Julio Oscar Mechoso obit

Julio Oscar Mechoso Dies: Character Actor Was 62

 

He was not on the list.

Veteran character actor Julio Oscar Mechoso died Nov. 25 of a heart attack. He was 62. His longtime best friend Andy Garcia wrote a lengthy statement about Mechoso’s passing; read it below.

The Miami native, whose death was reported by the Miami Herald, made his screen acting debut in 1979 on the sitcom ¿Qué pasa, U.S.A.? A gifted and versatile performer in both drama and comedy, Mechoso appeared in dozens of films, including Little Miss Sunshine, The Legend of Zorro, Jurassic Park III, Last Weekend and co-starred in TV series Greetings From Tuscan, Cane and Damon.  He also appeared in John Bruno-helmed Virus alongside William Baldwin, Joanna Pacula and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Known mostly for playing gangsters and cops, Mechoso was a favorite of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who worked with him in five films and TV series, most recently on the El Rey drama series Matador and From Dusk Till Dawn.

Mechoso’s extensive resume also includes guest stints on Coach, Miami Vice, Seinfeld, Grey’s Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, Without a Trace, Nip/Tuck, CSI, The Big Bang Theory and most recently, Madam Secretary and Life In Pieces. 

“He was a utility player who could do anything, be a lead in a sitcom like Greetings From Tucson and then a vicious Mexican narcotrafficker in Kingpin and then a quirky demon who works part-time as a limo driver taking souls to Hell in From Dusk Till Dawn, producer Juan Carlos Coto told the Miami Herald. “He played them all with such spirit and such life that you just couldn’t top watching him.”

Mechoso also had several writing projects in the works, according to the Miami Herald, including a script about his teenage days at Miami’s Old Mutiny Hotel.

    Here is Garcia’s statement about Mechoso:

In Loving Memory of my friend Julio Oscar Mechoso.

How can one express the extreme loss of someone so close to you, the extreme emptiness that one feels now and forever. A sudden loss is always unjust, but in the case of Julio Oscar Mechoso, my friend, my soul mate it is greater than that, as I have lost the truest of friends. Julio is a unique and extraordinary artist. I say is, because his artistry will carry on and will be present in all that will witness it. That will never die.

He shared with us his deepest, most personal soul, always readily available for us to see. His emotional range as an actor is unequaled. His dedication to research and psychology was something to witness and admire. We were always there for each other weather to help with a part, develop a script, and discuss the sublime nature of the work.

I always wanted Julio with me in any work that I was doing. Because Julio always elevated the film. Working with him was for me an effortless privilege. We got off on each other, we laughed and we cried together. He was an actor’s actor. We all knew what he was capable of delivering and it was always quite extraordinary.

His charisma was uncanny. Ever since we met in college he captivated me with his work, whether in his imitation of George C. Scott as Patton, or his soulful rendition of Randall in “Slow Dance on a Killing Ground.” The character of Randall had a hole in his heart, Julio showed it to us. It was an unforgettable moment. How did he do it? We marveled at his depth. Now I too have a hole in my heart, a hole that will never be filled. Only in his memory and his constant inspiration will the edges of the hole harden and not bleed.

Julio cherished the work of an actor. He treated it with great respect. He honored it. He was fearless and experimental. Always living and searching for the absolute truth. He was proud to be an actor, But he was most proud of his family. The love of his life Linda, what a beautiful relationship they shared, And the pride and love he had for his three children, Melinda, JJ and CJ was a marvel.

As Julio would often say to me I would take a bullet for them. He would also say that to me. “Bicho” he would call me, “Bicho, I would take a bullet for you.” This I never doubted. It was a loving but serious declaration. Perhaps there was a stray bullet in the air that tragic night you left us and you took it for all of us.

I will cherish all the precious and sublime times we shared acting and perhaps even more, singing together our beloved Rumba’s.

We learned together our craft. I am proud to say that together we elevated it to an art form. We shared family, friends, Dolphins, food, drink and music, always with our families by our side.

I will miss you, my brother. You left us an incredible and inspirational body of work.

I will carry on, as you would like me to. As it is our duty. With you always by my side. Cherishing the work, and honoring your spirit in my work. That is my promise to you.

 

Andy Garcia

Filmography

 

    1983 Guaguasi as Ernestico

    1984-1988 Miami Vice as Lester Kosko

    1986 Flight of the Navigator as Hangar Guard #1

    1988 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach as Shooting Range Cop

    1990 Internal Affairs as Cousin Gregory

    1990 The Take (TV Movie)

    1990 Midnight Caller (TV Series) as Ozzie Minoso

    1992 Live! From Death Row (TV Movie) as Reyes

    1992 Deep Cover as Detective Hernandez

    1992 Toys as Cortez

    1994 Dead Connection as Linen Suit

    1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (TV Movie)

    1994 A Million to Juan as Corn Seller

    1994 Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (TV Movie) as Lieutenant Arguello

    1994 The Glass Shield as Assistant District Attorney

    1995 Seinfeld (TV Series) as Julio

    1995 Bad Boys as Detective Ruiz

    1995 A Pyromaniac's Love Story as Jerry

    1996 White Squall as Girard Pascal

    1997 Vegas Vacation as Limo Driver

    1997 'Til There Was You as Mover

    1997 Mad City as Air Force Sergeant

    1997 Switchback as Jorge Martinez

    1998 Krippendorf's Tribe as Professor Simon Alonso

    1999 Virus as "Squeaky"

    1999 Molly as Baseball Fan

    1999 Blue Streak as Detective Diaz

    2000 For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (TV Movie) as Jaime Arrondo

    2000 All the Pretty Horses as Captain Raul

    2001 Heartbreakers as Leo

    2001 Tortilla Soup as Gomez

    2001 Jurassic Park III as Enrique Cardoso

    2002 Pumpkin as Dr. Frederico Cruz

    2002 Ken Park as Peaches' Father

    2002 Phone Booth as Medic

    2002 Assassination Tango as Orlando

    2003 Bookies as Martinez

    2003 Once Upon a Time in Mexico as Nicholas, Presidential Advisor

    2003 A Simple Choice (Short) as Gus

    2005 Lords of Dogtown as Mr. Alva

    2005 Wheelmen as Mario

    2005 The Lost City as Colonel Candela

    2005 The Legend of Zorro as Frey Felipe

    2005 Ghost Whisperer (TV Series) as Gilbert de la Costa

    2006 Little Miss Sunshine as The Mechanic

    2006 Grey's Anatomy (TV Series) as Chuck Eaton

    2006 The Virgin of Juarez as (Uncredited)

    2006 Good Cop, Bad Cop as Ramirez

    2007 The Go-Getter as Sergio Leone

    2007 Grindhouse as Romy (segment "Planet Terror")

    2007 Her Best Move as Umberto

    2007 Rise: Blood Hunter as Arturo

    2007 The Death and Life of Bobby Z as Detective Martinez

    2007 Planet Terror as Romy

    2008 Winged Creatures as Detective Cavalis

    2009 Nip/Tuck (TV Series) as Dr. Hans

    2009 Janky Promoters as John Glanville

    2010 The Big Bang Theory (TV Series) as Police Officer

    2010 Fire Bay as Agustino

    2011 Magic City Memoirs as Alejandro Acosta

    2011 Wizards of Waverly Place (TV Series) as DMV Instructor

    2012 The Baytown Outlaws as "Padre"

    2012 A Dark Truth as The Guide

    2013 Machete Kills as Chepo

    2014 Last Weekend as Hector Castillo

    2014 Cake as Dr. Mata

    2014 The Forger as Raul Carlos

    2016 Transpecos as Miguel Herandez

    2016 Rules Don't Apply as President Anastasio Somoza Debayle

    2017 Inheritance as Teddy's Father (final film role)