Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Del Toro at the Guardians of the Galaxy premiere in July 2014 | |
| Born | Benicio Monserrate Rafael Del Toro Sánchez February 19, 1967 San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, film producer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Children | 1 |
Benicio Monserrate Rafael Del Toro Sánchez, better known as Benicio Del Toro (born February 19, 1967), is a American and Puerto Rican actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic (2000). He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual Suspects (1995), Dr. Gonzo in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Franky Four Fingers in Snatch (2000), Jackie Boy in Sin City (2005) and Che Guevara in Che (2008), a performance which garnered him the Best Actor Award both at the Cannes Film Festival in France, and at the Goya Awards in Spain. He portrayed The Collector in the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy. He is the third Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.
Early life
Del Toro was born on February 19, 1967, in San Germán, Puerto Rico to Gustavo Adolfo Del Toro Bermúdez and Fausta Genoveva Sánchez Rivera, who were both lawyers. Many of Del Toro's relatives are involved in Puerto Rico's legal system.[1] He has an older brother, Gustavo, who is the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York.[2][3] He had a Catalan paternal great-grandfather and a Basque maternal great-grandmother.[4] He stated in an interview that along with Spanish ancestry, he has Italian and Indigenous American ancestry as well.[5] Benicio Del Toro is related to Puerto Rican basketball player Carlos Arroyo, Spanish pop-eurodance singer Rebeca Pous Del Toro, whose maternal grandfather was Puerto Rican, and Puerto Rican singer Eliseo Del Toro.
Del Toro, whose childhood nicknames were "Skinny Benny" and "Beno", was raised a Roman Catholic[6][7] and attended Academia del Perpetuo Socorro (The Academy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help), a Roman Catholic school in Miramar, Puerto Rico.[8][9] When Del Toro was nine years old, his mother died of hepatitis.[2] At age 12, he moved with his father and brother to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where he was enrolled at the Mercersburg Academy. He spent his adolescence and attended high school there.[10] After graduation, Del Toro followed the advice of his father and pursued a degree in business at the University of California, San Diego.[10] Success in an elective drama course encouraged him to drop out of college and study with noted acting teachers Stella Adler and Arthur Mendoza, in Los Angeles, as well as at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, in New York City.[10]
Career
Del Toro began to surface in small television parts during the late 1980s, playing mostly thugs and drug dealers on programs such as Miami Vice and the NBC miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story. He had a cameo in Madonna's 1987 music video clip "La Isla Bonita" as a background character sitting on a car. Work in films followed, beginning with his debut in Big Top Pee-wee and as Dario in the 007 film Licence to Kill,[10] in which the 21-year-old Del Toro held the distinction of being the youngest actor ever to play a Bond henchman. Del Toro continued to appear in movies including The Indian Runner (1991), China Moon (1994), Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), Money for Nothing (1993), Fearless (1993) and Swimming with Sharks (1994).
His career gained momentum in 1995 with his breakout performance in The Usual Suspects, where he played the mumbling, wisecracking Fred Fenster.[10] The role won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor and established him as a character actor. This led to more strong roles in independent and major studio films, including playing Gaspare in Abel Ferrara's The Funeral (1996) and winning a second consecutive Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award for his work as Benny Dalmau in Basquiat (1996), directed by his friend, artist Julian Schnabel. Del Toro also shared the screen with Robert De Niro in the big budget thriller The Fan, in which he played Juan Primo, a charismatic Puerto Rican baseball star. He subsequently starred opposite Alicia Silverstone in Excess Baggage (1997), which Silverstone produced.
For Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the 1998 film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's famous book, he gained more than 40 lbs. (about 18 kg) to play Dr. Gonzo (a.k.a. Oscar Zeta Acosta), Thompson's lawyer and drug-fiend cohort.[10] The surrealistic film, directed by Terry Gilliam, has earned a cult following over the years. Returning from a two-year hiatus after Fear and Loathing, Del Toro gained a mainstream audience in 2000 with a string of performances in four high-profile films. First up was The Way of the Gun, a crime yarn that reunited him with The Usual Suspects screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, making his directorial debut. A few months later, he stood out among a first-rate ensemble cast in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, a complex dissection of the North American drug wars. As Javier Rodriguez —a Mexican border cop struggling to remain honest amid the corruption and deception of illegal drug trafficking —Del Toro, who spoke most of his lines in Spanish, gave a performance that dominated the film.[10]
His performance swept all of the major critics awards in 2001. Del Toro won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the fourth living Oscar winner whose winning role was a character who speaks predominantly in a foreign language. Del Toro is also the third Puerto Rican actor to win an Oscar, after Jose Ferrer and Rita Moreno.[10] The night he won his Oscar marked the first time that two actors born in Puerto Rico were nominated in the same category (the other actor was Joaquin Phoenix). In his acceptance speech, Del Toro thanked the people of both Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora and dedicated his award to them. In addition to the Oscar, he also won the Golden Globe Award and the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Traffic was also a success at the box office, bringing to Del Toro real Hollywood clout for the first time in his career. While Traffic was still playing in theaters, two other Del Toro films were released in late 2000/early 2001. He had a brief role as the diamond thief Franky Four Fingers in Guy Ritchie's hip caper comedy Snatch, and played a mentally-challenged Native American man in The Pledge, directed by his old friend Sean Penn.[10]
In 2003, Del Toro appeared in two films: The Hunted, co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and the drama 21 Grams, co-starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. He went on to garner another Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work in the latter. He then appeared in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel Sin City, directed by Robert Rodriguez, and Things We Lost in the Fire, the English language debut of celebrated Danish director Susanne Bier. Things We Lost in the Fire co-starred Halle Berry, Alison Lohman and John Carroll Lynch.
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In 2008, Del Toro was awarded the Prix d'interpretation masculine (or Best Actor Award) at the Cannes Film Festival for his characterization of Che Guevara in the biographical films The Argentine and Guerrilla (together known as Che).[11] During his acceptance speech Del Toro dedicated his award "to the man himself, Che Guevara" along with director Steven Soderbergh.[12] Del Toro was also awarded a 2009 Goya Award as the Best Actor for his depiction of Che.[13] Actor Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for his role in Milk, remarked that he was surprised and disappointed that Che and Del Toro were not also up for any Academy Award nominations. During his acceptance speech for the Best Actor's trophy at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Penn expressed his dismay stating, "The fact that there aren't crowns on Soderbergh's and Del Toro's heads right now, I don't understand ... that is such a sensational movie, Che."[14] For the final portions of the film (shown here), Del Toro shed 35 pounds to show how ill Guevara had become near the end of his life in the jungles of Bolivia.[15]
In 2010, Del Toro starred in and produced the remake of Lon Chaney, Jr.'s classic cult film The Wolf Man.[16]
He was chosen to be the face of the 2011 Campari calendar, becoming the first male model to be featured in the Italian liquor company's calendar.[17][18]
Del Toro played the Collector in a mid-credits scene of Marvel Studios' superhero film Thor: The Dark World (2013) and later reprised his role in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).[19]
In September 2015, del Toro confirmed will play the villain in Star Wars Episode VIII.[20]
Personal life
While promoting his film The Wolfman in 2010, he described his romantic life as "in limbo." When asked if he had thoughts of settling down, he responded, "Why? Everyone says, 'Why isn’t he married?' But it’s like, 'Fuck! Why do I have to get married? Just so I can get divorced?'" In an interview with The Times he mentioned that he did not want his West Hollywood apartment, which he described as his "cave," to be "invaded" by a wife and children.[21]
On April 11, 2011, Del Toro's publicist announced that Del Toro and Kimberly Stewart (daughter of Rod Stewart) were expecting their first child, although they were not in a relationship.[22] Stewart gave birth to a daughter, Delilah,[23] on August 21, 2011.[22] They had their daughter baptized in Puerto Rico.[citation needed]
On November 4, 2011, he acquired Spanish citizenship, along with fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martin. The request was granted by the Spanish government due to his artistic talents and his Spanish roots (he has family in Barcelona).[24]
In March 2012, he was granted an honorary degree by the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico for his impact on the cinema enterprise, during the celebration of the institution centenary.[25]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Big Top Pee-wee | Duke, the Dog-Faced Boy | |
| 1989 | Licence to Kill | Dario | |
| 1991 | The Indian Runner | Miguel Aguilera | |
| 1992 | Christopher Columbus: The Discovery | Alvaro Harana | |
| 1993 | Fearless | Manny Rodrigo | |
| 1993 | Huevos de oro | Bob, the friend from Miami | |
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Dino Palladino | |
| 1994 | Swimming with Sharks | Rex | |
| 1994 | China Moon | Det. Lamar Dickey | |
| 1995 | The Usual Suspects | Fred Fenster | |
| 1995 | Submission | Short film; director, writer and producer | |
| 1996 | The Funeral | Gaspare Spoglia | |
| 1996 | The Fan | Juan Primo | |
| 1996 | Cannes Man | Himself | Cameo |
| 1996 | Basquiat | Benny Dalmau | |
| 1996 | Joyride | Detective López | |
| 1997 | Excess Baggage | Vincent Roche | |
| 1998 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Dr. Gonzo aka Óscar Zeta Acosta | |
| 2000 | Traffic | Javier Rodríguez | |
| 2000 | The Way of the Gun | Longbaugh | |
| 2000 | Snatch | Franky 'Four Fingers' | |
| 2000 | Bread and Roses | Himself | Cameo |
| 2001 | The Pledge | Toby Jay Wadenah | |
| 2003 | 21 Grams | Jack Jordan | |
| 2003 | The Hunted | Aaron Hallam | |
| 2005 | Sin City | Jack Rafferty | |
| 2007 | Things We Lost in the Fire | Jerry Sunborne | |
| 2008 | Che | Che Guevara | Also producer |
| 2010 | The Wolfman | Lawrence Talbot/The Wolfman | Also producer |
| 2010 | Somewhere | Himself | Uncredited cameo |
| 2011 | The Upsetter | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2012 | Savages | Lado | |
| 2012 | 7 Days in Havana | Director; segment: El Yuma | |
| 2013 | Jimmy Picard | Jimmy Picard | |
| 2013 | Thor: The Dark World | Taneleer Tivan/The Collector | Uncredited cameo |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy | Taneleer Tivan/The Collector | |
| 2014 | Inherent Vice | Sauncho Smilax | |
| 2014 | Escobar: Paradise Lost | Pablo Escobar | |
| 2015 | The Little Prince | The Snake | Voice |
| 2015 | Sicario | Alejandro | |
| 2015 | A Perfect Day | Mambrú | |
| 2015 | Weightless | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Shell Game | Pedroza | Episode: "The Upstairs Gardener" |
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Pito | Episode: "Everybody's in Showbiz" |
| 1987 | Private Eye | Episode: "Blue Movie" | |
| 1990 | Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Rafael Caro Quintero | Television miniseries |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Bill | Episode: "The Bribe" |
| 1995 | Fallen Angels | Paco | Episode: "Good Housekeeping" |
| 2008 | Todos Contra Juan | Himself | Episode: "Juan & La Critica" |
Awards and nominations
See also
References
- ^ Benicio DEL Toro Biography (1967-)
- ^ a b 'Dammit, this guy is cool' - The Guardian - published 2008-11-29, retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Mount Sinai Faculty Practice Associates - Gustavo Del Toro
- ^ Del Toro gets Spanish citizenship
- ^ Benicio Del Toro interview; only available in Spanish. He says, "Yo tengo Sangre Española, Americana", which means, I have Spanish, Italian, and American blood
- ^ Feature - Features - Benicio Del Toro's "Let's Have Some Fun, Okay?" Page - Portland Mercury
- ^ Mike Sager (2005-04-01). "Toro, Benicio Del". Esquire. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ^ 'Traffic Stopper' - People - published 2001-04-16, retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ 'Benicio del Toro: Mild at heart' - Irish Independent - published 2010-02-05, retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
- ^ Associated Press (2008-05-25). "Benicio Del Toro gana premio a mejor actor en Cannes" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 2008-05-25. [dead link]
- ^ Hernandez, Eugene; Brooks, Brian (May 25, 2008). "Laurent Cantent's The Class Wins the Palme d'Or". indieWIRE. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
- ^ Rolfe, Pamela (February 1, 2009). "Camino Leads Goya Awards with Six Nods". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- ^ "Penn Surprised over Toro's Absence from Nominations List". The Hindu. February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
- ^ Olsen, Mark (December 11, 2008). "Benicio Del Toro leads the charge for Che". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Benicio Del Toro Talks The Wolfman". DreadCentral.
- ^ Rosario, Mariela (30 September 2010). "Benicio Del Toro Named Face of 2011 Campari Calendar". Latina. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ Badiali, Alessandro (22 October 2010). "Guests in frenzy for the Puerto Rican actor, star of the Campari Calendar 2011". Vogue. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ Fleming, Jr., Mike (June 3, 2013). "Benicio Del Toro Takes Lead Role In Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-episode-8s-villain-to-be-played-by-benic/1100-6430364/
- ^ Daily Mail Reporter (12 April 2011). "What will Rod Stewart say? Daughter Kimberly is pregnant after secret fling with Benicio del Toro". Daily Mail. London, UK. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Kimberly Stewart Gives Birth to Baby Girl!". Us Weekly. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ Finlayson, Ariana (December 4, 2011). "First Pic: Meet Kimberly Stewart's Daughter, Delilah, 3 Months". Us Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ Puente, Maria (November 4, 2011). "Oscar winner Benicio del Toro, singer Ricky Martin become Spanish citizens". USA Today. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ "Benicio del Toro recibe homenaje en la Interamericana de San Germán". March 4, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1967 births
- Living people
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Independent Spirit Award winners
- Mercersburg Academy alumni
- People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rican male film actors
- Puerto Rican male television actors
- Puerto Rican people of Basque descent
- Puerto Rican people of Catalan descent
- Puerto Rican people of Italian descent
- Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent
- Male actors of Italian descent
- Best Actor Goya Award winners
- Circle in the Square Theatre School alumni
- Naturalised citizens of Spain
- Stella Adler Studio of Acting alumni
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Silver Bear for Best Actor winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania