Guillermo del Toro G�mez is a Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist. In his filmmaking career, del Toro has alternated between Spanish-language dark fantasy pieces, such as The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth, and more mainstream American action movies, such as Blade II, Hellboy, its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Pacific Rim. In addition to his directing works, del Toro is a prolific producer, his producing works including acclaimed and/or successful films such as The Orphanage, Julia's Eyes, Biutiful, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, and Mama. He was originally chosen by Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit films; he left the project due to production problems but was still credited as co-writer for his numerous contributions to the script. Del Toro's work is characterised by a strong connection to fairy tales and horror, with an effort to infuse visual or poetic beauty. He has a lifelong fascination with monsters, which he considers symbols of great power. 

October 9th, 1964 in Guadalajara (Age 60)