally invested himself in his work. Gregory Sierra of 'Sanford and Son' and 'Barney Miller' hasdied, according to the following statements posted on s. {Click link below to read more.