Del Toro leads Q & A

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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.

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