Gerald Castillo obit

Gerald Castillo, ‘Saved by the Bell’ Actor, Dies at 90

Brought to Los Angeles by 'Jeffersons' star Sherman Hemsley, he also had turns on 'Knots Landing,' 'Hill Street Blues' and 'General Hospital.' 

He was not on the list.

Gerald Castillo, the veteran character actor who portrayed the father of Mario Lopez‘s A.C. Slater on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell, has died. He was 90.

Castillo died May 4 in his home in Houston, his wife of 36 years, Dayna Quinn-Castillo, announced.

Castillo also played Det. Michael Benedict on NBC’s Hill Street Blues in 1987, Dr. Herrara on CBS’ Knots Landing in 1990 and Judge Davis Wagner on the ABC daytime soap General Hospital in 1992-94.

He showed up on many other shows throughout his career, from All in the Family, Barnaby Jones, M*A*S*H and Dynasty to Night Court, Dallas, Hunter and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

On the big screen, Castillo worked in Through Naked Eyes (1983), Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989), Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990), State of Emergency (1994) and Above Suspicion (1995). He often portrayed a tough guy.

Fans of Saved by the Bell know him for his turn as Major Slater, a military man who was a strict but loving parent to A.C. He appeared on the comedy in 1989 and ’92.

Born in Chicago on Dec. 23, 1932, Castillo studied acting and stage direction at his hometown Goodman Theater in the ’60s. He then performed on stages around the country alongside such luminaries as Rita Moreno, Jessica Tandy, James Broderick, Jeanne Crain and Sherman Hemsley.

It was Hemsley who convinced Castillo to move to Los Angeles to pursue a film and television career, and he appeared on an episode of CBS’ The Jeffersons in 1978 to mark his onscreen debut.

In semi-retirement, Castillo worked in theaters across Los Angeles and at the Santa Paula Theater in Ventura County. He was known 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,” his wife noted.

Castillo acted onscreen through 2012, then moved to Houston with his wife a year later.

Survivors also include his grandchildren, Brian and Stephanie, and great-grandsons Allen and Bernie. His daughter, Lisa, from his first marriage, died last year.

 

Actor

Troubled Child (2012)

Troubled Child

5.4

Mike

2012

 

2084 (2009)

2084

4.8

Carlberg

2009

 

Elisabeth Shue, Ted Danson, and George Eads in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

7.7

TV Series

Max Valdez

2000

1 episode

 

Robert Davi and Ally Walker in Profiler (1996)

Profiler

7.2

TV Series

S.W. Gomez

1997

1 episode

 

Joe Mantegna and Christopher Reeve in Above Suspicion (1995)

Above Suspicion

6.7

Lt. Matteos

1995

 

Maurice Benard, Ingo Rademacher, Julie Berman, Steve Burton, Tyler Christopher, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Kelly Monaco, Kirsten Storms, Laura Wright, Dominic Zamprogna, and Chad Duell in General Hospital (1963)

General Hospital

6.6

TV Series

Judge Davis Wagner

1992–1994

15 episodes

 

State of Emergency (1994)

State of Emergency

6.2

TV Movie

Ralph Ortiz

1994

 

FBI: The Untold Stories (1991)

FBI: The Untold Stories

6.9

TV Series

Mike

1992

1 episode

 

Elizabeth Berkley, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Leanna Creel, Dustin Diamond, Dennis Haskins, Mario Lopez, and Lark Voorhies in Saved by the Bell (1989)

Saved by the Bell

7.1

TV Series

Major Slater

1989–1992

2 episodes

 

Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Beals, and Lisa Hartman in 2000 Malibu Road (1992)

2000 Malibu Road

6.5

TV Series

Judge Machado

1992

2 episodes

 

The New Adam-12 (1990)

The New Adam-12

6.0

TV Series

Neighbor

1991

1 episode

 

Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)

Knots Landing

6.9

TV Series

Dr. Herrara

1990

5 episodes

 

Dragnet (1989)

Dragnet

5.5

TV Series

Policeman

1990

1 episode

 

Chuck Norris in Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990)

Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection

4.9

George Fogarty - DEA Director

1990

 

Victoria Principal, Barbara Bel Geddes, Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Charlene Tilton, Jim Davis, Linda Gray, and Steve Kanaly in Dallas (1978)

Dallas

7.1

TV Series

Manuel

Luis Hernandez

1981–1989

2 episodes

 

Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker in Perfect Strangers (1986)

Perfect Strangers

7.2

TV Series

Ex-Smoker

1989

1 episode

 

Charles Bronson and Kim Lee in Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989)

Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects

5.5

Capt. Tovar

1989

 

Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)

Hunter

6.9

TV Series

Carmelo Chavez

1989

1 episode

 

Something Is Out There (1988)

Something Is Out There

6.7

TV Series

Morelli

1988

1 episode

 

Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman in Beauty and the Beast (1987)

Beauty and the Beast

7.0

TV Series

Simons

1988

1 episode

 

Michael Paré and Michael Beck in Houston Knights (1987)

Houston Knights

7.4

TV Series

1988

1 episode

 

Simon & Simon (1981)

Simon & Simon

7.0

TV Series

Jose Ramirez

Garza

1986–1988

2 episodes

 

Our House (1986)

Our House

7.2

TV Series

1988

1 episode

 

Charles Bronson in Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)

Death Wish 4: The Crackdown

5.4

Lt. Higuera

1987

 

Right to Die (1987)

Right to Die

6.8

TV Movie

Manuel Silva

1987

 

Robert Clohessy, Michael Warren, and Bruce Weitz in Hill Street Blues (1981)

Hill Street Blues

8.2

TV Series

Det. Michael Benedict

1987

2 episodes

 

Harry Anderson, Selma Diamond, Ellen Foley, John Larroquette, Richard Moll, and Charles Robinson in Night Court (1984)

Night Court

7.7

TV Series

Vega

1987

1 episode

 

The Paper Chase (1973)

The Paper Chase

8.1

TV Series

1986

1 episode

 

Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

7.0

TV Series

Allan Aghaney

1985

1 episode

 

Our Family Honor (1985)

Our Family Honor

6.1

TV Series

1985

1 episode

 

Dynasty (1981)

Dynasty

6.3

TV Series

Captain Cordillo

1984

1 episode

 

Through Naked Eyes (1983)

Through Naked Eyes

5.7

TV Movie

Sgt. Scopetta

1983

 

The Renegades (1982)

The Renegades

5.5

TV Movie

Cop

1982

 

Maud Adams, Dennis Franz, Craig T. Nelson, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and Richard Lawson in Chicago Story (1982)

Chicago Story

7.4

TV Series

1982

1 episode

 

Alan Alda, David Ogden Stiers, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, and Loretta Swit in M*A*S*H (1972)

M*A*S*H

8.5

TV Series

Reporter

1982

1 episode

 

David Birney and Catherine Hicks in Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981)

Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls

4.8

TV Mini Series

Crew Member #1

1981

 

The White Shadow (1978)

The White Shadow

8.0

TV Series

Monty

Esteban

1980–1981

2 episodes

 

Redd Foxx in Sanford (1980)

Sanford

6.7

TV Series

Guido

1980

1 episode

 

Tony Curtis, Robert Urich, Phyllis Davis, and Judy Landers in Vega$ (1978)

Vega$

6.9

TV Series

Waiter

1980

1 episode

 

Anne Archer and John Ritter in Hero at Large (1980)

Hero at Large

5.9

2nd Hero at Fire

1980

 

Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D. (1979)

Trapper John, M.D.

6.6

TV Series

Garcia

1980

1 episode

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

David Alvarado

1979

1 episode

 

Marla Gibbs, Paul Benedict, Franklin Cover, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Isabel Sanford, and Berlinda Tolbert in The Jeffersons (1975)

The Jeffersons

7.5

TV Series

Man Picketer #1

Policeman

1978–1979

2 episodes

 

Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, Carroll O'Connor, and Jean Stapleton in All in the Family (1971)

All in the Family

8.4

TV Series

Orderly

1979

1 episode

 

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (1977)

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

7.9

TV Series

Coach

1978

1 episode