Robert Rodriguez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Rodriguez
Rodriguez in 2014
Born	Robert Anthony Rodriguez (1968-06-20) June 20, 1968 (age 57) San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter cinematographer visual effects supervisor composer film editor
Years active	1991–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Avellán ​ ​ (m. invalid year, separated)​
Children	5
Relatives	Patricia Vonne (sister) Danny Trejo (second cousin)

Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing, writing, producing, and often editing and composing music for his movies. Many of his films are made in Mexico and his home state of Texas.

Rodriguez became famous with his 1992 action film El Mariachi. This movie was a big success, earning over $2.6 million with a tiny budget of only $7,000. He later made two sequels, Desperado (1995) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). These three films are known as the Mexico Trilogy.

He also directed the horror film From Dusk till Dawn in 1996. Later, he helped create a TV show based on it. Rodriguez co-directed the action-packed movie Sin City (2005) and its sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014). He is also the person behind the popular Spy Kids movies. Other films he directed include The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D (2005), Planet Terror (2007), Machete (2010), and We Can Be Heroes (2020). He also directed The Faculty (1998) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019).

Rodriguez is a good friend and often works with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. In 2013, Rodriguez started his own TV channel called El Rey.

Early Life and First Films

Robert Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents, Rebecca and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, were from Mexico. Robert became interested in making movies when he was 11 years old. His father bought one of the first VCRs, which came with a camera.

Robert Rodriguez (right) at the 1993 Atlanta Film Festival.

When he was in high school, Rodriguez was asked to film his school's football games. But he was fired because he filmed them like a movie. He focused on parents' reactions and the ball flying, instead of just showing the whole game. 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 couldn't get into the school's film program because his grades weren't high enough. So, he created a daily comic strip called Los Hooligans. Many characters were based on his brothers and sisters. The comic ran for three years in the student newspaper. During this time, Rodriguez kept making short films.

He made action and horror short films on video. 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 was about a young girl and her brother's messy hair. Even then, Rodriguez's unique style was clear. He used quick cuts, intense zooms, and fast camera movements with a funny touch.

Bedhead won awards and was shown at film festivals. It was even chosen for a special show at the MoMA museum in 2006.

Filmmaking Career

Starting Out with Success

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 about $7,000. He got money from a friend and from taking part in medical tests. During these tests, he met Peter Marquardt, who acted in El Mariachi. The film won an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993.

The movie was first meant for the low-budget video market in Spanish. But Columbia Pictures liked it and spent money to improve it. They then released it in the United States. They still advertised it as "the movie made for $7,000". Rodriguez wrote about his experiences making the film in his book Rebel Without a Crew (1995).

Becoming a Mainstream Director

Rodriguez and Tarantino in 2007

Desperado was a sequel to El Mariachi. It starred Antonio Banderas and introduced Salma Hayek to audiences around the world. Rodriguez then worked with Quentin Tarantino on the vampire thriller From Dusk till Dawn. He also wrote, directed, and produced the TV series for his own TV channel, El Rey. Rodriguez also worked with Kevin Williamson on the sci-fi thriller film The Faculty.

In 2001, Rodriguez had his first big Hollywood hit with Spy Kids. This movie became a popular film series. A third "mariachi" film, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, came out in 2003. This film finished the Mexico Trilogy. Rodriguez has 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 because Miller's comic art style was very important to the movie. 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 to resign than to make changes he didn't want to make. By leaving the DGA, Rodriguez had to give up directing the film John Carter of Mars.

Sin City was a big hit in 2005. It did very well at the box office, especially for a violent comic book movie. Rodriguez is interested in making more movies based on Miller's Sin City comic books.

In 2005, Rodriguez released The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. This superhero movie was for younger audiences, like his Spy Kids series. The idea for Sharkboy and Lavagirl came from Rodriguez's 7-year-old son, Racer. Racer was given credit for the story. The film earned over $69 million worldwide.

Rodriguez wrote and directed the film Planet Terror. This movie was part of a double feature called Grindhouse (2007). Quentin Tarantino directed the other film in Grindhouse.

Rodriguez includes "Ten Minute Film School" segments on his DVD releases. These show new filmmakers how to make good movies without spending a lot of money. He also started "Ten Minute Cooking School" on his DVDs. He shared recipes for dishes seen in his movies, like "Puerco Pibil" from Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He also showed how to make "Sin City Breakfast Tacos" and "Texas Barbecue...from the GRAVE!".

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 work in filmmaking.

Later Projects

Predators

In 2010, Rodriguez produced a new Predator movie called Predators. The script for this film was based on early ideas he had written after seeing the first Predator movie. Rodriguez's ideas included a planet-sized hunting ground and 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 movie directed by Rodriguez that came out in 2010. It was based on a fake movie trailer Rodriguez made for the 2007 film Grindhouse. The movie starred Danny Trejo as the main character, Machete. Trejo is Rodriguez's second cousin. He had worked with Rodriguez in other movies like Desperado and 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 action hero. He thought of a Mexican agent who takes dangerous jobs in the U.S. for money. The movie was released in theaters on September 3, 2010.

Streaming Projects

In 2020, Rodriguez announced he would direct an episode of The Mandalorian, a Disney+ series from the Star Wars universe. He also shared a video of himself playing guitar next to Grogu (Baby Yoda) on the set. Rodriguez was also a producer for The Book of Boba Fett, another Star Wars show.

In 2020, Rodriguez wrote and directed We Can Be Heroes. This movie 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.

Unrealized Projects

Rodriguez has owned the film rights to Mike Allred's comic Madman since 1998. They have often said the project was close to starting, but it hasn't happened yet.

In 2007, it was announced that Rodriguez would direct a remake of Barbarella. This project was delayed. Later, in 2008, it was said that Rodriguez and actress Rose McGowan were instead remaking the film Red Sonja.

In 2009, Rodriguez planned to produce a live-action remake of Fire and Ice. This was a 1983 film by artist Frank Frazetta and animator Ralph Bakshi.

In 2011, Rodriguez announced he had bought the film rights to Heavy Metal. He planned to make a new animated film based on it.

In 2015, it was announced that Rodriguez directed a film called 100 Years. This movie will not be released until the year 2115.

In 2017, it was announced that Rodriguez would direct a remake of the sci-fi action film Escape from New York. The original director, John Carpenter, would be a producer.

Personal Life

In 2006, Robert Rodriguez and his wife Elizabeth Avellán separated after 16 years of marriage. They have five children together.

He was in a relationship with actress Rose McGowan for some time. They broke up in 2009.

In 2010, he walked Alexa Vega down the aisle at her wedding. Alexa Vega played Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids movies.

In 2014, Rodriguez showed his collection of original paintings by Frank Frazetta in Austin, Texas.

Filmmaking Style

Rodriguez in 2007

Robert Rodriguez does many jobs on his films. Besides directing and writing, he often works as the editor, director of photography, camera operator, composer, production designer, and visual effects supervisor. Because he does so many roles, he is sometimes called "the one-man film crew". He often shortens his credits. For example, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is "shot, chopped, and scored by Robert Rodriguez".

He calls his way of making movies "Mariachi-style". This name comes from 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".

In the book The DV Rebel's Guide, the term "Robert Rodriguez list" was created. This means a filmmaker makes a list of cool things they have access to. Then, they write a movie script based on that list.

Filmography

Influences and Collaborations

Filmmakers Who Inspired Him

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 that film, along with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and various James Bond and Ray Harryhaussen films, inspired him while he was working on the Spy Kids series.

He also said that children like movies where kids feel powerful. He mentioned Home Alone and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He explained that kids, especially younger ones, need their parents for many things. So, seeing kids flying around in jet packs and being active makes them feel strong and capable.

Actors He Works With Often

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 of his movies. Alexa PenaVega has appeared in six. Jessica Alba, Daryl Sabara, Tom Savini, and Patricia Vonne have all been in five.

See also

• Chingon
• El Rey Network
• Dogme 95
• Robert Rodriguez's unrealized projects