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At age three, Hechter relocated to New York from Puerto Rico with his mother and two sisters. He was raised in a home filled with music and movies. His mother, a former singer on Puerto Rican radio, often welcomed musicians into their house. His grandmother, a devoted fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films, also greatly influenced him until he discovered Elvis Presley. In his youth, he earnestly tried to emulate "The King," though he admits he didn’t do so successfully.
His family settled in West Harlem, where many of his friends became involved with the wrong crowd. Aware of the dangers, Hechter stuck to what he called his own gang—a group of singers he had befriended. To avoid gang influence, he spent countless hours at local movie theaters, dreaming of one day leaving Harlem gangs behind.
Living in Harlem made Hechter uneasy about his Latino identity, but watching Latino films starring Arturo de Córdova, Jorge Negrete, and Miguel Aceves Mejía helped him embrace it. These actors became his heroes and significantly shaped his future career.
Growing more confident in his acting and singing, he decided to audition for the High School of Performing Arts. Perhaps overly confident, he chose a monologue from Macbeth without ever having seen Shakespeare performed live. After the audition, when asked about his favorite performer, he answered "Elvis Presley." He was accepted.
He felt at home at the High School for Performing Arts, surrounded by peers who shared his passion and talent. Among his classmates was Ben Vereen. During this time, he developed an interest in classical music and, with the help of a friend from Trinidad, also explored Calypso music. He performed outside school venues as well, notably at "Ye Olde Triple Inn," where comedian Freddie Prinze performed.
Three months after graduating, he began performing on Broadway, where he was encouraged to study opera. Though he sometimes struggled to afford lessons, his mentor urged him to continue. Hechter eventually repaid every cent he owed whenever possible.
His film career soon blossomed, earning him numerous roles. His most memorable was likely the drug kingpin "Rico" in Crocodile Dundee II, which led to many more offers following his powerful performance.
Returning to Broadway, he reunited with old friend Raul Julia in "Man of La Mancha." He continues to perform live, both on Broadway and in his own cabaret show, which has been running since 2000.
Hechter enjoys roles that challenge him as both actor and singer. He feels deeply grateful to have risen above his modest beginnings to do what he loves most: performing in front of audiences, whether on stage or screen.
