The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia wishes Benicio Del Toro ("Licence to Kill") a very Happy Birthday.

The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia presents This Day in James Bond Movie History, wishing a very Happy Birthday to actor Benicio Del Toro who portrayed Dario the knife-wielding killer in “Licence to Kill.” As most of you know, I’m not a big fan of this very dark drug-dealing drama that was way too grim for my money, but every Bond film in the series has good elements, and Del Toro’s Dario was one of them. Young and quite slim, Del Toro gave Dario a great deal of menace, especially when we meet him in Bimini’s Barrelhead Bar, where he confronts Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and Bond (Timothy Dalton). This is one dude you don’t want to meet in a dark alley without your Walther. Tall, beefy, and a major character player today, it’s hard to believe that this is the same actor, but there is no question that Benicio Del Toro, an Oscar-winner for “Traffic,” has become one of our most popular actors working today. So let’s hoist a margarita to Benicio. Happy 54, sir. Stay safe.