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Benicio Del Toro
By Daniel Robert Epstein
Nov 13, 2003
Benicio Del Toro is one of the greatest actors of this generation. Many people have called him the next Brando, the next De Niro and they are all complements he appreciates but he waves off as journalistic hyperbole. Del Toro was a solid character actor up until his breakthrough role as the marble mouthed criminal, Fred Fenster, in The Usual Suspects. Since then he’s delivered amazing performances in mainly mediocre films like The Way of the Gun, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Hunted. He is also one of those rare actors that also garners the awards he deserves such as the Supporting Actor Oscar for Traffic.
21 Grams explores the emotionally and physically charged existences of three characters. A freak accident brings them together a critically ill mathematician Paul [Sean Penn], a grieving mother Christina [Naomi Watts] and a born-again ex-con Jack [Benicio Del Toro]. Initially, not even acquainted, the trio and their destinies become irrevocably intertwined when Jack does a hit and run on Christina’s husband who dies and then his heart is put into Paul’s body. Paul finds Christina and falls in love with her. It’s a fusion of love, redemption and obsession.
His next projects are Chaos by Sexy Beast director Jonathan Glazer and The Lost City directed by fellow thespian Andy Garcia. But the project all of us are waiting for is the film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diaries which will be Del Toro’s directorial debut.
21 Grams opens November 21.
Daniel Robert Epstein: I read that after a bad audition you used to go have a few drinks.
Benicio Del Toro: : After a good one too.
DRE:
So how did you relate to this character?
BDT:
Flesh and bone maybe? There are many moments in this movie that could be a part of me.
DRE:
What about religion wise?
BDT:
I believe in god but I don’t practice and I’m not a fanatic. Jack is a little hardcore. His god is a little bit of a judger. My god doesn’t judge. There is something that is bigger but I don’t know if its god but it’s bigger than you and me.
DRE:
What was initial reaction when you saw they were going to break the movie up by having it jump around in time?
BDT:
It was written like that so it was a confusing script to read. It gave you the feeling you were reading something good.
DRE:
How did that affect your performance?
BDT:
It was shot pretty much in order, as close as we could. But I think it does help the movie. If the movie was completely linear that would be little heavy to take. But maybe it wouldn’t but the fact that the story is told like it is it brings the audience into the film. I felt engaged by it. The first 35 minutes of the film I didn’t know exactly what was going on even though I knew the story. I think if you don’t know the story it might draw you right in. It’s like having the preview of the film inside the film. It helps the story and makes it lovely like Coca-Cola with the fizziness up your nose or whatever.
DRE:
After Sean Penn saw Amores Perros he called the director [Alejandro González Iñárritu] and said he wanted to do something with him. What was your impression of Amores Perros?
BDT:
I really liked it. It was fresh. I’m not Sean who’ll call people up. I’m a little more reserved. I think you can tell he’s a very good filmmaker with that film. With 21 Grams you see that he’s a solid filmmaker.
DRE:
Did you pursue 21 Grams?
BDT:
No Alejandro called me up and wanted to tell me about the story. I was very excited to hear about it and the fact that Sean was already involved made it really exciting to see the potential. Naomi Watts was coming onboard and then I got the script. As an actor it’s a good thing to get a phone call from a good filmmaker who wants to talk to you. None of this going to an audition. It’s cool to get that phone call. They are few and far between.
DRE:
Did you improvise much for this role?
BDT:
Sometimes I take or add something to simplify. There was a little bit of simplifying. I could say this without an extra line. This is what I would say in street slang. But pretty much everything was there. I did add a little bit in the scene where I am drunk in the hotel calling my wife. Alejandro just told me to ramble on and by that time I knew the character pretty good. I know what we’ve shot. But it’s just tweaking things like colloquialisms.
DRE:
You’ve played ex-cons before. Did you do any extra preparation for this? Like going to a boy’s club or anything like that?
BDT:
I did a little bit. I read a lot of stuff about what I thought my character was about which is someone going through a depression. I read a lot about a thing called survival guilt which is what he is having. That would be a term that a doctor would give this guy. He’s a simple dude. Sometimes the best thing to do is simplify everything. What is this guy going through? He does have a religion thing but it’s not that but a bad depression. I learned you can get suicidal, have bad hallucinations. It’s a disease that’s pretty sad and heavy. That was part of my research. Like you said I’ve been in jail many times before [smiles]. For the religion thing I went to a couple of places like different churches and seeing the commitment to it. My character is very committed to it in a very sophomoric way. He doesn’t really understand it; it’s all very black and white to him.
DRE:
What about the concept of hit and run drivers? Do you think it’s ok if you turn yourself in?
BDT:
Its fine if you turn yourself in. But if you do a hit and run when you’ve been drinking…
DRE:
That’s a different story.
BDT:
But if you’ve been drinking then you go home and wait until you’re sober that might be bad. My character goes home and I think he’s innocent. Once he turns himself in that’s why he gets out of jail because he didn’t really do anything wrong. He wasn’t drunk, he just takes a turn, hits the family and panics. That’s a human reaction even though you may think you never would do that. I hope I wouldn’t do that but in that situation who knows how you would react. He turns himself in that same night while his wife is telling him not to do it.
DRE:
I was surprised there wasn’t more about the wife wiping down the truck. The cops could have gone after her.
BDT:
That’s exactly what I wanted to do, make my story bigger.
DRE:
If you could change any law what would you change?
BDT:
I don’t know. I really do wish we would live by that classic innocent until proven guilty. Many times it’s guilty until proven innocent. That’s the beauty of our system. It should be followed to the letter but there are many laws. If I was a lawyer I could come up with one [snaps his finger].
DRE:
You have any tattoos?
BDT:
Naw I got scars.
DRE:
From what?
BDT:
Different things.
DRE:
From working on movies?
BDT:
Movies, playing sports, getting hit.
DRE:
Do you have any scars you’re proud of?
BDT:
Scars are tattoos. Tattoos of life.
DRE:
What’s next?
BDT:
I don’t know right now. There are a couple of things but they are not happening as we speak. I hate talking about things that are not in the go. It would be like doing this interview without seeing the movie.
DRE:
How about The Rum Diaries?
BDT:
We have to get a script. Good writers cost money so we are trying to get the money to get a good writer. It’s a big leap to become a director. It’s not just writing a script then going and shooting a movie. That would work in high school. Now you have to really sit down and think about it. I told Alejandro that I want come to his house and ask for a consultation. I love the book and the story. I feel very strong about Hunter S. Thompson. I love his writing even the stuff that people don’t like.
DRE:
Do you prefer these bad guy type roles?
BDT:
They come to me. As an actor you don’t get to pick too many roles. Even though it may seem like I am in a privileged situation, even though I am, I still don’t get to pick everything I do. I wish I could say “I want to be the guy who gets the girl then a comedy.” You pick the best project that comes your way but I think I am drawn to deep stories like 21 Grams. I can’t deny that this is the kind of movie I like. I like to read heavy literature.
I like when you try to pretend it’s real. When I watch movies I see stuff that’s not real. But I don’t pick all my moves.
I like when you try to pretend it’s real. When I watch movies I see stuff that’s not real. But I don’t pick all my moves.
DRE:
Are you at all like the roles you play?
BDT:
I treat people innocent until they’re guilty. Once they’re guilty fuck them all. If someone isn’t nice to me then I’m not nice to them.
DRE:
How would you compare Alejandro to the other filmmakers you’ve worked with?
BDT:
He’s up there with the best ones like Bryan Singer, Steven Soderbergh, Terry Gilliam, Billy Friedkin, and Abel Ferrara. What is crazy about Alejandro is that this is his second movie. With that I mean is that the second movie is always tricky when you do a really good first movie. I think 21 Grams is as good as Amores Perros. Better I don’t know but time will tell.
DRE:
How much interaction did you have with Naomi and Sean off set because you didn’t have much screen time with them?
BDT:
I’ve known Sean from doing small parts in a couple of his movies. He’s great to work with. Sean was like the big brother during rehearsals and shooting. He’ll call you, talk a little bit and you don’t want to talk about the movie then you don’t have to. He’s a filmmaker too and I think he helped the movie a lot helping Alejandro through rough foggy nights. I respect Sean’s work and I guess he respects mine.
I’ve never worked with Naomi before and we had just a few scenes. But I saw how terrific she was. Sometimes actors let you know they are acting by going into their own corner. That’s something I used to do. But you can tell when an actor is seasoned because they don’t go do that. I remember Naomi doing the scene where she hits me with the lamp in the bedroom; boy she goes off in that scene like you would have to shoot her to stop her. Then when we finish she sits there and is nice to people. She’s still concentrating but without letting everyone know “I’m an actor”.
I’ve never worked with Naomi before and we had just a few scenes. But I saw how terrific she was. Sometimes actors let you know they are acting by going into their own corner. That’s something I used to do. But you can tell when an actor is seasoned because they don’t go do that. I remember Naomi doing the scene where she hits me with the lamp in the bedroom; boy she goes off in that scene like you would have to shoot her to stop her. Then when we finish she sits there and is nice to people. She’s still concentrating but without letting everyone know “I’m an actor”.
DRE:
How does the sex symbol label suit you?
BDT:
It suits me well. Say it again.
DRE:
Would you like to be Oscar nominated for this role?
BDT:
Mm hmm I expect it. Not only that but I expect to win.
Daniel Robert Epstein [danielrobertepstein@hotmail.com]
Daniel Robert Epstein [danielrobertepstein@hotmail.com]
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