One of the actors from the iconic “Anything for Selenas” scene in the 1997 biopic Selena has passed away. Frank Mendez, known for his “órale, rewind” line as the “Second Cholo” from the movie starring Jennifer Lopez, died on Sunday.
SACurrent.com reports the actor and former teacher died early Sunday morning of unknown causes after being on life support, according to social media posts from his husband, Blas Amaya-Mendez, and former students.
Madison Shepard, one of his former students, shared the announcement via Twitter. “He was the one that taught me how to [be an artist],” Shepard wrote. “I’m so sad and heartbroken. We lost a real one.”
She was taught by Mendez in an after-school film and TV program at Raul Quintanilla Middle School in Dallas between 1999-2001, according to SACurrent.com.
The iconic scene from the movie features Mendez riding in the passenger seat of a custom 1969 Chevrolet Impala convertible when he and “First Cholo” played by Erick Carillo, notice Selena (Jennifer Lopez) trying to wave someone down to help with a stranded tour bus. When “First Cholo” realizes it is Selena, Mendez delivers his most famous line: “Pos, órale, rewind!”
“I lucked out that it’s so memorable,” Mendez told the Corpus Christi Caller Times in 2017. “I was supposed to say reverse, but in my head, this guy was kind of an idiot. We made up a story where they had gone to a house party the night before. It was such a ball and was nice to ad-lib.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Amaya-Mendez cover funeral expenses.
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