Vocalist Macy Gray is one of his huge fans. They were born the same year.
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor. He won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of the jaded but morally upright police officer Javier Rodriguez in the film Traffic (2000).
Del Toro’s performance as ex-con turned religious fanatic in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 Grams (2003) earned him a second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe Award. He also shared the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role as Jack Jordan in Alejandro Amenábar’s The Sea Inside (2004).
His other notable films include Steven Soderbergh’s Che (2008), Oliver Stone’s Savages (2012) and Sicario (2015), Denis Villeneuve’s Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). He also starred in the Netflix original series Narcos (2015–2017) as Pablo Escobar.
Early Life
Benicio del Toro was born on February 19, 1967, in San Germán, Puerto Rico, to Gustavo Adolfo del Toro Bermúdez and Fausta Genoveva Sánchez Rivera (daughter of Benicio Sánchez Castaño and Lirio Belén Rivera), both lawyers. He has an older brother named Gustavo, who is a doctor. His mother died when he was nine years old.
Del Toro’s father worked as a lawyer for the Puerto Rican government and later became a professor at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Del Toro has described his father as “a very opinionated man who loved to get into arguments about politics.” He would often take Del Toro and his brother to the movies on weekends, and Del Toro’s interest in film began to grow.
Del Toro began acting at an early age. He made his film debut in Big Top Pee-wee (1988), playing a boy who is frightened by Pee-wee Herman’s clown act. He also appeared in a number of commercials and television shows in Puerto Rico.
In 1990, del Toro moved to Los Angeles to study acting at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting. He had originally intended to study business, but he found that he was more interested in acting. After graduating from the academy, del Toro began appearing in small roles in films such as The Usual Suspects (1995) and Money for Nothing (1993).
Career
Del Toro’s breakthrough role came in 1998 with the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He played the role of Dr. Gonzo, an eccentric lawyer who accompanies journalist Hunter S. Thompson (played by Johnny Depp) on a trip to Las Vegas. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him praise from critics.
In 2000, del Toro starred in the film Traffic. The film tells the story of the war on drugs from the perspective of three different characters: a drug kingpin, a police officer, and a politician. Del Toro’s performance as Javier Rodriguez, a Mexican police officer working to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
After Traffic, del Toro appeared in a number of films including The Hunted (2003), 21 Grams (2003), and Sin City (2005). In 21 Grams, del Toro played Jack Jordan, a man who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife and child. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2008, del Toro starred in the biographical film Che. The film tells the story of Ernesto “Che” Guevara (played by del Toro), a Marxist revolutionary who played a key role in the Cuban Revolution. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him praise from critics.
In 2012, del Toro starred in the film Savages. The film tells the story of two marijuana growers (played by Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch) who are forced to deal with the Mexican drug cartel. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him praise from critics.
In 2015, del Toro starred in the film Sicario. The film tells the story of an idealistic FBI agent (played by Emily Blunt) who is enlisted by a government task force to help track down a drug lord in Mexico. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him praise from critics.
In 2017, del Toro starred in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film is the eighth installment in the Star Wars franchise, and del Toro plays the character of DJ, a criminal who helps Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) and Finn (played by John Boyega) escape from the First Order. The film was a critical and commercial success, and del Toro’s performance earned him praise from critics.
Personal Life
Del Toro has two children: daughter Delilah Genoveva (born August 21, 2011) with ex-partner Kimberly Stewart, and son Kilo Emilio (born March 30, 2017) with girlfriend Valeria Golino. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
General Info
Full Name
Benicio del Toro
Net Worth
$45 Million
Date Of Birth
February 19, 1967
Height
1.88 m
Weight
180 lbs
Profession
Film producer, Film director, Actor
Education
University of California, San Diego, Mercersburg Academy, Circle in the Square Theatre School, Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Family
Children
Delilah del Toro
Parents
Fausta Genoveva Sánchez Rivera, Gustavo Adolfo del Toro Bermúdez
Siblings
Gustavo del Toro
Accomplishments
Awards
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Cannes Best Actor Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Screen Actors Guild Award...
Nominations
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supportin...
Movies
Sicario, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Wolfman, Escobar: Paradise Lost, The Usual Suspects, Snatch, Traffic, Savages, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, A Perfect Day, Sin City, 21 Grams, The Hunted, Thor: The Dark World, Inherent Vice, Licence to Kill, Things We Lost in the Fi...
Frequently plays moral characters in harsh environments
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Frequently portrays dark, tragic characters
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Slurred mumbling voice and odd mannerisms
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Deep raspy voice
Quotes
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Quote
1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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, but I think Traffic (2000) alone would have done a lot for me. It's the kind of role you die for because a lot of people are going to focus on your work. It gives you a very high profile.
5
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.
6
I see The Usual Suspects (1995) as the time where I was, quote unquote, discovered. It took me six, seven years to get to that place. And it was not easy. You're fighting with people who doubt you and your choice of career. There are a lot of doubts - and you have to stay focused with what you want. I never put a time limit on me being successful or not. I just cared about the work as an actor. But it wasn't easy because there were a lot of ups and downs. I don't know if you know much about baseball, but baseball is the game of failure. You deal with failure - strike, strike, strike - all the time. Acting is like that. You have to have a very thick skin in a way - your hair is too dark, you're too ugly for the part, your audition wasn't good.
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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.
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I like to keep growing. I haven't gotten anywhere, as far as I'm concerned.
9
I like anything that's three-dimensional, anything I can believe in - even if it's fantastic, surreal or from another planet.
10
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!
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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.
Facts
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Fact
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Received an honorary degree from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico for his impact on the cinema enterprise, during the celebration of the university's centennial. [March 2012]
Is one of four Academy Award winning actors to play a James Bond villain. The other three are Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem and Christoph Waltz. Benicio is the only one not to play a main villain and to play a villain before winning his Oscar.
4
Became a father for the first time at age 44 when Kimberly Stewart gave birth to his daughter Delilah Genoveva Stewart Del Toro on August 21, 2011.
Vocalist Macy Gray is one of his huge fans. They were born the same year.
7
Lives in Los Angeles, California.
8
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.
At 21 years old, he is the youngest person ever to portray a villain in a James Bond movie: Dario in Licence to Kill (1989).
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Was considered for the lead role 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.
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.
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Before moving to Pennsylvania, he was a student at Academia del Perpetuo Socorro in Miramar, Puerto Rico.
20
From 1988 through 1992, he was in a relationship with Valeria Golino.
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Benny Dalmau's last name (his character in Basquiat (1996)) came from Raymond Dalmau, a Puerto Rican basketball player in the 1970s and early 1980s. Raymond Dalmau wore the shirt Benicio wears in the film when he was in the Puerto Rican National Selection.
Won the 2003 Audience Award for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival for his role in 21 Grams (2003).
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"Del Toro" means "of the bull" in Spanish.
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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 three hours of therapy daily and reportedly there is a question whether he will regain full use of the wrist.
26
Attended and graduated from Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania (1985). He was a basketball star and artist there, but not an actor.
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.
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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.
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Attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), but did not graduate.
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Studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting on a scholarship.
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His family urged him to become a lawyer because they felt there was no future in acting.
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His mother, Fausta Sanchez-Del Toro, died of hepatitis when he was age nine.
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Has one brother, Gustavo, who is two years older and is a physician in the United States.
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He was sent to boarding school in Pennsylvania when he was age 13.
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Passionate about oil painting.
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Son of Gustavo Del Toro and Fausta Sanchez-Del Toro, and Godson of Sarah Torres (all lawyers).