Benicio Del Toro Discusses 'One Battle After Another,' Character Development, and Career Journey

Actor Benicio Del Toro on 'One Battle After Another'

Actor Benicio Del Toro discussed his career, his role in the film "One Battle After Another," and personal influences during a recent interview.

Career and Reputation

Del Toro is recognized by prominent Hollywood creatives including Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, and Denis Villeneuve for his acting talent. Collaborators describe his presence as capable of influencing scenes and films without overt flamboyance.

Sean Penn noted Del Toro's expansive imagination and unpredictable performances, which often involve quietly impactful scene-stealing.

Del Toro gained prominence at age 28 in 1995 with "The Usual Suspects." At 59, he continues to portray distinctive characters.

Role in 'One Battle After Another'

In Paul Thomas Anderson's film "One Battle After Another," Del Toro plays the character Sensei. The film explores themes of militarized oppression, revolution, and the protection of vulnerable individuals.

The film has received 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and Best Supporting Actor nominations for both Del Toro and Sean Penn. Del Toro previously received an Oscar nomination for "21 Grams" and won Best Supporting Actor for "Traffic" over two decades ago.

Del Toro stated he entered the project with modest expectations for his role, expressing surprise at the awards attention.

Character Development and Impact

Del Toro contributed significantly to the development of his character, Sensei. In an early script draft, Sensei was involved in a double murder within his dojo, a plot point Del Toro questioned due to a perceived lack of logical connection with other characters.

His practical concerns regarding the implications of a violent act within the dojo (e.g., cleanup, disposal) led him to suggest alternative narratives. Director Paul Thomas Anderson confirmed that Del Toro's suggestions led to more dramatic possibilities for the character and the film's overall structure.

Del Toro proposed a pivot to a "Latino Harriet Tubman situation," making Sensei the leader of a migrant smuggling operation in Baktan Cross (a fictional town based on El Paso). This shift repositioned Sensei as a protector rather than an instigator, transforming the dojo into a refuge and recalibrating the film's moral focus.

Acting Philosophy

Del Toro approaches acting as an interpreter of the writer's vision, emphasizing the importance of understanding the story and asking numerous questions to develop his characters.

Paul Thomas Anderson specifically wrote the role of Sensei for Del Toro and delayed production by three months to accommodate his schedule, highlighting Del Toro's indispensable contribution to the film.

Filming Experience

Del Toro transitioned directly to "One Battle After Another" following another project, with a ten-day period for preparation.

His first day of filming involved a real store in El Paso, with the store's owning family serving as non-actors alongside him and Leonardo DiCaprio. Del Toro noted that this environment fostered an immediate connection among the cast and locals. It created a bonding experience between him and DiCaprio as they were responsible for guiding the non-actors.

Early Life and Influences

Del Toro grew up in Puerto Rico with an expectation to pursue law, following his grandfather, father, and mother who were all legal professionals.

His mother died of hepatitis when he was nine years old, an event he stated continues to impact him daily. He later discussed this experience with Japanese director Kaneto Shindo, who also lost his mother at age nine; Shindo shared that making a film about his mother did not alleviate the pain.

Following his mother's death, he described a chaotic period. His older brother, Gustavo, is now a chief medical officer in Brooklyn. Del Toro co-parents his daughter with Kimberly Stewart, maintaining a private personal life.

At 13, he attended boarding school in Pennsylvania. He initially enrolled in business school at UC San Diego but changed his major to drama after being cast in Sam Shepard's play "Action."

Del Toro expressed a commitment to playing diverse roles, challenging stereotypes associated with Latino actors in the industry.

Sensei's Altruism

Del Toro connected Sensei's protective instincts to universal human altruism, likening the character to a Good Samaritan. He suggested that Sensei represents a beacon of hope and humanity in a film that might otherwise be seen as dark.

The character reflects the inherent human instinct to help others in danger without expectation of reward. Del Toro concluded by observing that similar 'senseis' are present in the world today.