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Ultimately, Henry was elected president of his class, and under the picture of his graduation, he wrote: "My ambition is to become a good actor and be another son bringing glory to Puerto Rico, this little island which I hold so dear." He went on to study political science and acting at the University of Rio Piedras. While he was a student, he utilized his flair for languages to work, part-time, as an interpreter.
Henry was in his third year at the University when, for the first time, the
Puerto Rican Throughout his career, Henry has appeared in some five hundred episodes of soap operas, mini-series, sit-coms, and dramas, along with numerous stage plays. He is the first Latino actor to have portrayed "Zorro" in two different television series, as well as providing the voice for a cartoon version of the masked hero. He won a "Bambi" Award -- the German version of an "Emmy" -- for "The High Chaparral", and a Daytime "Emmy" Award for his role on "Santa Barbara".
Henry lives in North Carolina with his wife of many years, Lauren Levian, an actress/screenwriter. They share their home with four cats: Cairo, Ragtime, Watson and Figgins. Henry and Lauren both pursue their careers with great energy and enthusiasm: Lauren writes, produces and acts in her own one-woman shows about the Old West and the American Revolution. She is currently working with Henry on their two-person show, That Certain Cervantes. Henry teaches acting classes, performs in That Certain Cervantes, and continues to appear in various TV series and movies. They are also involved in various community service activities.
Henry with his children -- daughter DeeDee (Denise) and son Tom.
Click on the picture below to learn more about Henry's public service.
This page last updated: October 16, 2005 ~ Copyright © The Henry Darrow Fan Club
1999-2005
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Henry Darrow was
born Enrique Tomás Delgado in New York City, on September 15, 1933, the first
son of Puerto Rican parents, Gloria and Enrique Sr. His "show
business" debut was made at age 8, when he played a woodcutter in a school
play. He knew what he wanted to do from a very young age, and while many parents
react with horror when a child announces his intention to pursue a theatrical
career, Henry's mother and father approved and encouraged their son's ambition.
According to his mother, "He loved acting more than anything. It was part
of him, so I wanted him to become an actor."
Henry was 13 years old when
he saw his parents' native land for the first time. Just before he entered high
school, his father decided to give up his restaurant in Bedford Village -- a
suburb of New York City -- and go into the clothing business with a brother
"back home" in Puerto Rico. The family, which now included a younger
brother, Dennis, made the move, and Henry wrote beneath a picture of himself as
a junior in high school, "I thought I'd never get used to Puerto
Rico." He made the adjustment, however, and continued the statement with
"That only goes to show how wrong I was. I like it here."
government
authorized scholarships to acting schools. Only one was offered to a resident of
Puerto Rico, and through hard work and determination, Henry became that one. He
was soon on his way to Southern California and the Pasadena Playhouse --
pursuing the career he'd begun at age 8. He also met his first wife, Lucy, an
aspiring actress at the Playhouse, and during their marriage, they had two
children, Denise (Dee-Dee) and Tom. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Theater Arts, he kept busy collecting film credits and acting
experience in 12 feature films and 75 television series before he was chosen for
what is probably his best-known role: Manolito Montoya on the TV series,
"The High Chaparral". It was Henry's appearance in a play entitled
"The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" that convinced David Dortort, the
series producer, that Henry could play the roguish, fun loving Manolito. 
