Quick Read
- Benicio Del Toro earned multiple Best Supporting Actor nominations in 2025 for ‘One Battle After Another.’
- He played Jackie-Boy Rafferty in 2005’s ‘Sin City,’ in a memorable scene directed by Quentin Tarantino.
- Del Toro’s nuanced performances continue to set standards for supporting roles in major films.
Benicio Del Toro: A Career Defined by Daring Choices and Critical Acclaim
Benicio Del Toro is a name that resonates with both cinephiles and casual moviegoers—a chameleonic actor whose performances linger long after the credits roll. In 2025, Del Toro’s career reached a new high, earning him multiple Best Supporting Actor nominations for his menacing role as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw in Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller One Battle After Another (Variety, The Guardian). This recognition is just the latest chapter in a journey marked by bold choices and memorable collaborations, including his unforgettable turn in Sin City two decades ago.
Sin City: The Birth of a Modern Noir Icon
Back in 2005, Del Toro captivated audiences as Jack “Jackie-Boy” Rafferty in Sin City, a stylized adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel series. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller—with a single, surreal sequence handled by Quentin Tarantino—Sin City blurred the line between comic book fantasy and gritty noir realism (CBR). Del Toro’s Jackie-Boy is a corrupt cop whose fate is sealed in the segment “The Big Fat Kill,” where Clive Owen’s Dwight McCarthy drives his body to the tar pits, haunted by hallucinated dialogue from Jackie-Boy’s nearly severed head.
The scene, helmed by Tarantino as a favor to Rodriguez, became one of the film’s most unforgettable moments. It’s a masterclass in paranoia and visual storytelling, as Del Toro’s performance oscillates between grotesque humor and chilling menace. His ability to embody such twisted vulnerability set a new standard for comic book movie villains—reminding viewers that even in the world of pulp, characters can be complex and deeply unsettling.
2025: A Banner Year in Awards Season
Fast forward to 2025, and Del Toro finds himself at the heart of another cinematic sensation. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another swept critics’ awards, racking up Best Picture honors from the Chicago Film Critics Association and major wins from circles in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Boston, and Florida (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter). While Leonardo DiCaprio dominated headlines with his career-best lead performance, it was Del Toro’s turn as Colonel Lockjaw that drew critical praise for its depth and quiet intensity.
Anderson’s film, shot in the rare VistaVision format, is a sprawling political thriller loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland.” Del Toro’s character—a menacing military figure—embodies the film’s central themes of revolution, family, and the inescapable weight of history. The chemistry between Del Toro, DiCaprio, and the rest of the ensemble cast adds gravitas to every scene, allowing Anderson to elevate action sequences into meditations on consequence and morality.
The recognition for Del Toro’s supporting performance is especially notable given the film’s ambitious scope and the presence of other heavyweights. His portrayal stands out not because it’s loud or flamboyant, but because it’s layered: a subtle mix of threat, weariness, and conviction. Critics have highlighted how his nuanced work helps ground the film’s chaos in emotional reality, rewarding repeated viewings with new insights.
Why Del Toro’s Roles Still Matter
What sets Benicio Del Toro apart is his willingness to take risks, often choosing roles that challenge both himself and the audience. In Sin City, he made Jackie-Boy more than a cartoonish villain—he became a symbol of the city’s corrupt underbelly. In One Battle After Another, he uses restraint to suggest a lifetime of pain behind every command.
Del Toro’s presence in these films is a reminder that supporting actors can define the tone and legacy of a story. He doesn’t chase easy heroics or one-note antagonism. Instead, he crafts characters who are as haunted as they are haunting—men caught in the machinery of their own choices, sometimes desperate to escape, sometimes resigned to their fate.
The continuity between his work in 2005 and 2025 is striking. Both roles explore power and consequence, but in radically different cinematic languages. Del Toro’s adaptability, his refusal to settle for formula, keeps him relevant in an industry that often rewards predictability. Whether he’s working with visionary directors like Rodriguez, Tarantino, or Anderson, he brings a quiet intensity that transforms every project he touches.
Legacy and Influence: Looking Ahead
With One Battle After Another now streaming on HBO Max and Sin City regarded as a genre-defining classic, Del Toro’s legacy is secure. Younger actors and filmmakers often cite his performances as inspiration, pointing to his ability to inhabit morally ambiguous worlds without losing the human core of each character.
His journey—from a noir antihero in a comic book adaptation to a decorated supporting presence in the year’s most celebrated film—illustrates the power of craft over celebrity. In a year where many actors chase headlines, Del Toro quietly collects accolades, proving that sometimes the strongest impact is made in the shadows, not the spotlight.
Benicio Del Toro’s career is a testament to the value of risk and restraint. In an era dominated by spectacle, his work reminds us that true cinematic power comes from complexity, not cliché—a lesson that resonates louder than ever in 2025’s crowded film landscape.