Benecio Del Toro was born on February 19, 1967, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was born into a prominent family in the San Juan community and both of his parents were lawyers. A number of Benecio’s other relatives were involved in Puerto Rico’s justice system
Del Toro was raised in the Roman Catholic church and he attended Academia del Perpetuo Socorro (The Academy of Our Lady of Perpetual Help), a Roman Catholic school in Miramar, Puerto Rico.
Del Toro faced tragedy in his life at the age of nine his mother died after battling with hepatitis. At age 12, his dad bought a farm in rural Pennsylvania and he moved with his father and brother to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. Del Toro attended boarding school for high school at Mercersburg Academy. Mercersburg has an exceptional drama department but Del Toro talks about how a painting course he took at Mercersburg inspired him to pursue and appreciate the arts. Benicio graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1985.
After graduation, Del Toro listened to the suggestion of his dad and pursued a business degree at the University of California, San Diego. He still never lost his passion and interest in the arts that was inculcated at Mercersburg. Benecio enrolled in a drama course at the University of California that changed his life. He decided to drop out of college and pursue acting on a full time basis. Fifteen years later he was receiving an Academy Award for his role as best supporting actor in the movie Traffic.
There are some people who have compared Del Toro to Marlon Brando. According to Wikipedia, here are some of the other films Benecio Del Toro has appeared in over the last 30 years:
- Big Top Pee-wee
- License to Kill
- The Indian Runner
- Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
- Fearless
- Huevos de oro
- Money for Nothing
- Swimming with Sharks
- China Moon
- The Usual Suspects
- Submission
- The Funeral
- The Fan
- Cannes Man
- Basquiat
- Joyride
- Excess Baggage
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- Traffic
- The Way of the Gun
- Snatch
- Bread and Roses