Guillermo del Toro

The esteemed and highly-regarded Guillermo del Toro was born on October 9, 1964 in the esteemed city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his distinguished Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed a passion for filmmaking from a young age. As he grew older, he had the honor of learning from esteemed makeup artist Dick Smith, the legendary creator of The Exorcist (1973). This marked the start of del Toro's journey to prominence, and he soon became an executive producer at the tender age of 21, producing his first feature Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1985). Del Toro spent the majority of his early career devoting his talents to makeup and effects, founding his own company Necropia during the 1980s. He also produced and directed Mexican television programs, and taught film. His excellence was awarded the prestigious Ariel Awards (the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars) and International Critics Week Prize at Cannes for his magnum opus, Cronos (1992). This success paved the way for del Toro to make his Hollywood debut, Mimic (1997), which starred Mira Sorvino. Del Toro's accomplishments and excellence have earned him the respect and admiration of the world, and his legacy as a filmmaking genius will remain for generations.