Former basketball player, ex painter, visceral artist, the renowned Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro left the skin when performing Che and recently repeated the effort to incarnate the drug lord Pablo Escobar.
With his great interpretative strength and overwhelming presence, del Toro has become the great Latin American Hollywood actor. Raised in the US, though he was born in Puerto Rico, he is an actor with one of those faces that ends up playing villains in any film. However, his acting ability and his keen eye for choosing roles have been able him to have a career full of great performances.
He has shown that he is good at biopic. The last one he has done is ¨Escobar, Paraiso Perdido, ¨ by Andrea di Stefano, a kind of portrait of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The actor says he does not want to specialize in playing great Latin American characters, but this story interested him by his family and close-to-the-capo approach.
Owner of a striking, enigmatic and deep look, his 47 years old gray hair could be seen under a sports cap. Beard, sideburns and a thick silver bracelet accompany him for a while. His conversation with OnCuba took place between cigarette smoke and phrases in Spanglish.
How do you receive this Coral of Honor?
It is truly an honor and even more if you look that my career has been closely related to Cuba. The character that has much marked me is undoubtedly that of Che, which I built right here. The ties that bind me to the Cuban cinema are immense. When one receives an acknowledgment of a country like this where there is so much talent, people who I admire both front and back cameras, a land of actors like Luis Alberto García , Laura de la Uz, Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz, satisfaction is immense. In addition to the joy that causes, the prize also makes you to connect yourself and put your feet on the ground. It is a great recognition because this is the most important film festival in Latin America. Really I’m still speechless.
Why did playing Che leave a strong imprint on you?
It was a very risky job because it is not just the history of one person, but that of a country and a continent. When one plays a real character, discipline is more rigid when making decisions. You should be much more prepared. You have to investigate further; you have to read everything that reaches your hands, because you can not invent anything. I tried not to invent anything, but sometimes I had no choice but to do so. When you play a character that is not based in reality you can improvise. That is not possible with Che. To document myself I saw many pictures, but the most important was reading what he wrote. I was very shocked by his effort, the energy with which he acted. As a human being he had strength, and a so powerful and so alive determination. He not only believed in his ideas and defended them, but he acted accordingly. He was a person who did what he believed. He was extremely consistent, which is admirable.
What characters prefer to play?
The characters against tide are the most fascinating ones.
How much did you discover from Pablo Escobar with this interpretation?
It’s a film, a feature film, not a documentary or a movie about his life. He is much of the film but the film is not only about his life as other films about people of flesh and blood I’ve done before, like that of Che which did was upon him. This film has different views but the truth about who Pablo Escobar actually was remains. Escobar was a great organizer, an explosive talent that took the wrong road. When taking the wrong he caused more harm than good. I studied him a lot, I read as much as I could about him to go into his skin and to give him life. Basically I think it shows his two faces. Escobar was a Robin Hood for many and a crook for most. He created an empire that brought an entire country to his knees; he was like the Joker in a Batman tale.
What does being a Latino actor mean in Hollywood?
It is to be part of the minority. I am a minority in Hollywood. Being Latino in America is always complicated. I never look down; if I fall I do not look down. It is quite a challenge that I assume every day.
You have won several awards in your career and have played significant roles, are you satisfied?
I think I’ve done good work. But I still have much to do. Mainly I think the train arrived when I was there, waiting with my suitcase. I was lucky, I got up and I am still on it.
