Guillermo Del Toro
Early Life
Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico in 1964. He was raised Catholic by his grandmother and discovered his interest in making films early in his teens. He learned special effects in makeup from Dick Smith (The Exorcist) and began creating his own short films soon after. He produced his first feature film, Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1986), at the age of 21.
His first big film was Cronos (1993), winning nine academy awards in Mexico. He followed up with his first Hollywood film Mimic (1997). Hollywood proved to be too demanding for del Toro and he moved back to Mexico creating his own production company, The Tequila Gang.
Movies that came next were The Devil's Backbone (2001), a Spanish Civil War ghost story, and more mainstream movies like Blade II and Hellboy (2004). In 2006 he created Pan's Labyrinth, a fantasy-horror story that he is well-known for today. Del Toro is not only a director but also a screenwriter, artist, novelist and producer. He is still making films today, such as Pacific Rim (2013) and is said to be working on the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark documentary.
Movies Known For
| Cronos (1993) | Mimic (1997) | The Devil's Backbone (2001) |
| Pan's Labyrinth (2006) |
Did You Know?
A trademark of his films include the use of insect imagery and religious artifacts.
His films usually show an autopsy or scene in a morgue.
Became vegan for four years after watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
In 1997 his father was held for ransom for 72 days until it was eventually paid.
His favorite movies are Frankenstein (1931), The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
In a 2007 interview he described his religious grandmother as resembling Piper Laurie's character from Carrie (1976).