Robert Rodriguez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Rodriguez
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Rodriguez in 2014
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Robert Anthony Rodriguez
June 20, 1968 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Elizabeth Avellán
(m. invalid year, separated) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Patricia Vonne (sister) Danny Trejo (second cousin) |
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Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker. He is a director, producer, and screenwriter. He also often works as a composer, editor, and visual effects supervisor for his movies. Robert Rodriguez makes many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas.
He is famous for directing the 1992 action film El Mariachi. This movie was a big success, earning a lot of money from a very small budget. It led to two sequels: Desperado (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). These three films are known as the Mexico Trilogy.
Rodriguez also created the popular Spy Kids movie series. He directed The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D (2005) and We Can Be Heroes (2020). He has worked on other films like From Dusk till Dawn (1996) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019). He often works with his friend, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. In 2013, Rodriguez started his own TV channel called El Rey.
Contents
Early Life and Film Beginnings
Robert Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents, Rebecca and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, were from Mexico. His interest in making movies started when he was eleven. His father bought one of the first VCRs, which came with a camera.
When he was in high school, Rodriguez was asked to film football games. But he was fired because he filmed it like a movie. He focused on parents' reactions and the ball flying, not just the whole play. In high school, he met Carlos Gallardo. They both made films on video throughout high school and college.
Rodriguez went to the University of Texas at Austin. He loved drawing cartoons there. He created a daily comic strip called Los Hooligans. Many characters were based on his family. The comic ran for three years in the student newspaper. During this time, he kept making short films.
He made action and horror short films using video cameras. He edited them using two VCRs. In 1990, he won a local film contest. This helped him get into the university's film program. There, he made an award-winning short film called Bedhead (1991). This film showed his unique style. It had quick cuts, fast zooms, and speedy camera movements.
Filmmaking Career
Breakthrough with El Mariachi
The short film Bedhead helped Rodriguez decide to become a filmmaker. He then made the action movie El Mariachi (1992) in Spanish. He made it for only about $7,000. He got money from a friend and by taking part in medical studies. During these studies, he met Peter Marquardt, who acted in the film.
El Mariachi won an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993. It was first meant for the low-budget home-video market in Spanish. But Columbia Pictures decided to distribute it in the United States. They spent more money to improve it. The movie was still advertised as "the movie made for $7,000". Rodriguez wrote about his experiences making the film in his book Rebel Without a Crew (1995).
Mainstream Success and Collaborations
Desperado was a sequel to El Mariachi. It starred Antonio Banderas and helped Salma Hayek become known internationally. Rodriguez often worked with Quentin Tarantino. They made the thriller From Dusk till Dawn together. Rodriguez also wrote and directed a TV series based on the film for his own TV channel, El Rey.
In 2001, Rodriguez had his first big Hollywood hit with Spy Kids. This movie became a very popular film series. A third "mariachi" film, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, came out in 2003. This film completed the Mexico Trilogy. Rodriguez runs a production company called Troublemaker Studios.
Rodriguez co-directed Sin City (2005). This movie was based on comic books by Frank Miller. Quentin Tarantino directed one scene in the film. Rodriguez wanted Miller to be credited as co-director. He felt Miller's comic art style was as important as his own work. However, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) did not allow it. They said only "legitimate teams" could share the director's credit. Rodriguez chose to leave the DGA. He said it was easier than making compromises he did not want to make.
Sin City was a big success in 2005. It was popular with critics and at the box office. Rodriguez is interested in making more movies based on Miller's Sin City comic books.
Family-Friendly Films
In 2005, Rodriguez released The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. This superhero movie was for younger audiences, like his Spy Kids series. The story for Sharkboy and Lavagirl came from Rodriguez's 7-year-old son, Racer. Racer was given credit for the screenplay. The film earned over $69 million around the world.
In 2020, Rodriguez wrote and directed We Can Be Heroes. This film was a spin-off of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. It was released on Netflix on December 25, 2020. In 2023, he released Spy Kids: Armageddon on Netflix.
Digital Filmmaking and Teaching
Rodriguez strongly supports digital filmmaking. He learned about it from director George Lucas. Lucas invited Rodriguez to use digital cameras at his studio. Rodriguez received an award in 2010 for his amazing contributions to filmmaking.
He has a series called "Ten Minute Film School" on his DVD releases. These segments teach new filmmakers how to make good movies without spending a lot of money. He also created "Ten Minute Cooking School" segments. In these, he shares recipes for food seen in his movies.
Other Projects
Predators
In 2010, Rodriguez produced a new Predator movie called Predators. The script was based on ideas he had written after seeing the first movie. His ideas included a planet-sized hunting ground. It also featured different creatures used by the Predators to hunt humans. The film received mostly good reviews and did well at the box office.
Machete
Machete is a feature film directed by Rodriguez. It was released in September 2010. It grew from a fake movie trailer Rodriguez made for the 2007 film Grindhouse. The movie starred Danny Trejo as the main character. Trejo is Rodriguez's second cousin. He has worked with Rodriguez in many other movies, including Spy Kids, where he first played Machete.
Rodriguez said he wrote the idea for Machete back in 1993. He wanted Danny Trejo to be like a "Mexican Jean-Claude Van Damme". The movie is about a former Mexican federal agent who takes on dangerous jobs in the U.S.
Streaming and Future Projects
In May 2020, Rodriguez announced he would direct an episode of The Mandalorian. This is a Disney+ series that is part of the Star Wars franchise. He also worked as an executive producer on The Book of Boba Fett. This is another Star Wars spin-off series released in December 2021.
In August 2021, Rodriguez signed a deal with HBO and HBO Max. This means he will work on new projects for them.
In March 2025, Rodriguez announced a new company called Brass Knuckle Films. This studio plans to make four films. Rodriguez will direct at least one and produce the others. This company is unique because fans can be investors. Investors can also pitch their film ideas to Rodriguez.
Personal Life
In April 2006, Robert Rodriguez and his wife Elizabeth Avellán separated. They had been married for 16 years and had five children together.
In October 2010, he walked Alexa Vega down the aisle at her wedding. Alexa Vega played Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids series.
Filmmaking Style
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Robert Rodriguez does many jobs on his films. He is often the producer, director, and writer. He also frequently works as the editor, director of photography, camera operator, and composer. He even does visual effects and sound editing. Because of this, he is sometimes called "the one-man film crew". In his film credits, he often shortens his many roles. For example, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is "shot, chopped, and scored by Robert Rodriguez".
He calls his filmmaking style "Mariachi-style". This is a reference to his first movie, El Mariachi. This style means using "Creativity, not money, to solve problems". He likes to work at night. He spends his daytime hours with his children when they are home. He believes many creative people are "night people".
Filmography
Directed Features
- El Mariachi (1992)
- Desperado (1995)
- Four Rooms (1995)
- From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
- The Faculty (1998)
- Spy Kids (2001)
- Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
- Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
- Sin City (2005)
- The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)
- Planet Terror (2007)
- Shorts (2009)
- Machete (2010)
- Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011)
- Machete Kills (2013)
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
- Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
- Red 11 (2019)
- We Can Be Heroes (2020)
- Hypnotic (2023)
- Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023)
Influences and Inspirations
Robert Rodriguez has invited many of his favorite directors to his TV show, The Director's Chair. These directors include John Carpenter, Quentin Tarantino, and George Miller.
Rodriguez's favorite movie as a child was Escape to Witch Mountain. He says this film, along with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and various James Bond films, inspired him. He also mentioned films by Ray Harryhausen as influences for his Spy Kids series.
He believes children enjoy movies that make them feel powerful. He gave examples like Home Alone and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He explained that kids, especially younger ones, feel empowered when they see other kids flying around or taking action.
Frequent Collaborators
Rodriguez often casts the same actors in many of his projects. Danny Trejo has appeared in ten of his films. Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Cheech Marin have all been in seven. Alexa PenaVega has appeared in six. Jessica Alba, Daryl Sabara, Tom Savini, and Patricia Vonne have all been in five of his movies.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Rodriguez para niños
- Chingon
- El Rey Network
- Dogme 95
