Well-known American born character actor, he was a former professional
boxer and arrived in Australia as a qualified referee. His raspy voice,
energetic personality and natural talents quickly came to the attention
of Australian TV production houses.
Mercurio appeared in several Australian period style TV shows including
Tandarra (1976),
Cash and Company (1975) and
Power Without Glory (1976).
Additionally, he was a regular bad guy on several Australian police
series TV shows including
Homicide (1964),
Division 4 (1969) and
Matlock Police (1971). His
film appearances have included
Crocodile Dundee II (1988),
The Man from Snowy River (1982)
and
Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997).
He is the father of talented dancer / actor / entertainer
Paul Mercurio who starred in
Strictly Ballroom (1992)