Henry Darrow was a renowned Latin heartthrob on television in the late 1960s, captivating audiences with his smooth style and captivating smile. He made history as the first Hispanic actor to portray Zorro on television.
Born Enrique Tomás Delgado on September 15, 1933, in New York City, Henry was the first son of Puerto Rican parents Enrique St. and Gloria Delgado. He began his acting career at age 8 in a school play, which sparked his interest. His family moved to Puerto Rico, where Henry was elected president of his class and attended the University of Rio Piedras as a political science and theater major.
Henry's fluency in two languages allowed him to earn supplementary income as an interpreter. He later returned to the United States on scholarships, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree and training at the Pasadena Playhouse. He met and married his first wife, Lucy, an aspiring actress, and they had two children, Denise (Dee-Dee) and Tom.
Henry's early career included appearances in movies and television, making his big screen debut unbilled in the light comedy Holiday for Lovers (1959). He found steadier work on television, appearing in a number of rugged series, including Wagon Train (1957),Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964),Bonanza (1959),Gunsmoke (1955) and Daniel Boone (1964).
On stage, Henry continued to hone his craft in plays such as "The Alchemist" (1963) and "Dark of the Moon" (1966). His breakthrough role came when he was spotted by producer David Dortort, who cast him as the roguish ladies' man Manolito Montoya in the western series The High Chaparral (1967).
Henry's television peak came with his portrayal of Manolito Montoya, which earned him a daytime Emmy for his role on Santa Barbara (1984) after joining the cast in 1989. Although he never found a strong footing in movies, his better supporting work has been seen in Badge 373 (1973) and Walk Proud (1979).
Henry's enduring relationship with the famous Zorro character began when he was the first Latino Zorro on television. He also provided the title voice for two 1980s animated series and replaced Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Zorro's father in a cable reincarnation of the series.
Henry continued to perform on the stage, taking on roles such as Iago in "Othello" and a one-man show entitled "That Certain Cervantes", which premiered in 2001. He was a founder of "Nosotros", an organization that aimed to improve the image of Latinos, and was the inaugural winner of the Ricardo Montalban/Nosotros Award for his contributions.
In his later years, Henry appeared in a number of movies and television shows, including elderly roles in Runaway Jury (2003),Angels with Angles (2005),Primo (2008) and Soda Springs (2012). He also enjoyed a recurring role on The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) in 2001 and guest-starred on a number of series, including Family Law (1999),The Lot (1999),Diagnosis Murder (1993),The Brothers Garcia (2000),Just Shoot Me! (1997) and One Tree Hill (2003).
Henry Darrow passed away on March 14, 2021, at the age of 87, leaving behind his second wife, Lauren Levinson (aka Lauren Levian),an actress, screenwriter, and producer.
