“At the right place, at the right time”
 

PostED ON 15.10.2024

A guest of honour of the festival, Benicio del Toro was on hand to deliver an intense and powerful master class. Highlights.

© Olivier Chassignole

‘Acting class for beginners’

I didn't know anything about cinema; nobody in my life came from that background. When I enrolled at the University of San Diego, I wasn't good at anything. Looking at the curriculum list, I saw ‘acting class for beginners’; I told myself that I couldn't screw up in that class! Right from the start, the teacher said to me: ‘You're in the right place to study acting because you have lived’. For the first time in my life, I felt I was exactly in the right place at the right time.

His accent in The Usual Suspects

I realised that my character was dying on page 37 of the script. The whole point of my character was his death. His dialogue didn't really affect the plot. Then I suggested to Bryan Singer, the director, “It really doesn't matter what this guy says, so if you don't mind, I'd like to try something”. And he said, “Go for it”! Luckily, he actually agreed with me. I added this sort of dialect, with the pronunciation a bit off, and it helped me play the character.

© Olivier Chassignole

The Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas diet

Weight gain or loss does not make the performance. Acting is a different matter.  I saw director Terry Gilliam before shooting Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and I didn't have much time to put on weight to play Gonzo. I didn't have a nutritionist, so I did my preparation a bit like a ‘caveman’: I ate between 14 and 16 doughnuts a day, gaining about 1.5 kg a day. And when you eat fat, you crave fat, so I followed it up with fried chicken. Now, just looking at a doughnut can make me gain 1 kg!

The chemistry with Soderbergh

I didn't think the film would be such a success - it was huge! But what I remember most about Traffic is its director, Steven Soderbergh. It was the first time I'd felt such strong chemistry with a filmmaker. Steven and I were looking in the same direction.

American politics

It is important not to single out and blame certain communities. Migrants are trying to cross the borders in search of a better life. Although I respect the principle of borders, I find it frightening that some politicians put people in a humiliating position and dehumanise them. The US elections are coming up and I have faith in the young people of America.

Reported by Laura Lépine