-
01
Robert Rodriguez counts Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith among his closest friends; the three often screen each other’s films first.
-
02
Salma Hayek is the godmother of Rodriguez’s five children.
-
03
Rodriguez has resigned from the DGA twice: once to direct non-guild Four Rooms 1995 and again in 2004 to give Frank Miller a co-director credit on Sin City 2005.
-
04
He uncreditedly directed parts of the scene in Pulp Fiction 1994 where Quentin Tarantino appears as Jimmy.
-
05
An accomplished chef, Rodriguez often cooks gourmet meals for cast and crew.
-
06
He was originally attached to direct The Mask of Zorro 1998 but the studio rejected his violent R-rated proposal.
-
07
Rodriguez earned most of the $7,000 for El Mariachi by subjecting himself to experimental drug studies; one drug was a speed healer leaving two divots in his arms.
-
08
He loathed having to shoot on film for festivals; after Bedhead 1991 and El Mariachi 1992, many festivals admitted video formats.
-
09
Rodriguez edited El Mariachi at a public access station in Austin, working late nights when rates were cheaper, often stuck at the bench for hours without restroom breaks.
-
10
His production company was originally Los Hooligans named after his college comic strip, now called Troublemaker Studios.
-
11
At age 12, after seeing John Carpenter’s Escape from New York 1981, he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker.
-
12
He turned down Kevin Smith’s script for Superman Lives and also declined to direct Smith’s Dogma 1999, insisting Smith should direct it himself.
-
13
Rodriguez was originally chosen to direct John Carter 2012 but was replaced after leaving the DGA.
-
14
He has five children with Elizabeth Avellan: sons Rocket, Racer, Rebel, Rogue, and daughter Rhiannon.
-
15
He wrote two scripts for Predator 3 which became Alien vs. Predator 2004: one set on a 17th-century ship, the other about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover’s characters taken as trophies.
-
16
Rodriguez is brother of Elizabeth, Tina, David R., Rebecca, Patricia Vonne, and Angela Lanza; cousin of Álvaro Rodríguez and Danny Trejo.
-
17
His last film shot on film was Spy Kids 2001; during post-production at Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas introduced him to 24p HD, and he immediately converted, now owning two Sony HDW-F900 cameras.
-
18
He was considered to direct X-Men 2000 but turned it down for other projects.
-
19
Rodriguez left the Writers’ Guild of America in late 2001, citing too many rules.
-
20
In 2008, he was engaged to Rose McGowan.
-
21
In April 1996, Hispanic Magazine listed him as one of the 25 Most Powerful Hispanics in Hollywood.
-
22
He received an honorary degree in communications and his actual degree from the University of Texas, College of Communications in 2009.
-
23
Since 1998, he has held film rights to the comic Madman by Mike Allred; Allred helped him contact Frank Miller leading to Sin City.
-
24
He lives in Austin, Texas.
-
25
Rodriguez directed, shot, and edited a concert film for Del Castillo; he uses Castillo band members in his band Chingon, which played on the end credits of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 2004.
-
26
Two of his films, El Mariachi 1992 and Spy Kids 2001, have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
-
27
He set up a symphony orchestra in his garage to record the score for Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams 2002.
