In a tragic update from Hollywood, actor Gerald Castillo has passed away at the elderly age of ninety. The actor most famously appeared in Saved by the Bell, playing Major Slater, who was the on-screen father to Mario Lopez’s character. The celebrated actor died in his Houston, Texas, home on May 4. His wife, Dayna Quinn-Castillo, announced the actor’s death to the world and confirmed that he passed away during the first week of May 2023.
Castillo appeared in only two episodes of Saved by the Bell. However, fans remember his appearances very clearly since he was playing the character who was Lopez’s on-screen father in the hit sitcom. In addition to his appearances on Saved by the Bell, Gerald Castillo also appeared in numerous other hit television shows like All In The Family, Dallas, Dynasty, M*A*S*H, The Jeffersons, and Dragnet, according to an update by the periodical Daily Mail.
According to THR, Castillo got his start in acting by studying at the Goodman Theater. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Following his classical theater education, Castillo played roles opposite other greats like Sherman Hemsley and Rita Moreno. He began his acting career as a stage actor who had a presence on stage that could not be denied.
It was reported that Hemsley was the person who convinced Castillo to relocate to Los Angeles so he could pursue a career in the Hollywood show business part of the industry. He took Hemsley’s advice, relocated, and the rest is history.
Castillo’s first television appearance was in an episode of The Jeffersons that aired back in 1978. He would go on to play numerous other roles on the small screen, becoming quite a popular actor on television. In addition to the shows that we listed above, he also had appearances in hit shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, General Hospital, and Beauty and the Beast.
Although Gerald Castillo had a lot of experience working for television as an actor, he also sought roles in the movies. Film credits for the 90-year-old actor include Hero At Large, Through Naked Eyes, Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, and State of Emergency. He clearly had a penchant for playing roles in action films. He would often play the “tough guy” on screen.
When Castillo reached his senior years, he went into semi-retirement. However, he would continue to take on roles in theaters across Los Angeles as well as at the Santa Paula Theater in Ventura County. He was a common face at the various theaters across Southern California despite being quite old.
In addition to acting, Castillo also directed. His wife told THR that he earned himself a reputation 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.”
Castillo’s final film roles were in the 2009 film 2084 and Troubled Child, which was released in 2012. A year after Troubled Child was released, he moved to Houston with his wife.