Biography of Benicio del Toro Calderon:
Born in 1959 in Puerto Rico, Benicio del Toro Calderon relocated to New York with his family at the age of six, where he spent his formative years growing up on the streets of the Lower East Side and Spanish Harlem. After completing his college education, Calderon decided to enlist in the United States Army, serving as an infantryman overseas. Following his military service, he returned to the States and pursued an acting career.
Calderon began his acting journey on the New York stage, earning an Obie Award for his performance in "Blade to the Heat" at the Public Theatre. He then made his Broadway debut opposite Robert De Niro in "Cuba and His Teddy Bear". In addition to his Broadway credits, Calderon has appeared off-Broadway in plays such as "Requiem For A Heavyweight" and "Divine Horsemen", and played Achilles in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Troilus and Cressida" in Central Park. He is a founding member of the Touchstone Theatre, the American Folk Theatre, and the Labyrinth Theatre Company.
Despite being initially slated to portray the role of Jules Winnfield in "Pulp Fiction", Calderon was ultimately replaced by Samuel L. Jackson. However, Calderon did have a notable role in the film, portraying Paul the bartender in a dialogue scene between Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace. He also co-wrote Abel Ferrara's 1992 crime drama "Bad Lieutenant", starring Harvey Keitel.
Calderon's extensive filmography includes over three dozen credits, including "Out of Sight", "Cop Land", "Four Rooms", "Pulp Fiction", "Bad Lieutenant", "The Firm", "The Addiction", "Q & A", "Sea of Love", "Clockers", and "King of New York". He has also made numerous guest appearances on television series, including recurring roles on "Dream Street", "Law & Order", and "Miami Vice".
In 2010, Calderon is set to star as The Businessman in Sanzhar Sultanov's crime drama "The Story".
