The veteran actor died at his home in Houston on May 4
Gerald Castillo, who was best known for his roles on General Hospital and Saved by the Bell has died. He was 90.
The veteran actor died at his home in Houston on May 4, his wife Dayna Quinn-Castillo told The Hollywood Reporter.
Castillo landed his first on-screen role on The Jeffersons in 1978. Actor Sherman Hemsley, who starred as George Jefferson on the CBS sitcom, encouraged him to pursue his acting career in Los Angeles after performing on stage together, the outlet reported.
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Castillo’s reps did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
He went on to Mario Lopez’s on-screen father, Major Slater, on Saved by the Bell from 1989 to 1992. He also portrayed Judge Davis Wagner on General Hospital from 1992 to 1994.
Castillo also appeared on the small screen in M*A*S*H, Dallas, Hill Street Blues, Night Court, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and All in the Family.
On the big screen, he had roles in Through Naked Eyes, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, State of Emergency and Above Suspicion.
Related: Sherman Hemsley Dies at 74
Before his retirement in 2012, the actor also worked as a stage director for productions across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Castillo’s wife paid tribute to his career, telling THR: “Many of the actors he worked with remember him as a charismatic and insightful director who would jingle the change in his pocket while he pondered a scene, then leap onto the stage to work out the blocking or whisper in an actor’s ear.”
She added, “He was revered for providing the support and guidance that allowed actors to fully develop their characters on stage.”
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The actor, who was predeceased by his daughter Lisa, is survived by Quinn-Castillo, his twin brother Bernie Castillo, grandchildren Brian and Stephanie Palmere and great-grandson Allen Palmere.
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