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."
His screen name was bestowed upon him by avant garde director Jack Smith who adored 1940s actress Maria Montez.
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In 2012, the Berlin International Film Festival honored Montez with a lifetime achievement award in "queer film," calling him "the great drag superstar.".
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His cross-dressing roles working with Andy Warhol were the subject of seminars and screenings at New York's Columbia University, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the Moving Image.
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