Guillermo del Toro was born on October 9, 1964, in the city of Guadalajara, situated in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his devoutly Catholic grandmother, del Toro's interest in filmmaking emerged during his early teenage years. He later had the privilege of learning about makeup and special effects from the renowned Dick Smith, who is famously associated with the classic horror film "The Exorcist" (1973). Del Toro's passion for filmmaking led him to create his own short films, and by the time he was 21 years old, he had already taken on the role of executive producer for his first feature film, "Dona Herlinda and Her Son" (1985).
For almost a decade, del Toro worked as a makeup supervisor, during which time he founded his own company, Necropia, in the early 1980s. Additionally, he produced and directed Mexican television programs and taught film, further honing his skills as a filmmaker.
