Gus Mercurio
Augustino Eugenio "Gus" Mercurio OAM (born August 10, 1928 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , † December 7, 2010 in Melbourne , Victoria ) was an Australian film actor and boxer .
Life
Gus Mercurio's parents, Vincent and Ceil Mercurio, were originally from Sicily and made a living as a fruit and vegetable dealer in Milwaukee. Gus Mercurio had three siblings. In 1935, when Gus was seven years old, the father left the family. In the years to come, the Mercurio family often had to fight for maintenance payments from their father. Gus Mercurio himself began working as an amateur boxer at a young age, and met Rocky Graziano and Pete Mead in over 100 fights, among others .
In 1945, at the age of 17, Mercurio joined the Merchant Navy and joined the United States Marine Corps three years later in 1948 . After his military service, Mercurio continued his work as a boxer, even turned professional, and then fought about 36 fights. On the advice of his chiropractor , Mercurio studied the relevant subject at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport , Iowa, and received his diploma after four years.
After working as a chiropractor in California for a short time , he came to Australia with the US team for the Summer Olympics in 1956 . The love for Down Under made him stay in Australia with his wife Shirley and their two children. Mercurio's third child was born in Ballarat . But the marriage failed; Shirley moved back to the USA with the three children. Mercurio moved to Swan Hill , where he began working as a chiropractor and started a boxing club for boys and young men. Gus Mercurio has also made a name for himself in boxing in Australia. In 1967 he was elected Vice President of the Victorian Amateur Boxing Association . He married a second time. He had four more children with his wife Jean, including Paul Mercurio in 1963 , who also enjoyed success as a film actor. In 1968 Gus Mercurio's second marriage also ended in divorce. Most recently he lived in a partnership with a woman named Rita.
In 1970 Mercurio began his second career path - he became an actor. He made his film debut in an episode of the crime series The Long Arm . Although he has taken on roles in numerous television series and films, he became little known outside of Australia. In 1980 he took on the first role in an internationally acclaimed film in The Blue Lagoon . In 1988 he also stood in front of the camera for Crocodile Dundee II . From 1996 to 2000 he was one of the main characters in the television series Flipper .
In 1989 Mercurio was granted Australian citizenship.
After his last film appearance, in 2008, Mercurio withdrew into private life. He died of an aneurysm in December 2010 at the age of 82 after surgery .
Filmography (selection)
- 1980: The Blue Lagoon (The Blue Lagoon)
- 1988: Crocodile Dundee II
Web links
- Gus Mercurio in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Gus Mercurio
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mercurio, Gus |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mercurio, Augustino Eugenio (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian actor and boxer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 10, 1928 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Milwaukee , Wisconsin |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 7, 2010 |
| Place of death | Melbourne |