Actor Gregory Sierra, best known for his portrayal of Detective Sergeant Chano during the first two seasons of Barney Miller and a recurring role as Julio Fuentes on Sanford & Son, passed away on January 4th of cancer. His death was not announced until today. Sierra was 83.
Sierra appeared in films like Beneath The Planet of the Apes, Papillon and The Towering Inferno while appearing in TV shows like Mission:Impossible, Murder, She Wrote and a memorable episode of All in The Family where he played a Jewish mean defending Archie Bunker's neighborhood from neo-Nazis only to be killed himself. Sierra also had the lead role in the short-lived medical sitcom A.E.S. Hudson which was cancelled after only five episodes.
I will always remember Sierra from the Barney Miller episode "Hero" in which Chano shoots and kills two bank robbers. Instead of feeling like a hero, Chano is distraught at his actions much to the concern of everyone at the 12th Precinct. Barney Miller rarely ventured into serious drama, but did in this episode to great effect with Sierra giving perhaps the most compelling performance of his career. The full episode can be viewed below. R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment