Veteran character actor Julio Oscar Mechoso died of a heart attack on Saturday, according to the Miami Herald. He was 62.
With more than 120 acting credits to his name, Mechoso’s long career spanned both movies and television, as well as comedy and drama. He appeared in films such as “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Legend of Zorro,” “Jurassic Park III,” “Last Weekend” and TV series “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Seinfeld,” “Greetings From Tuscan,” “Cane” and “Damon.”
Mechoso’s longtime friend and colleague Andy Garcia reflected on the life and legacy of his “soul mate” in a tribute published in the Miami Herald on Sunday.
“Julio is a unique and extraordinary artist,” he wrote. “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,” Garcia continued. “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 whether to help with a part, develop a script, and discuss the sublime nature of the work.”
Mechoso was born in Cuba and raised in Miami. After his graduation from Florida International University, he landed his first TV role in 1979’s “¿Qué pasa, U.S.A.?” He would go on to appear in shows like “Miami Vice,” “Coach” and, more recently, “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Matador” and “Madam Secretary.”
Mechoso currently 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.