Mario Montez

Mario Montez
Still shot of Mario Montez from the short film "A Lazy Summer Afternoon" by John Heys
Born	René Rivera (1935-07-20)July 20, 1935 Ponce, Puerto Rico
Died	September 26, 2013(2013-09-26) (aged 78) Key West, Florida
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Education	Self-taught
Movement	Pop art

René Rivera, (July 20, 1935 – September 26, 2013), known professionally as Mario Montez, was one of the Warhol superstars, appearing in thirteen of Andy Warhol's underground films from 1964 to 1966. He took his name as a male homage to the actress Maria Montez, an important gay icon in the fifties and sixties. Before appearing in Warhol's films, he appeared in Jack Smith's important underground films Flaming Creatures and Normal Love. Montez also stars in the Ron Rice film, Chumlum, made in 1964. Mario Montez, was "a staple in the New York underground scene of the 1960s and ’70s."

Montez was born René Rivera in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1935. When he was 8, the family moved to East Harlem where he grew up. In New York, he studied print and graphic arts but worked in clerical jobs.

A cross dresser and drag queen, he took his name from the 1940s Hollywood starlet María Montez. His acting career started somewhat by chance when he met avant-garde filmmaker Jack Smith, who included him in his 1963 underground classic “Flaming Creatures.” Montez did not attend acting school, instead he admits he learned acting "from watching old movies".

Warhol gave Montez the “superstar” status he bestowed on his protégés, but in spite of working in many of his films, Montez never developed a close relationship with the famously laconic Warhol. Montez was also a co-founder of Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company, which rehearsed at Montez’s loft in SoHo.

In January 1977, Montez moved to Orlando, Florida. After moving to Florida, he quit entertainment altogether and remained out of the public eye until 2006, when he appeared on a documentary about filmmaker Jack Smith. In Florida he returned to working clerical jobs.