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Benicio Del ToroAmerican actor originally from Puerto Rico
Date of Birth: 19.02.1967
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Benicio Del Toro
Early Life and EducationBenicio Del Toro was born on February 19, 1967, in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a homemaker. Besides Benicio, they raised an older son, Gustavo, who is now a pediatric oncologist. Despite his Spanish heritage, Benicio claims to have Native American ancestry. When Benicio was only 9 years old, his mother passed away from complications of hepatitis. His father remarried, but Benicio couldn't adjust to the new family. Seeing his son's suffering, his father sent him to live with relatives in the United States to receive a proper education. At the age of 12, Benicio found himself in Mercerburg, Pennsylvania, where he attended a boarding school.
After graduating from high school, his father convinced him to enroll in the business school at the University of California, San Diego. However, Benicio's interest in theater led him to change his life and he moved to New York. He attended the "Circle In The Square" art school and later moved to Los Angeles, where he studied acting under Arturo Mendosa and Stella Adler. He made his television debut during his studies in the series "Miami Vice" (1987). In 1988, he appeared in his first film, "Big Top Pee-wee." This was followed by supporting roles in films such as "Licence to Kill" (1989), "The Indian Runner" (1991), "Money for Nothing" (1993), and "The Perez Family" (1995).
Rise to Fame
Benicio Del Toro began to gain recognition in the film industry with his role as criminal Fred Fenster in the movie "The Usual Suspects" (1995). This role earned him critical acclaim and the Independent Spirit Award. According to Del Toro, this film was very important to him as it was his first major project in his career. His next breakthrough came with his role as Benny Dalmau in the film "Basquiat" (1996), for which he received another Independent Spirit Award. As his career progressed, Del Toro's roles became more prominent. Another significant role for him was as Dr. Gonzo in the film "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998), based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel. Although the film didn't perform well at the box office, it became a cult classic and attracted the attention of many producers.
Recognition and Recent Work
Benicio Del Toro's career continued to flourish, and he collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Sean Penn, Guy Ritchie, Robert Rodriguez, and Oliver Stone. In 2000, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Javier Rodriguez in Soderbergh's film "Traffic." He also received a Golden Globe and a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for this performance. He gained further popularity with his role in Guy Ritchie's crime comedy "Snatch" (2000), which was a major success and made Del Toro a notable figure in the film industry. However, overwhelmed by his sudden fame, Del Toro decided to take a break from acting to reflect on his life and career.
Benicio Del Toro made a comeback in 2003 with his brilliant performance in the drama film "21 Grams." He received an Oscar nomination and won an award at the Venice Film Festival for this role. Another successful film in his career was "Sin City" (2005), based on Frank Miller's graphic novel. The film was a box office success and once again put Del Toro in the spotlight. In 2008, he received the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of Che Guevara in Soderbergh's film "Che," which depicted the political career of the revolutionary leader.
In recent years, Benicio Del Toro has mainly appeared in crime thrillers, but he has also successfully played roles in various other genres. He starred in films such as "Savages" (2012), "Inherent Vice" (2014), and "Paradise Lost" (2014). Despite his versatility, Del Toro is only interested in the quality of the role and doesn't have any desire to work in television. He has only appeared on TV once, in the project "America: A Tribute to Heroes," dedicated to the victims of the September 11 attacks.
Currently, Benicio Del Toro is working on the drama film "A Perfect Day," set in a war zone, which is set to release in 2015. He is also involved in the filming of "Agent: Century 21." Del Toro's schedule is filled with projects for the next few years, which further confirms his demand in Hollywood.
Del Toro is known for his privacy and rarely appears in public. It is known that he was engaged to actress Valeria Golino for four years but they never married. He also had a relationship with Chiara Mastroianni, the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. In 2011, it was reported in the press that model Kimberly Stewart was pregnant with Del Toro's child. The actor later confirmed the news and revealed that their daughter, Delilah Genevieve, was born in August 2011. Despite the birth of their child, Benicio and Kimberly soon separated.
The secret to Benicio Del Toro's success is quite simple. According to the actor, he always feels a great responsibility towards the audience. This helps him connect with his character and better understand them. For Del Toro, the most important thing is to do his job well.
