Name: Benicio Del Toro
Date of Birth: 19 February 1967 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). Read more Benicio Del Toro Fans :Benicio Del Toro movies (actor)User Comments |
