Happy 56th Birthday, Guillermo del Toro! Born today in1964 as Guillermo del Toro Gómez, this Mexican novelist, former special effects makeup artist, actor, screenwriter, producer and film director is known for imbuing horror and fantasy films with emotional and thematic complexity.
Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens.
Later, he learned about makeup and effects from the legendary American special make-up effects artist and author Dick Smith and worked on making his own short films.
At the age of twenty-one, del Toro executive produced his first feature.
Afterwards, Del Toro spent almost ten years as a makeup supervisor, and formed his own company, Necropia, in the early 1980s. He also produced and directed Mexican television programs at this time, and taught film.
In the early 1990s, Del Toro got his big break in directing the 1993 Mexican independent horror/drama film 'Cronos'. This was the first installment of the Trilogia de Guillermo del Toro (Trilogy of Guillermo Del Toro).
Later that same year, the film won nine Ariel Awards (the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars). This occurred at the 35th Ariel Awards in late April 1993.
It then went on to win the International Critics Week Prize at the 48th Cannes Festival in May of that same year.
Following this success, del Toro made his first Hollywood film four years later. This was the 1997 American horror/sci-fi film 'Mimic', starring Mira Sorvino.
However, Del Toro had some unfortunate experiences working with a demanding Hollywood studio on 'Mimic'. He later returned to Mexico to form his own production company, The Tequila Gang.
Four years later, Del Toro directed the 2001 Mexican/Spanish gothic horror/drama film 'El espinazo del diablo' ('The Devil's Backbone'). This was the second installment of the Trilogia de Guillermo del Toro.
Upon release, the film was hailed by critics and audiences alike, and del Toro decided to give Hollywood another try. The following year, he directed the Wesley Snipes vampire sequel. This was the 2002 American superhero action/horror film 'Blade II'.
On a roll, del Toro followed up with the 2004 American supernatural superhero action/fantasy film 'Hellboy'. it starred one of Del Toro's favorite actors, Ron Perlman.
Two years later, del Toro wrote, co-produced and directed the first film of which he is best known.
This was her 2006 Mexican/Spanish dark fantasy/war film 'El laberinto del fauno' ('Pan's Labyrinth'). This was the third and final installment of the Trilogia de Guillermo del Toro.
Set in 1944, five years after the Spanish Civil War, the Allies have invaded Nazi-held Europe. In Spain, a troop of soldiers are sent to a remote forest to flush out the rebels.
They are led by Capitan Vidal (Sergi Lopez), a murdering sadist, and with him are his new wife Carmen (Ariadna Gil) and her daughter from a previous marriage, eleven-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero).
Ofelia witnesses her stepfather's sadistic brutality and is drawn into Pan's Labyrinth, a magical world of mythical beings.
'Pan's Labyrinth' premiered at the 59th Cannes Film Festival in May of that same year. It later opened to widespread critical acclaim, with many praising the visual effects, direction, cinematography and performances.
The following year, 'Pan's Labyrinth' received three BAFTA Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup & Hair. This occurred at the 60th British Film Academy Awards on February 11, 2007.
Two weeks later, 'Pan's Labyrinth' won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hair Styling, and Best Production Design. This occurred at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007.
One month later, 'Pan's Labyrinth' won nine Ariel Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Ivana Baquero). This occurred at the 49th Ariel Awards in late March 2007.
One decade later, Del Toro directed the second and final film of which he is best known.
This was the 2017 American/Canadian color/black and white (dream sequence) romantic fantasy drama/thriller film 'The Shape of Water'.
The meaning of the title of the film takes its name from Plato's idea that in its purest form, water takes the shape of an icosahedron, a twenty-sided polyhedron, evoking the idea that beauty, and humanity, has many faces.
One year later, 'The Shape of Water' received three BAFTA Awards for Best Direction, Best Original Music and Best Production Design. This occurred at the 71st British Academy Film Awards in late February 2018.
The following month, 'The Shape of Water' won four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Production Design. This occurred at the 90th Academy Awards in early March 2018.
Among his other credits, Del Toro is also known for directing 'Hellboy II: the Golden Army (2008), 'Pacific Rim' (2013), and 'Crimson Peak (2015).
As a producer and/or writer, Del Toro is known for 'The Orphanage' (2007), 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' (2010), The Hobbit film series (2012–14), 'Mama' (2013), 'The Book of Life' (2014), 'Pacific Rim: Uprising' (2018), and 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' (2019).
With DreamWorks, Del Toro executive produced 'Puss in Boots' (2011), 'Kung Fu Panda 2' (2011), 'Rise of the Guardians' (2012), and 'Kung Fu Panda 3' (2016).
During producing 'Pacific Rim: Uprising', del Toro was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018.
According to his personal life, del Toro is divorced from film art director Lorenza Newton. Del Toro has a daughter and a son and lives in Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Contrary to popular belief, Guillermo is not related to Benicio del Toro. Guillermo is Mexican while Benicio is Puerto Rican.
A film prodigy dedicated to Latin American cinema even as his success gave him a ticket to Hollywood, del Toro earned a place as one of Time magazine's 50 Young Leaders for the New Millennium before he made his third film.
Del Toro's work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales and horror, with an effort to infuse visual or poetic beauty in the grotesque. He has had a lifelong fascination with monsters, which he considers symbols of great power.
He is also known for his use of insectile and religious imagery, the themes of Catholicism and celebrating imperfection, underworld and clockwork motifs, practical special effects, dominant amber lighting and his frequent collaborations with Perlman and American actor, contortionist and mime Doug Jones.
Unlike his peers, however, del Toro steered away from making art house films about his native Mexico, focusing instead on helming old-fashioned horror features.
He is also good friends with fellow Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and editor Alfonso Cuarón and Mexican film director, producer, and screenwriter Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Together, they are collectively known as "The Three Amigos of Cinema".
As part of the wave of Mexican filmmakers who have made an indelible mark upon American cinema in the 1990s, del Toro - along with compatriots Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Alfonso Cuarón - attained a remarkable level of critical and box-office success in an environment not conducive to international filmmaking.
Whether as a writer, director, producer and even novelist, del Toro drew upon an eclectic mix of horror, science fiction and fantasy to create unique and sometimes bizarre films that earned him a loyal following.
Del Toro has been active from 1985–present.
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