Benicio del Toro

Movies and TV

Dr. Gonzo, often referred to as simply Gonzo, is a fictional character most famously portrayed by Benicio del Toro in the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The character is a heavily fictionalized and exaggerated representation of Oscar Zeta Acosta, a Mexican-American attorney, activist, and author.

In Fear and Loathing, Dr. Gonzo accompanies journalist Raoul Duke (a stand-in for Hunter S. Thompson) on a drug-fueled trip to Las Vegas. Gonzo acts as Duke's companion and sometimes antagonist, contributing to the chaotic and hallucinatory nature of their experience. His flamboyant and unpredictable behavior, often fueled by copious amounts of drugs and alcohol, becomes a central element of the film's narrative.

While Acosta and his real-life relationship with Thompson inspired the character, Dr. Gonzo is ultimately a fictionalized creation. He embodies a specific type of counter-cultural figure from the late 1960s and early 1970s, representing a combination of radical politics, drug experimentation, and a rejection of mainstream society.