Biography
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (Spanish: [ɡiˈʝeɾmo ðelˈtoɾo]; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, gothicism, and horror, often blending the genres to infuse visual or poetic beauty into the grotesque. He has had a lifelong fascination with monsters, which he considers symbols of great power. He is known for pioneering dark fantasy in the film industry and using insectile and religious imagery, his themes of Catholicism, and celebrating imperfection, underworld motifs, practical special effects, and dominant amber lighting. Throughout his career, del Toro has shifted between Spanish-language films—such as Cronos (1993), The Devil's Backbone (2001), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006)—and English-language films, including Mimic (1997), Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army(2008), Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), The Shape of Water (2017), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Pinocchio (2022). As a producer or writer, he worked on the films The Orphanage (2007), Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010), The Hobbit film series (2012–2014), Mama (2013), The Book of Life (…
Directed
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Pacific Rim (2013) — Director
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The Shape of Water (2017) — Director
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Pan's Labyrinth (2006) — Director
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Hellboy (2004) — Director
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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) — Director
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Blade II (2002) — Director
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Crimson Peak (2015) — Director
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Frankenstein (2025) — Director
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Nightmare Alley (2021) — Director
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) — Director
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The Strain (2014) — Director
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The Devil's Backbone (2001) — Director
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Mimic (1997) — Director
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Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) — Director
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Cronos (1993) — Director
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3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2018) — Director
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Geometry (1987) — Director
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The Marked Hour (1988) — Director
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Mrs. Lupe (1986) — Director
- Fury — Director
Also appeared in
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The Simpsons (1989) — Guillermo del Toro (voice)
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Quantum of Solace (2008) — Additional Voices (voice)
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Hellboy (2004) — Guy Dressed as Dragon (uncredited)
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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) — Creature Vocals (voice) (uncredited)
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Puss in Boots (2011) — Comandante / Hombre del bigote (voice)
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Futurama (1999) — Guillermo del Toro's Head (voice)
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The Book of Life (2014) — Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife (voice)
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) — Pappy McPoyle
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Barry (2018) — El Toro
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Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) — Creature (Voice)
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Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) — Self - Host (uncredited)
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Diary of the Dead (2007) — Newsreader (voice) (uncredited)
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Cronos (1993) — Man Walking Dog (uncredited)
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) — Self
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Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) — Self
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Torrente 3: The Protector (2005) — Contacto Giannina (scenes deleted)
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78/52 (2017) — Self
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The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) — Self - Guest
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Extraordinary Tales (2015) — Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Pit and the Pendulum')
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The Oscars (1953) — Self
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Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007) — Self
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Five Came Back (2017) — Self
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Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013)
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Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011) — Self
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) — Self
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Love, Antosha (2019) — Self
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Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) — Self
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Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008) — Self
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James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction (2018) — Self
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El Santos vs la Tetona Mendoza (2012) — Gamborimbo Ponx (voice)
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Five Came Back (2017) — Self
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Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013) — Self
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Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2012) — Self
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Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (2015) — Self
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Lennon or McCartney (2014) — Self
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The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy (2013) — Self
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Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson (2025) — Self - Writer / Director
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Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (2023) — Self
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Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre (2023) — Self
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Golden Globe Awards (1944) — Self - Nominee