{{Short description|Cuban character actor (1946–2014)}} {{Infobox person | name = Luis Ávalos | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birthname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|9|02}} | birth_place = Havana, Cuba | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|1|22|1946|9|02}} | death_place = Burbank, California, U.S. | resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills | occupation = Actor |education = New York University {{small|(MFA)}} | years_active = 1970–2008 }}
'''Luis Ávalos''' (September 2, 1946 – January 22, 2014) was an American character actor. A Cuban-American, he made numerous film and television appearances, most notably in the 1971–1977 children's television show ''The Electric Company''.
==Early years== After being born in Havana, Cuba, Ávalos came to the United States with his family when he was a child. He earned a degree in theater from New York University.<ref name="opa">{{cite book|last1=Lentz|first1=Harris M. III|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2014|date=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786476664|pages=16–17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=11diCQAAQBAJ&q=intitle:Obituaries+intitle:in+intitle:the+intitle:Performing+intitle:Arts|access-date=20 May 2017|language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Ávalos acted with the Lincoln Center Repertory Theater.<ref name=opa/> His Broadway credits include ''Narrow Road to the Deep North'' (1972), ''The Good Woman of Setzuan'' (1970), ''Beggar on Horseback'' (1970), and ''Camino Real'' (1970).<ref>{{cite web|title=Roles (8)|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/luis-avalos-vault-0000092064|website=Playbill Vault|publisher=Playbill|access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref>
In 1972, Avalos was a cast member on the PBS children’s TV show ''The Electric Company'', most notably playing Doctor Doolots (a play on ''Doctor Dolittle''). He joined the show in its second season and stayed until the show’s cancellation in 1977. He was good friends with fellow ''Electric Company'' star Rita Moreno. His most notable movie role was as Ramon in the 1979 comedy ''Hot Stuff'', in which he starred alongside Jerry Reed, Dom DeLuise, and Suzanne Pleshette.
Ávalos also starred as Jesse Rodriguez on the short-lived situation comedy ''Condo'' with McLean Stevenson<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=206|edition=2nd}}</ref> and as Dr. Tomas Esquivel on the short-lived situation comedy ''E/R'' with Elliott Gould and Mary McDonnell.{{r|etvs|page1=310}} He played Dr. Sanchez on ''Highcliffe Manor'' on NBC in 1979{{r|etvs|page1=460}} and Crecencio Salos in ''Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life'' on CBS in 1993.{{r|etvs|page1=747}} Additionally, he starred as Stavi in the comedy ''The Ringer'' with Johnny Knoxville.
Avalos appeared on ''Barney Miller''. He was in the episode "Chase" in 1977 and the episode "Bones" in 1982.
In 1989, Avalos made a guest appearance as a judge on ''Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/perry-mason-the-case-of-the-musical-murder/cast/2000344571/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref>
In 2000, he founded the Americas Theatre Arts Foundation in Los Angeles to support Latin American-inspired dramatic productions.<ref name="v">{{cite web|last1=Seikaly|first1=Andrea|title='The Electric Company' Actor Luis Avalos Dies at 67|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/obituaries-people-news/the-electric-company-actor-luis-avalos-dies-at-67-1201069807/|website=Variety|date=25 January 2014 |access-date=20 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520235053/http://variety.com/2014/tv/obituaries-people-news/the-electric-company-actor-luis-avalos-dies-at-67-1201069807/|archive-date=20 May 2017}}</ref>
== Death == Avalos died on January 22, 2014, of heart failure, after a heart attack. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/arts/television/luis-avalos-actor-on-the-electric-company-dies-at-67.html|title=Luis Ávalos, Actor on 'The Electric Company,' Dies at 67|date=28 January 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=26 March 2016}}</ref> at Burbank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-passings-20140128,0,7327295.story#axzz2rZKcfkAt|title=Obituary: Luis Avalos - LA Times|author=Los Angeles Times|date=27 January 2014|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=26 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latintimes.com/luis-avalos-dies-electric-company-cuban-actor-dead-67-146777|title=Luis Ávalos Dies: 'The Electric Company' Cuban Actor Dead At 67|author=Armando Tinoco|work=Latin Times|date=22 January 2014 |access-date=26 March 2016}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1973|| ''Badge 373'' || Chico || |- |1979|| ''Hot Stuff'' || Ramon || |- |1980|| ''The Hunter'' || Poker Player #3 || |- |1980|| ''Sunday Lovers'' || || (segment "Skippy") |- |1980|| ''Stir Crazy'' || Chico || |- |1982|| ''Love Child'' || Tony || |- |1986|| ''Ghost Fever'' || Benny || |- |1989|| ''Criminal Act'' || Coroner || |- |1991|| ''Fires Within'' || Victor Hernandez || |- |1991|| ''The Butcher's Wife'' || Luis || |- |1995|| ''Lone Justice 2'' || rowspan="2"|Crecencio || |- |1996|| ''Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek'' || |- |1997|| ''Jungle 2 Jungle'' || Abe || |- |1999|| ''Love Stinks'' || Judge || |- |2002|| ''Wishcraft'' || Mayor Phelan || |- |2003|| ''Hollywood Homicide'' || Det. Willie Palmero || |- |2005|| ''The Ringer'' || Stavi || |- |2008|| ''Five Dollars a Day'' || Martinez || (final film role) |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0042757}} * {{tcmdb name|id=7176|name=Luis Ávalos}} * {{find a Grave|123993943}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Avalos, Luis}} Category:1946 births Category:2014 deaths Category:American sketch comedians Category:Cuban male film actors Category:Cuban male television actors Category:Actors from Havana Category:20th-century Cuban male actors Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Category:Cuban male comedians
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