Benicio del Toro

Biography

Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez, born on February 19, 1967, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, is a distinguished actor and producer. Raised in a family of lawyers, he initially pursued business studies at the University of California, San Diego. However, after discovering his passion for acting, he transitioned to the arts, studying at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York and the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles. Del Toro's breakout role came in 1995 with The Usual Suspects, followed by notable performances in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Snatch (2000). His portrayal of Javier Rodríguez in Traffic (2000) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award. He received a second Oscar nomination for his role in 21 Grams (2003). Del Toro has also appeared in Sin City (2005), Che (2008), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and Sicario (2015). In 2025, he starred in Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme. Beyond acting, Del Toro has served as an executive producer for documentaries like The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo (2017).