You may not know him by his name, but I can assure you one look at Danny Trejo’s distinctive, familiar face, and you will say, “Oh! I know him from _________, and _________, and _________.” The list will go on and on.
Danny Trejo is an American actor of Mexican heritage, who usually portray criminal and villain roles on television and film. Trejo has long hair, a recognizable scarred face with lines, dons a long-thin mustache, and sports intimidating looking tattoos on his muscular body. Trejo has one famous, real large tattoo, about 24” long naturally inked on his chest of a woman wearing a sombrero. This particular tattoo has been shown in most of his movies.
Trejo is somewhat considered a “B” actor, but has been in more film, whether television or the big screen, than blockbuster studs Tom Cruise and Will Smith combined. The Mexican-American actor has been in so many movies, that he sometimes does not even remember what movies he’s done. Trejo will see a movie with himself in it, and innocently ask, “Was I in that?”
In 2002 alone, Trejo has done 9 films, (a number most primadonna actors could not even handle.) The tough-guy actor has even worked along mega stars like DeNiro, Pacino, Clooney, Keitel and Banderas.
The bad-guy roles come natural to the actor. Growing up in the poverty-stricken, rough neighborhood of Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, Trejo used to commit various crimes, abuse drugs and lived in and out of jail for years. The prolific actor even served time in the infamous San Quentin State Prison in California. Trejos’ criminal looks were molded by years in the penitentiary and growing up in the tough streets of Pacoima.
While roaming and just hanging out in the rough streets of his neighborhood, Trejo picked up his talent as a boxer, and even considered taking up boxing as a profession. Unfortunately, this ambition was sidelined by a long prison sentence. While serving time at San Quentin State Prison, Trejo became both a lightweight and welterweight California state prison boxing champion. Also, while in jail, the boxer-actor became a member of a twelve-step program, which Trejo credits his success in overcoming drug abuse.
In 1985, and after already serving time, Trejo meets a friend in the movie industry, who invites him to the set of “Runaway Train,” starring Eric Roberts, Jon Voight and Rebecca DeMornay, a movie about two escape convicts. Trejo gets offered a fitting “extra” role as a convict. Not only the Mexican-American actor gets a small role, but even teaches actor Eric Roberts to box.
25 years later, you can easily spot Trejo in three different cable movies on your television set, and in movie theaters. It does not end there; the rugged actor is still working and in production for upcoming 2011 and 2012 movies.
You can catch Danny Trejo in his current movie, “Machete,” which also stars Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez, now playing at theaters nationwide.
Did you know famed director Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo are related? Both film talents are cousins.
Comments