Benicio del Toro
An actor of mesmerizing, unpredictable intensity who became the first Puerto Rican to win an Oscar for a supporting role, redefining Latin masculinity on screen.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Puerto Rican actor·Birthday: February 19·Generation X
Biography
Benicio del Toro didn't enter acting; he ambushed it. With a languid physicality and a gaze that suggests entire hidden histories, he commands the screen through potent silence. After studying acting in New York and California, his early roles were often menacing or eccentric, but it was his transformative, nearly wordless performance as the morally conflicted cop in 'Traffic' that shattered expectations and won him an Academy Award. Del Toro gravitates towards outsiders, addicts, and revolutionaries, imbuing them with a profound, often sorrowful humanity. From the enigmatic Fenster in 'The Usual Suspects' to the revolutionary Che Guevara, he avoids movie-star glamour, seeking instead the gritty truth of a character. His career is a masterclass in substance over style, making him one of the most respected and unpredictable actors of his generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Benicio was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Benicio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Benicio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Javier Rodriguez in Steven Soderbergh's 'Traffic.'
- Earned the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in 'Che.'
- Delivered a career-defining performance as the mysterious Fenster in the classic crime film 'The Usual Suspects.'
- Starred as the Collector in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Avengers: Infinity War.'
Did You Know?
He initially pursued a business degree at the University of California, San Diego, before switching to acting.
He is a passionate photographer and has had his work exhibited in galleries.
He learned to speak English by watching cartoons after moving from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania as a child.
“An actor is someone who can be nobody and everybody at the same time.”
