Actor Benicio Del Toro says the reason he decided to co-star opposite Alicia Silverstone in the upcoming comedy "Excess Baggage" had a lot to do with money.

"I was quite broke man, really," he said. "I did 'Basquiat' and 'The Usual Suspects.' I worked for nothing. I had $3,000 when I went to New York, and when I came back I didn't have anything. Then I did 'The Funeral,' and that wasn't much (money). When 'Excess Baggage' came around, it was, like, we'll take it and try to have fun."

Del Toro, who's gained a ton of weight for his Dr. Gonzo role for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (Johnny Depp co-stars), did express gratitude to Silverstone, who also produced "Baggage," for fighting for him when studio execs wanted a bigger-name actor.

"Alicia was nice to work with artistically. All producers should study acting."

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