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His career gained momentum in 1995 with his breakout performance in ''The Usual Suspects'', where he played the mumbling, wisecracking Fred Fenster.<ref name="actors"/> 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 film)|The Funeral]]'' (1996) and winning a second consecutive Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award for his work as Benny Dalmau in ''[[Basquiat (film)|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 (1996 film)|The Fan]]'', in which he played Juan Primo, a charismatic Puerto Rican baseball star.
His career gained momentum in 1995 with his breakout performance in ''The Usual Suspects'', where he played the mumbling, wisecracking Fred Fenster.<ref name="actors"/> 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 film)|The Funeral]]'' (1996) and winning a second consecutive Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award for his work as Benny Dalmau in ''[[Basquiat (film)|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 (1996 film)|The Fan]]'', in which he played Juan Primo, a charismatic Puerto Rican baseball star.


For ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'', the 1998 film adaptation of [[Hunter S. Thompson]]'s famous book, he packed on more than 40&nbsp;lbs. (about 18&nbsp;kg) to play [[Oscar Zeta Acosta|Dr. Gonzo]] (a.k.a. [[Oscar Zeta Acosta]]), Thompson's lawyer and drug-fiend cohort.<ref name="actors"/> The [[surrealistic]] film, directed by [[Terry Gilliam]], has earned a [[cult film|cult following]] over the years. Returning from a two-year hiatus after ''Fear and Loathing'', del Toro would gain 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|Steven Soderbergh's]] ''Traffic'', a complex dissection of the North American [[war on drugs|drug war]]s. As Javier Rodriguez&nbsp;—a [[Mexican people|Mexican]] border cop struggling to remain honest amid the corruption and deception of illegal drug trafficking&nbsp;—del Toro, who spoke most of his lines in Spanish, gave a performance that dominated the film.<ref name="actors"/>
For ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'', the 1998 film adaptation of [[Hunter S. Thompson]]'s famous book, he more than 40&nbsp;lbs. (about 18&nbsp;kg) to play [[Oscar Zeta Acosta|Dr. Gonzo]] (a.k.a. [[Oscar Zeta Acosta]]), Thompson's lawyer and drug-fiend cohort.<ref name="actors"/> The [[surrealistic]] film, directed by [[Terry Gilliam]], has earned a [[cult film|cult following]] over the years. Returning from a two-year hiatus after ''Fear and Loathing'', del Toro would gain 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|Steven Soderbergh's]] ''Traffic'', a complex dissection of the North American [[war on drugs|drug war]]s. As Javier Rodriguez&nbsp;—a [[Mexican people|Mexican]] border cop struggling to remain honest amid the corruption and deception of illegal drug trafficking&nbsp;—del Toro, who spoke most of his lines in Spanish, gave a performance that dominated the film.<ref name="actors"/>


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]].<ref name="actors"/> The night he won his Oscar marked 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 [[mental retardation|mentally-challenged]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] man in ''[[The Pledge (film)|The Pledge]]'', directed by his old friend [[Sean Penn]].<ref name="actors"/>
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]].<ref name="actors"/> The night he won his Oscar marked 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 [[mental retardation|mentally-challenged]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] man in ''[[The Pledge (film)|The Pledge]]'', directed by his old friend [[Sean Penn]].<ref name="actors"/>

Revision as of 21:43, 22 November 2011

Template:Spanish name

Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro at Cannes 2008
Born
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez

(1967-02-19) February 19, 1967 (age 57)
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Occupation(s)Actor, producer
Years active1987–present

Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican and Spanish[1] 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). He is the third Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.

Early life

Benicio del Toro was born in San German, on the southwest side of the island of Puerto Rico, and grew up in Santurce, a district of San Juan. He is the son of Gustavo Adolfo del Toro Bermúdez and Fausta Genoveva Sánchez Rivera, who were both lawyers.[2] He has an older brother, Gustavo, who was a pediatric oncologist at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.[3][4] He is of Spanish, Italian, and American ancestry.[5]

Del Toro, whose childhood nicknames were "Skinny Benny" and "Beno", was raised a Roman Catholic[6][7] and he 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.[3] 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 like 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 (the kid sitting on the car). Work in films followed, beginning with his debut in Big Top Pee-wee and in the 007 film Licence to Kill,[10] in which 21-year-old del Toro held the distinction of being the youngest actor ever to play a Bond villain. Del Toro continued to appear in movies like 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.

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 would gain 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 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]

File:CheDelToro3.jpg
Del Toro as revolutionary Che Guevara in Che (2008)

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.

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]

Personal life

Benicio is not related to Oscar-nominated director Guillermo del Toro; this is a popular misconception.

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, F***! Why do I have to get married? Just so I can get divorced?" In an interview with The Times he mentioned that he didn't want his West Hollywood apartment, which he described as his "cave," to be "invaded" by a wife and children.[19]

On April 11, 2011, del Toro's publicist announced that del Toro and Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly Stewart were expecting their first child, although they were not in a relationship.[20] Stewart gave birth to a daughter, Delilah Genoveva Stewart Del Toro, on August 21, 2011.[21]

In November of 2011, he acquired Spanish citizenship. The request was granted by the Spanish government due to his artistic talents and his Spanish roots (he has family in Barcelona).[22][23]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Big Top Pee-wee Duke, the Dog-Faced Boy First on-screen appearence
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 Also known as Golden Eggs
1993 Money for Nothing Dino Palladino
1994 Swimming with Sharks Rex
1994 China Moon Det. Lamar Dickey
1995 The Usual Suspects Fred Fenster
1996 The Funeral Gaspare Spoglia
1996 The Fan Juan Primo
1996 Cannes Man Himself Cameo appearance
1996 Basquiat Benny Dalmau Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
1996 Joyride Detective López
1997 Excess Baggage Vincent Roche Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Crossover Role in a Feature Film
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 Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2003 21 Grams Jack Jordan
2003 The Hunted Aaron Hallam
2005 Sin City Jack Rafferty Nominated — ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
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
2011 The Iceman Roy Demeo|
2011 The Upsetter: The Life & Music of Lee Scratch Perry Narrator
2012 Savages Lado

Short films

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Submission Director, writer and producer
2005 Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula Naevius Sutorius Macro Five minutes
2005 That's So New York Himself Three minutes

Television series

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Miami Vice Pito Episode: "Everybody's in Showbiz"
1987 Private Eye Episode: "Blue Movie"
1990 Drug Wars: The Camarena Story Rafael Caro Quintero All episodes
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"

Selected awards

Year Award Nomination Film
1995 Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Actor win The Usual Suspects
1996 Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Actor win Basquiat
2000 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actor win Traffic
British Academy Awards (BAFTA) Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
New York Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor win Traffic
Screen Actors Guild Best Actor win Traffic
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Actor win Traffic
2003 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor nomination 21 Grams
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor nomination 21 Grams
L.A. Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor win 21 Grams
Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor nomination 21 Grams
2008 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor win Che
Goya Awards Best Actor win Che

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ricky Martin y Benicio del Toro ya tienen la nacionalidad española" (in Spanish). www.lne.es. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  2. ^ Benicio DEL Toro Biography (1967-)
  3. ^ a b 'Dammit, this guy is cool' - The Guardian - published 2008-11-29, retrieved 2009-06-29.
  4. ^ Mount Sinai Faculty Practice Associates - Gustavo Del Toro
  5. ^ Benicio del Toro Interview, Only available in Spanish. He says, "Yo tengo Sangre Española, Italiana y Americana", which means, I have Spanish, Italian, and American blood
  6. ^ Feature - Features - Benicio Del Toro's "Let's Have Some Fun, Okay?" Page - Portland Mercury
  7. ^ Mike Sager (2005-04-01). "Toro, Benicio Del". Esquire. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
  8. ^ 'Traffic Stopper' - People - published 2001-04-16, retrieved 2010-05-14.
  9. ^ 'Benicio del Toro: Mild at heart' - Irish Independent - published 2010-02-05, retrieved 2010-05-14.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  11. ^ 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]
  12. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ 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. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ "Penn Surprised over Toro's Absence from Nominations List". The Hindu. February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-14. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ Olsen, Mark (December 11, 2008). "Benicio Del Toro leads the charge for Che". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ "Benicio Del Toro Talks The Wolfman". DreadCentral.
  17. ^ Rosario, Mariela (30 September 2010). "Benicio del Toro Named Face of 2011 Campari Calendar". Latina. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  18. ^ Badiali, Alessandro (22 October 2010). "Guests in frenzy for the Puerto Rican actor, star of the Campari Calendar 2011". Vogue. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  19. ^ Daily Mail Reporter (12 April 2011). "What will Rod Stewart say? Daughter Kimberly is pregnant after secret fling with Benicio del Toro". Daily Mail. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  20. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/slideshow/del-toro-kimberly-stewart-pregnant-10702555
  21. ^ "Kimberly Stewart Gives Birth to Baby Girl!". Us Weekly. 21 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  22. ^ Galaz, Mabel (November 4, 2011). "El gobierno concede a Ricky Martin la nacionalidad española para poder casarse". El Pais. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  23. ^ Puente, Maria (November 4, 2011). "Oscar winner Benicio del Toro, singer Ricky Martin become Spanish citizens". USA Today. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
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