- Name: Benicio Del Toro
- Date of Birth: February 19, 1967
- Place of Birth: Santurce, Puerto Rico
Mini-bio:
Benicio Del Toro emerged in the mid-90s as one of the most watchable and charismatic character actors to surface in years. A favorite of film buffs for years, Del Toro gained mainstream public attenti...( read more)
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| Benicio Del Toro
|
Story" (1990) (mini). Del Toro's big screen career got off to a slower start however. His first role was Duke the Dog-Faced Boy in Big Top Pee-wee (1988). Things looked better, however, when he landed the role of the Dario, vicious henchman in the James Bond film Licence to Kill (1989). Surprising his co-stars, Del Toro was the youngest actor ever to portray a Bond villain, only 21 years old at the time. The potential break however was spoiled as Licence to Kill (1989) became one of the most disappointing Bond films ever; it was lost amid bigger summer competition. Benicio gave creditable performances in many overlooked films for the next few years, such as The Indian Runner (1991), Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), and Money for Nothing (1993/I) . His roles in Fearless (1993) and China Moon (1994) gained him more critical notices. 1995 proved to be the first "Year of Benicio" as he gave a memorable performance in Swimming with Sharks (1994) before taking critics and film buffs by storm as the mumbling, mysterious gangster in The Usual Suspects (1995) directed by Bryan Singer. An Oscar-winning film, Del Toro won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting actor for the role. Staying true to his independent roots, he next gave a charismatic turn as cold-blooded gangster Gaspare in The Funeral (1996) directed by Abel Ferrara. He also appeared as Benny Dalmau in Basquiat (1996) directed by artist friend Julian Schnabel. The year also marked his first truly commercial film as he played cocky Spanish baseball star Juan Primo in The Fan (1996) which starred Robert De Niro. Del Toro took his first leading man role in Excess Baggage (1997), starring and produced by Alicia Silverstone. Hand-picked by Silverstone, his 
performance was about the only thing critics praised about the film, and showed the level of consciousness he was beginning to have in the minds of film fans. In 1998, Benicio Del Toro took a leading role with Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), directed by legendary director Terry Gilliam. Gaining 40 pounds for the role of Dr Gonzo, the drug-addicted lawyer to sports writer Raoul Duke, Benicio immersed himself totally in the role. Using his method acting training so far as to burn himself with cigarettes for a scene, it was a trying time for Del Toro. The harsh critical reviews proved tough on Del Toro, who felt he had given his all for the role and been dismissed. Many saw the crazed, psychotic performance as a confirmation of the rumors and overall weirdness that people seemed to place on Del Toro. Taking a short break after the ordeal, 2000 proved to be the second "Year of Benicio". He first appeared in The Way of the Gun (2000) directed by friend and The Usual Suspects (1995) writer Christopher McQuarrie. Then he went to work for actor's director Steven Soderbergh in Traffic (2000). A complex and graphic film, it nonetheless became a widespread hit and Oscar winner. Del Toro's cop character Javier Rodriguez functions as the movie's real heart amid an all-star ensemble cast, and many praised it as the year's best performance, a sentiment validated by a Screen Actor's Guild Award for "Best Actor". Released weeks later, he also made a notable appearance in Snatch. (2000) directed by Guy Ritchie and The Pledge (2001) directed by Sean Penn. Possessing sleepy good looks reminiscent of James Dean or Marlon Brando, Del Toro has often jokingly been referred to as the "Spanish Brad Pitt". With his newfound celebrity, Del Toro has become a sort of heartthrob, being voted one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People" as well as "Most Eligible Bachelors". A favorite of film fans for years for his diverse and "cool guy" gangster roles, he is now becoming a mainstream favorite respected for his acting skills and choices. So far very careful in his choices and who he works with, Del Toro can boast an impressive resume of films with some of the most influential and respected people in the film business. 
| Eye color: brown |
| Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m) |
| Nickname(s): Beno |
| Notable feature(s): eyes, latino flair,slurred, mumbling voice and odd mannerisms |
| Education: University of California San Diego (UCSD), Academia del Perpetuo Socorro (Miramar, Puerto Rico), Mercersburg Academy |
| Family: Gustavo Del Toro (father), Fausta Sanchez-Del Toro (mother), Gustavo (brother) |
| Resides in: Los Angeles |
| Personal interests/hobbies: Oil painting, Basketball, Art |
| Charities/Causes: Benicio del Toro has supported the following charities:
AIDS, At-Risk/Disadvantaged Youths, Cancer, Children, Disaster Relief, Education, Environment, Family/Parent Support, Health, Human Rights, Miscellaneous, Poverty, Refugees, Sports, Voter Education, Water, Women |
| Other: Youngest person ever to portray a villain in a James Bond-movie |
Trivia
- Son of Gustavo Del Toro and Fausta Sanchez-Del Toro, and Godson of Sarah Torres (all lawyers).
- Passionate about oil painting.
- Sent to boarding school in Pennsylvania when he was 13.
- Has one brother, Gustavo, who is two years older and is a physician in the US.
- Mother died when he was nine.
- Family urged him to become a lawyer because they felt there was no future in acting.
- Studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting on a scholarship.
- Dated Chiara Mastroianni.
- Attended the University of California - San Diego (UCSD)
- Burned himself with cigarettes repeatedly for the elevator scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) because the real 'Oscar Zeta Acosta' did as well. The shots of the burn were cut.
- Reportedly turned down the role of Frida Kahlo's husband Diego Rivera in Frida (2002) because of the weight gain that would be required, despite that earlier, for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), he had gained 40 pounds for his character.
- Was offered the role of Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls (2000) that eventually went to Javier Bardem. He turned it down to be in friend Christopher McQuarrie's The Way of the Gun (2000).
- Attended Mercersburg Academy (graduated in 1985). He was a basketball star and artist there, but not an actor.
- He badly injured his wrist during a stunt fight during the filming of William Friedkin's The Hunted (2003). He fell on his wrist as he dove for a knife and actor Tommy Lee Jones fell on top of him. He was injured so badly that he was out of work for months, even though the film was virtually completed. He required 3 hours of therapy daily and reportedly there is a question whether he will regain full use of the wrist.
- Cousin of Joshue Del Toro and Rebeca.
- "Del Toro" means "of the bull" in Spanish.
- Won the 2003 Audience Award for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival for his role in 21 Grams (2003).
- Third Puerto Rican Actor to win an Academy Award. The other two were: Rita Moreno (West Side Story (1961)) and José Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)).
- Benny Dalmau's last name (his character in Basquiat (1996)) came from Raymond Dalmau, a Puerto Rican basketball player in the 70s and early 80s. Raymond Dalmau wore the shirt Benicio wears in the film when he was in the Puerto Rican National Selection.
- From 1988 to 1992 he was in a relationship with Valeria Golino.
- Before moving to Pennsylvania, was a student at Academia del Perpetuo Socorro in Miramar, Puerto Rico.
- Because of his pay-or-play deal, he was paid $5 million for American Gangster (2007). the film was due to start shooting in October 2004 - with Denzel Washington co-starring - but Universal Pictures postponed it because of budgetary concerns. The film eventually got the green light in 2006, with Ridley Scott replacing Antoine Fuqua as director.
- Is one of five Oscar winners - for Best Supporting Actor in Traffic (2000) - to play a character that spoke mostly in a foreign language. Most of his dialog was in Spanish. The other are Sophia Loren, Robert De Niro, Roberto Benigni and Marion Cotillard.
- He was considered for the lead character of "Eddie Kagle" in "Angel on My Shoulder" (2005), a role that was played by Paul Muni in Angel on My Shoulder (1946). Producers not only wanted him for his his amazing talent, but also for his close resemblance to Muni.
- Youngest person ever to portray a villain in a James Bond-movie: "Dario" in Licence to Kill (1989).
- He was originally cast as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). After the majority of the character's lines were removed from the script by George Lucas, Benicio left the project.
- He and his ex-girlfriend Claire Forlani both been in movies featuring Ryan Phillippe: Claire in Antitrust (2001) and Benicio in The Way of the Gun (2000). They have also both been in movies with Brad Pitt: Claire in Meet Joe Black (1998) and Benicio in Snatch. (2000). Claire and Benicio acted together in Basquiat (1996).
- Acted with his ex-girlfriend, Valeria Golino, in three film: Big Top Pee-wee (1988), The Indian Runner (1991) and Submission (1995).
- Was an extra in a Madonna video (La Isla Bonita).
- Good friends with Johnny Depp. They worked together in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
- His neighbor in America is Rade Serbedzija.
- His father owned the property across the street from his childhood home and turned it into a full-size basketball court so he and his brother Gustavo could practice and play with their friends. The property has since been built into a condominium.
- Lives in Los Angeles.
- Vocalist Macy Gray is one of his fans. Both were born the same year.
- Is of Puerto Rican and Italian ancestry.
- Is one of seven actors to have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Geoffrey Rush for Shine (1996), Jamie Foxx for Ray (2004), Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote (2005), Forest Whitaker for The Last King in Scotland (2006), Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008).
***
Personal Quotes:
"My career went into the hole after Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). People might have seen what they saw on screen and subconsciously, people in the business might have taken what they saw literally. I think people thought, `He got fat. He got weird. His mumbling increased tenfold.` I was trying to do an interpretation of a masterpiece of a book, and that`s what the character was - an animal!"
- Before I was ever in high school, I had dark circles under my eyes. The rumor was I was a junkie. I have dark circles under my eyes, deal with it.
- Hopefully, I can play both sides of the fence. That's probably what winning the Oscar gives me, the chance to do something with a studio and do other things that I really want to do.
- I don't think I could be a foot soldier. I don't know if I could take orders too good. I'm a little lazy.
- I trained as a theater actor and you had a bare stage and you had to pretend, one prop and you are in the middle of 8th Ave. and traffic is just going by.
- I'm not Jack Nicholson. I'm not Brando. But I do mumble.
- I've liked most of the films that I've been in and those are the kinds of films I like to see.
- My goal as an actor has always been to reach a level where I can find a lot of interesting work, and I think I'm at that point now. The Oscar has given me a lot of recognition.
- There are a lot of good actresses out there.
- There's a lot of Latinos right now, a lot of filmmakers and writers that are Latin too.
- To be honest with you, I'd rather not be working. When you work, there are all sorts of deadlines and pressures. I like to do one thing and take my time to do the other one.
- When some people get parts, they feel they can now relax, but for me it was always the opposite. Sometimes before I do a movie or before I act out a scene, I may not sleep well the night before. If I don't know what the scene is about, I might get all worked up.
- You have to kill to survive. People have been doing it forever. I eat meat, and I eat fish. If I were on a deserted island I would need that to survive.
- I like anything that's three-dimensional, anything I can believe in -even if it's fantastic, surreal or from another planet.
- I like to keep growing. I haven't gotten anywhere, as far as I'm concerned.
- I'd like to do completely different roles - a romantic lead, for example. I'd like to be dressed up in a suit and get the girl at the end of the movie.
- I used to play basketball and I was pretty competitive, but I was never a bad loser. I never got angry. For me it was always about doing my best and devoting myself to a challenge. Sometimes that will cut it, other times it won't. But I'm someone who remains faithful to my dreams. That's how I looked at acting, even though I knew it would be tough going at first. I didn't think about the money, I've always lived simply. I just need my books and I can get by.
- I like to take things very slowly. When you start to become a movie star it's easy to believe that you are Superman. That can fool you. That's why I prefer not to pay much attention to fame. The truth is that I don't give it much thought. I don't suffer. I don't hang my photographs on the wall. Without realizing it, you can enter a vicious circle and think that you really are a superhero. That's the moment when you get yourself in real trouble.
- It's funny, but when I arrived in California to start college I was much more interested in becoming a surfer and cruise along in life from one beach to the next. I didn't plan out any huge career for myself. Now that I see that I have this career and it's worked out for me, it still feels like I'm surfing, only that it's on a different level. I feel very free and that's all that I've ever wanted out of life.
"I do get more recognized now. If I go to dinner, people look at me more now and whisper. But as an actor I would be no one without the people who come and see me. So it would be ridiculous for it to bother me. It just bothers me when I'm intoxicated."
Meet Other Fans
Comments
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DarkMelposted 55 days ago -
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Eu "Amo" Benicio Del Toro,pra mim é um dos melhores
atores do mundo,ele é fascinante,hipinótico,maravilhoso...
A sua atuação é incrível,tudo o que ele faz é ótimo.
Eu "Amo" Benicio.posted 502 days ago -
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Love you're acting!! You're a great actor Mr. Benicio! ;P Love your movies! you choose them right! **
posted 608 days ago -
Well...based on your views, you are doing pretty good with the ladies, lol! I am a guy, a straight guy let me add, lol! But I do admire you in your movies. I am an extra in your movie, The Argentine, and I saw you a couple of times in person while making the film. I did not approach you because of your status. Here's looking for to that movie, and may it do excellent at the box office!! P.S. Ladies, give me a rave and tell me how I did in the movie when it comes out. I could use the publicity to become a great actor like Benicio.
posted 627 days ago -
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