Guess which queer TV legend is about to get the full biopic treatment…
Walter Mercado will conquer television once again. The flamboyant and flirtatious TV icon will get the full biopic treatment for an as-of-yet unannounced network.Puerto Rican-born Mercado began his career as a dancer and actor in Spanish language theater and local television.
His life underwent a massive shift in 1969 when he stepped in at a moment’s notice to replace a no-show guest on a Telemundo talk show.
For 25 minutes, he improvised his way through an astrological forecast dressed in wild, colorful robes. Viewers responded so well to the segment that the network invited him to become a regular on the program.As they say, a star was born.Related: Filmmakers Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch on the fluid magic of Walter MercadoMercado spent the next 50 years as a staple of Spanish-language television, offering predictions and life coaching to his viewers, signing off with his signature phrase “Mucho, mucho amor.” He also became as notorious for his flamboyant dress and genderfluid demeanor as much as for his astrological vision.Privately, he would refer to himself as sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, and remained coy when it came to the subject of sex.
A 2020 documentary, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, featured interviews with the icon discussing his career as well as his views on sexuality and gender.
