Benicio Del Toro ’85 wasn’t much of
an actor during his time at
Mercersburg
– at least not on stage. But that doesn’t mean that the
fun-loving Del Toro hasn’t always been an entertainer. Classmate Michael
Davies ’85, who grew up in London and is now the executive producer of Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?, remembers his friend Del Toro yelling Mick
Jagger lyrics his way every time the two passed on campus.
On November 3, Del Toro, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2000
for his performance in Traffic, stopped by the Simon Theatre in the
Burgin Center for the Arts
for an informal Q&A session with students. Following are a few brief
excerpts from his talk:
“A lot of people ask me why I didn’t act when I was here… but we all act
since we’re born, I think. We behave differently in different situations;
you’re different when you’re with your folks than when you’re with your
friends or your siblings.”
“Do I have a favorite role that I’ve played? Every role is different, and
none of them is easy. [I hope] the next one I do will be my favorite. I’ve
tended to like the ones that haven’t been as successful – Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas, or The Funeral.”
“What do I miss since becoming famous? Not much [laughter]… You give up a
little of your own space, but it comes with the job. You adjust. You have to
understand that some people may confuse you, the character they see in the
movie or on TV, with a family member. All celebrities realize this. Whether
they can handle it or not is another story.”
“Other actors may have more money than I do. But some of them have fewer
trophies [laughter].”
Click here to read one of the students' own interview with Benicio.