Daytime Emmy-winning actor Henry Darrow, who soap fans know as Dr. Carlos Nunez on The Bold and the Beautiful and Rafael Castillo on Santa Barbara, died on Sunday at his home in Wilmington, NC. The actor's former publicist, Michael B. Druxman, announced the news on Facebook but did not list a cause of death for the 87-year-old.
Darrow was born Enrique Tomás Delgado in 1933. The New York native's first taste of the acting world came via a school play when he was just eight years old, and he decided to study theater and political science at the University of Rio Piedras, in Puerto Rico, where his parents returned with their family when he was thirteen. Darrow went to acting school on scholarships received from The Little Theater of Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico, and eventually received his Bachelor's degree, ending up in Los Angeles.
By the 1960s, Darrow had become the ultimate Latin heartthrob on television with roles in shows like Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and The High Chaparral -- the latter of which gave him one of his most iconic roles, that of roguish ladies' man Manolito Montoya.
Following his success on The High Chaparral, Darrow went on to star as Rafael Castillo on Santa Barbara, winning a Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category in 1990 for his work on the soap opera.
Daytime icon A Martinez, who played Darrow's son, Cruz Castillo, on Santa Barbara, marked the actor's passing on Facebook, sharing, "Henry Darrow crossed over yesterday. The strength of his work as 'Manolito' on High Chaparral captured the hearts of so many around the world. I was among the millions who fell in love with the dude -- irresistible as a role model -- and later, when we met and became friends, Henry mentored me. We worked together in six projects over the years, including three where I played his son. (He was only 15 years older, but with his worldly chops, it always worked.) I won my Emmy in 1990 largely on the strength of an episode of Santa Barbara where the two of us confronted one another -- a father seeking to save his edge of suicidal son -- with mesmerizing rage and tenderness in scenes set in the desert. It's my recollection that Henry also won that year."
Martinez continued, "Couple of takeaways from our friendship: (1) Don't be an asshole on the set. His scalding stories of actors who had crossed him were legend. (2) He was as generous to me as any good father would be. He came to me one day in Texas as we prepped to play dad and son on Seguin for American Playhouse. 'I have a gift for you, but you have to give it back when we're done,' he said, and then placed a gorgeous, exquisitely finished, formal leather jacket in my hands. It fit me like a glove, and was a great asset in defining my character's upwardly trending possibilities (Juan Seguin would eventually become the mayor of San Antonio.) Mr. Darrow was a pro's pro -- a credit to the profession -- and he was also a wonderful man. A career like this one does not happen by accident."
Darrow's other soap opera roles include the recurring character of Dr. Carlos Nunez on The Bold and the Beautiful from 1998 to 2001, the role of Danto Medina on One Life to Live in 1987, and two different roles on General Hospital: Ambassador Tabris in 1982, and DVX-backed Colonel in 1987.
Some of Darrow's other credits include Dallas, Mission: Impossible, The Outer Limits, Mod Squad, Kojak, Baretta, Hawaii Five-O, The Waltons, Benson, T.J. Hooker, The Golden Girls, and Star Trek: Voyager.
Darrow published his memoir, Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle, in 2012. That same year, he received the Ricardo Montalban Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards.
Survivors include his second wife, Lauren (whom he married in 1982), his daughter, Denise, and his brother, Dennis.
What are your favorite memories from Henry Darrow's time as B&B's Carlos and Santa Barbara's Rafael? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
