
Benicio Del Toro's Script Sparks TSA Drama on Flight!
2025-06-08
Author: Ken Lee
In a bizarre twist worthy of a movie script, Benicio Del Toro, famed for his collaborations with Wes Anderson, found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during a mundane airport security check.
While making his way from Boston to Los Angeles, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that the screenplay for his latest film, "The Phoenician Scheme," raised some eyebrows at TSA. Del Toro recounted the incident on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," sharing that he was flagged after failing to remove his laptop from his carry-on.
The TSA agent, eyeing Del Toro's bag, insisted on a thorough inspection. "I had my scripts in there, and I usually make the headings larger for quick access," he explained. But as fate would have it, the opening scenes of the script read like a thriller, starting with "Interior Airplane: Bomb" followed by "Interior Cockpit: Eject the Pilot" and then simply, "Crash." It was a recipe for alarm!
As the agent read through the script, Del Toro, perhaps concerned about the potential mix-up, clarified, "It's just a film script!" The agent raised a finger to signal for help, and before long, five more TSA officers were gathered around, all intrigued by the screenplay's alarming content. Fortunately, Del Toro's luck turned when the supervisor, who seemingly recognized him from films like "Sicario" and "Traffic," came to the rescue, ultimately allowing him to proceed.
Despite the frightful experience, Del Toro later expressed his appreciation for the agent's diligence, stating, "I give that guy a thumbs up because he was paying attention." In a light-hearted moment, they even joked about how things could’ve escalated if the TSA had let him go without a second look.
Currently, "The Phoenician Scheme," Anderson's 13th feature, is captivating audiences in theaters. In the film, Del Toro plays Zsa-zsa Korda, a rich businessman caught in a deadly chase after naming his nun daughter, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as the sole heir to his fortune. Just another day in Hollywood!