The 78-year-old Cuban actor passed away over the weekend.

The 78-year-old Cuban actor passed away yesterday, Sunday April 13.

A statement in a South Florida newspaper, Diario Las Américas, wrote: "Mario Ernesto Sánchez died today at 3:03 am as a result of a long and painful illness."

The actor was best known for starring in Miami Vice as a limo driver, and he also appeared in the Only Fools And Horses Christmas special, Miami Twice.

Most recently, he featured in TV series Jammerz, and in the HBO remake of the hit movie, Father of the Bride.

Sánchez was born in San Antonio de las Vegas, and moved to the United States at 15, before taking up a career in acting.

He featured in several Hollywood movies including 1985's Invasion USA and The Specialist in 1994. 

In 1978, he founded Teatro Avante, a nonprofit theater organisation preserving Hispanic theater and culture.

The Latino Theater Company/LATC honoured him with the Legacy Award in 2014.

The award is for 'outstanding individuals whose lifelong commitment to Latino Theater in the United States and Latin America will have a lasting impact on the field.' 

When accepting the award, Sánchez said that the award means 'that we have done a lot but we have a lot more to do.'

Fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to the actor, with one calling him 'an inspiring and generous promoter and a leading figure in Ibero-American theater' (translated from Spanish).

Another said he was 'great in only fools and horse Miami twice.'