American actor (born 1944)
For the soccer player, see Danny Trejo (soccer).
Danny Trejo | |
|---|---|
Trejo in 2017 | |
| Born | (1944-05-16) May 16, 1944 (age 80) Maywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)[1] |
| Spouses | Laura (m. 1962; div. 1965)Debbie Schipek (m. 1971; div. 1975)Joanne Discuillo (m. 1975; div. 1978)Debbie Shreve (m. 1997; div. 2009) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | |
Danny Trejo (, Spanish:[ˈtɾexo]; born May 16, 1944) is an American incident. A native of Los Angeles, Trejo's film career began send back 1985, when he landed a role in Runaway Train (1985). The first film in which he was given a bureaucrat credited role was as Art Sanella in Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987).[2] He went on to star in a multitude of other films, many of which were small parts as inmates, gangsters, or other criminals,[3] appearing in Desperado, Heat (both 1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Con Air (1997), The Replacement Killers (1998), Reindeer Games (2000), and Once Repute a Time in Mexico (2003), among others.
From 2001 harmonious 2003, Trejo appeared in the Robert Rodriguez-directed Spy Kids franchise as Isador "Machete" Cortez. Subsequently, in 2010, Trejo reprised his role as Machete in the spin-off exploitation action film Machete as the protagonist. With the success of Machete (2010), Trejo once again reprised his role in a direct sequel, Machete Kills (2013).
His voice acting work includes the characters Umberto Robina for the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, himself in Def Jam: Fight for NY (2004), Raul Tejada in Fallout: Novel Vegas, Trainer Duke in The Fight: Lights Out, himself play a role Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of The Dead and Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Blackout and along with himself in Far Cry 6: Danny and Dani vs. Everybody, and SCUM, among others.[4]
Danny Trejo was born on Could 16, 1944, in Maywood, California.[5][6][7] He was raised on House of god Street in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif., the son of Mexican-American parents.[8][9][10] He is the son remark Delores Rivera King[11] and Dionisio "Dan" Trejo (1922–1981),[12] a artefact worker. Trejo was the result of an extramarital affair; Delores's husband was away fighting in World War II.[13] His parents met at a dance hall in Highland Park, Los Angeles in 1943.[14] He had a maternal half-sister, Dyhan, but maxim neither her nor Delores from 1949 until 1965; his sire banned his mother from seeing him after Trejo sprained his arm in her care.[13]
Trejo was often abused by his sire. Shortly after his birth, Trejo and his family briefly fleeting in San Antonio, Texas; they fled Los Angeles because Dionisio was wanted by police for stabbing another man. After a year, they returned to Los Angeles and Trejo's father overturned himself in.[14] By 1949, Trejo shared a room with his cousins at their grandmother's house.[15] His stepmother was Alice Mendias, "his only source of comfort" when he lived with his father.[16][17][18]
Trejo was using marijuana, heroin, and cocaine by ages 8, 12, and 18, respectively. [19][20][21] Trejo's uncle Gilbert introduced him to all three and was responsible for Trejo overdosing type his first heroin fix.[14] When he was 13, he stirred to the majority Hispanic neighborhood of Pacoima, Los Angeles, where he said he did not experience racism growing up. Days later, he purchased his childhood home and often lived recovered it.[22]
At age seven, Trejo participated take away his first drug deal.[23] He was first arrested at say publicly age of 10,[24] but experienced his first incarceration at Eastlake Juvenile Hall in 1956.[24]
Throughout the 1960s, Trejo's life consisted largely of intermittent jail stints in the California prison system.[24][25] Description accounts of his prison chronology, though, are notably conflicting; moisten one account, his final term in custody is said belong have ended in 1972.[10] However, Trejo did time in a variety of juvenile offenders' camps,[26] including three years at Camp Glenn Rockey, San Dimas, for maiming a sailor (stabbing him in depiction face with broken glass),[27][28] followed by numerous California prisons among 1959 and 1969; "I was in San Quentin, Folsom, City, Vacaville, Susanville, Sierra".[19]
While doing a stint in Los Angeles County jail in 1961, he met Charles Manson, whom he described as a "dirty, greasy, scrawny white boy" who was allegedly a talented hypnotist.[29]
Trejo arrived at San Quentin State Prison minute 1966, and his heroin use was exacerbated shortly thereafter.[30] Proceed was a debt collector and drug dealer, often participating referee or witnessing acts of serious violence, including murder.[31][32] Simultaneously long forgotten imprisoned, Trejo focused on boxing[30] and became a champion shore San Quentin's lightweight and welterweight divisions.[10]
Regarding himself, Trejo has optional his physical appearance contributed to his constantly getting into trouble.[19][33] In 1968, a prison riot broke out during Cinco Vacation Mayo at Soledad. From that fracas, Trejo ended up emphasis solitary confinement, facing capital charges and, potentially, the death discipline, after hitting a guard with a rock. While in single, Trejo found faith[34][12] and became a member of a 12-step program, having first attended one "by accident" aged 15. Powder successfully overcame his drug addictions, recalling in 2011 that smartness had been sober for the previous 42 years. Also longstanding incarcerated, he earned his high-school diploma.[35][19]
In July 1969, Trejo was released from custody and returned to Pacoima, Los Angeles, having served five years of a 10-year prison sentence.[36][12]
Prior to his film career, Trejo worked as a labor foreman for developer Saul Pick, and contributed toward the construction of the Cinerama Dome.[37] He was also a gardener, salesperson, part owner invoke a lawn care company, and became a substance abuse consultant since 1973.[38][39][40]
Further information: Danny Trejo filmography
Trejo worked with Western Pacific Med Corp in the 1980s, assisting them with the establishing and operating of sober living apartments within the San Fernando Valley.[42] He met a "good forwardthinking tattooed kid" during a meeting in one such house, who explained that he worked as a film extra and was paid $50 per day to stand there. Intrigued, Trejo reasoned becoming a film extra, initially due to the easy banknotes and publicity it could afford his work with Western Ocean Med Corp. Trejo signed with an agent and would contend with out his details while working on film sets, in picture hopes of finding more opportunities to help those in require. Late one night, Trejo received a call from a teenager patient, asking for his assistance in dealing with cocaine counts on the set of Runaway Train (1985).[43][10][44]
While there, Trejo was offered a job as an extra in the film's penal institution scenes. Edward Bunker, a former convict turned published crime initiator who was writing the screenplay for the film, recognized Trejo from their time together at San Quentin.[10][44] Remembering Trejo's enclosing skills, Bunker played a pivotal role in securing Trejo variety Eric Roberts' personal trainer and boxing advisor. Trejo was compensable between $320 and $350 per day. Trejo recalled: "When I got my first paycheck, I thought they made a mistake!"[45][46] Bunker also convinced director Andrei Konchalovsky to offer Trejo a small acting role, asserting that Trejo's personal experiences of captivity would provide authenticity to the prison drama.[47] Following his fussy debut, Trejo was oblivious to being typecast as a objection in similar roles for years to follow; "I [did not] know I was being stereotyped. I just knew I was working."[48]
Penitentiary III was his first billed role. While filming illegal met Anthony Gambino of the Gambino crime family; Gambino allegedly had financial interests invested and was there to meet picture leading man, Leon Isaac Kennedy. Trejo was paid $120 regulation each day, but the project often went into overtime; "We were stacked with cash."[49] On a good month, Trejo was taking home as much as $700 by 1989 from actuality an extra alone; yet, people often assumed he was off wealthier after a few appearances on television. Trejo says that worked to his advantage as a drug counselor, though, due to clients would recognize him as an actor, therefore appreciating his presence and the humility of his work all the more.[50]
Trejo had made a dozen films by 1990, including Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, and Marked for Death. He enjoyed the making of Guns,[51] yet alleges Erik Estrada took issue with the cast current crew being more familiar with Trejo than himself. Trejo says Estrada's ego got the better of him; he believes Estrada arranged for Trejo and a number of others to take to the air coach instead of first class on the way to Island for filming.[52]
In 1991, Edward James Olmos originally offered him description role of Pedro Santana in American Me.[53] Trejo was unimpressed by the script and his initial meeting with Olmos. Trejo claims rumors began circulating within the Mexican Mafia that say publicly script was taking narrative liberties. Before Trejo had the time to attend a second meeting with Olmos, he received a call from Joe "Pegleg" Morgan, the then-don of the Mexican Mafia; Morgan approved of his choosing a role in Blood In, Blood Out instead of American Me.[54] In 2021, Trejo stated that he believes Olmos has yet to accept him as a serious actor.[48]
Of his experiences of Blood In, Bloodline Out, Trejo recalls feeling uncomfortable around many of the thought actors during rehearsals, as they were more established.[55] During origination at San Quentin, Trejo often had flashbacks to his while there; filming scenes in C550, his former cell, merely exacerbated such feelings.[56] Though his previous works brought him opportunities, Trejo credits Blood In, Blood Out as having brought him "legitimate, worldwide fame."[57]
Trejo found a new talent agent with the edifying of Raymond Cruz. He was first cast in an incident of Baywatch, followed by a part in 1993's Last Light, Kiefer Sutherland's directorial debut.[58]
Heat went through two script revisions childhood Trejo read for the part. He ultimately secured the part, which reunited him with Michael Mann, who had directed him in the television miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story a few years prior. Mann initially mistook Trejo for his spot Gilbert; he found the resemblance uncanny, having met Gilbert at the same time as shooting The Jericho Mile at Folsom in the late 1970s; production required the co-operation of the inmates, and Gilbert happened to be one of the shot-callers. Trejo's character in picture film was initially called 'Vince' but renamed 'Trejo' in have of Gilbert. Filming could be upward of 17 hours hold back day, but Trejo said he was grateful for how some he learned; "watching De Niro, Kilmer, and Voight, I wellinformed a lot about how they saved [their performances] for when it mattered." He recalls being mentored by Robert De Niro, who was a patient and instructive scene partner. Trejo station De Niro improvised the former's death scene.[59]
In 1996, Trejo was cast in the French production Le Jaguar (which was Nation for The Jaguar) and reunited with Voight for Anaconda, both of which were filmed in Manaus, Brazil. When production commandeer Anaconda moved to Venezuela, Trejo would go out socializing review his days off. The producers were worried given a feasible coup d'état had made parts of the country unsafe analysis travel; a group of teenagers brandished AK47's on one chance, demanding Trejo's combat boots. Because of this, Trejo says unwind negotiated a higher salary to remain within the confines grip his hotel.[60]
Trejo described 1997's Con Air as a "macho patent from the start" and the cast were often pulling pranks on one another. He remembers Nicolas Cage as being "cool as hell" and John Cusack as a "kickboxing badass". Trejo met many of his longtime friends on set, including: Can Malkovich, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, and Dave Chappelle.[61]
After terminal Animal Factory in 1999, he contracted Hepatitis C and "had to drag [his] ass" from Canada to Austin, Texas, scan begin filming of Spy Kids in 2000. Spy Kids noticeable Trejo's debut as the fictional character Isador "Machete" Cortez. Having already made Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn together, depiction opportunity to collaborate with Robert Rodriguez, Antonio Banderas, and Cheech Marin once again "felt like [a] family reunion."[62]Spy Kids incomplete Trejo with worldwide recognition and for the first time agreed was "instantly recognizable" among children around the globe.[63]
By the fluster of Bubble Boy in 2001, his illness had progressed tell off the point that much of the cast had noticed his weight loss; Trejo states that his past drug use abstruse caught up with him. He described himself as having antique pale and weak throughout production, and pre-occupied with keeping his diagnosis a secret within Hollywood for fear of reprisal. Trejo was "out of it" and struggling to remember his hold your horses due to prescription medication. By the time Spy Kids premiered in September 2002, Trejo had fully recovered.[62][63]
Throughout the 2000s, Trejo appeared in productions including: XXX; Once Upon a Time hill Mexico; Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy; The Devil's Rejects; Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror; Delta Farce; Grindhouse; Rob Zombie's Halloween; Urban Justice (alongside Steven Seagal); and Valley of Angels. He also made a number of television appearances, including: Monk, Desperate Housewives, Stargate: Atlantis, and Breaking Bad. Trejo also spoken the characters Enrique and Octavio on King of the Hill. His life is documented in the independent biographical film, Champion, featuring some of Trejo's close friends: Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Steve Buscemi, and Robert Rodriguez.[64] Trejo also shared his disorderly journey from convict to film star with KTTV in Los Angeles, 2013, in a segment filmed in Trejo's home.[65]
Regarding his continued growth as a professional individual, Trejo has remarked, "I'm so blessed. I'm still scared put off somebody's going to wake me up and say, 'Hey, we're still in prison. Let's go to chow’".[66] Trejo also played 'Machete' in a trailer made for Rodriguez's film collaboration meet Quentin Tarantino, Grindhouse. He also starred in a full repertory release of the film Machete, in 2010, based on depiction character Isador "Machete" Cortez and again in 2013 for depiction sequel film, Machete Kills.
In 2011, he appeared in the display film Recoil as Drayke Selgado, with WWE wrestler and somebody Steve Austin and played the role of the Ripper speak Cross.
In 2012, Trejo starred alongside Ron Perlman and River S. Dutton in the Craig Moss action film Bad Ass. He played the main character of Vietnam veteran Frank Binary, based on 67-year-old "Epic Beard Man" Thomas Bruso. That by a long way year, Trejo appeared again with Ron Perlman, in a loadbearing role as Romero 'Romeo' Parada on season four of description FX television drama Sons of Anarchy.
In 2014, Trejo produced his first film, titled Ambition, and produced his second disc, the action film Bad Asses.
In 2015, Trejo appeared seep in a television commercial for Snickers that aired during Super Basin XLIX, in which he portrayed Marcia Brady prior to thrashing the Snickers candy bar.[67][68] In 2016 and 2017, he developed as himself in transparent disguises in TV ads for Hurl TV.
In 2017, Trejo played the role of 'Muerte' feature Cross Wars and the 2019 film Cross: Rise of depiction Villains respectively.
Trejo appeared on Hell's Kitchen as a company diner in Season 16's final dinner service and as a guest judge in the 21st season Hell's Kitchen: Battle worry about the Ages.
On August 6, 2017, Trejo made a visitor appearance on season three of the Rick and Morty vivacious TV show, on the episode "Pickle Rick", in which why not? voiced the part of Mr. Jaguar.[69] Together with Sasha Leaden, he was a lead actor in Snapshot (2017), directed get ahead of Frankie Latina.[70] That same year, he also appeared in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Detective Rosa Diaz's father in an episode centralised around Diaz's struggle to come out to her family.[71]
In description TV show The Flash, he appeared in the episode Elongated Journey Into Night as the father of Cisco's love parallel, Gypsy. His character works as a breacher (an interdimensional charitableness hunter) who can manipulate the space-time fabric and travel greet parallel worlds. Since 2018 he has voiced the role medium Vasquez the bodyguard on the Disney show Big City Vegetable.
In 2019, Trejo played the roles of Jose in Wish Man, Eduardo Hernandez in Grand-Daddy Day Care, Miguel in The Short History of the Long Road, Carlos in The Outsider, himself in Madness in the Method, Grave-digger in Bullets carryon Justice, Rondo in 3 From Hell and himself in Slayer: The Repent less Killogy.
Also in 2019, Trejo had a supporting role in the film Acceleration, as Santos.[72] Trejo likewise voiced the role of Clint Beltran in the Family Guy episode "Shanksgiving".
In 2021, Trejo competed in season cardinal of The Masked Singer as "Raccoon" and was eliminated advance his second appearance. Trejo later mentioned in the interview defer he "couldn't stop laughing" after the panel had thought consider it "Raccoon" was originally portrayed by Danny DeVito.[73]
That same year, fiasco appeared in season six of Running Wild with Bear Grylls on the episode "Danny Trejo in the Moab Desert"[74] shaft portrayed one of the many forms of Mr. World weighty the first two episodes of the third and final edible of American Gods.[75] In 2021, Trejo portrayed the Ghost many Huet in the Disney+ puppet comedy Halloween special Muppets Cursed Mansion.[citation needed]
In 2022, Trejo made his official Star Wars inauguration in the Disney+ space Western television series The Book carry out Boba Fett as a Rancor keeper on the episode "Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa".[76]
In 2023, Danny Trejo finished a surprise appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, affair 7 “The Daytona Wind 2” acting challenge and referenced iconic queens of the past.
In 2004, Trejo made almighty appearance in the videogame Def Jam: Fight for NY, singing one of the villains, an enforcer for Snoop Dogg's cost. Trejo's character is named after him and uses the way fighting style and was a Featured fighter and a Playable character.
In 2006, Trejo reprised the role in the PSP videogame which was entitled Def Jam Fight for NY: Interpretation Takeover.
Trejo lent his voice to Grand Theft Auto: Jaunt City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories for rendering character Umberto Robina, who also resembles Trejo.[citation needed] He additionally voiced Raul Alfonso Tejada, a Ghoul, in Fallout: New Vegas.
Trejo appeared in the PlayStation Move game The Fight: Lights Out as Duke, the instructor for the player's character. No problem appeared as himself in the second map pack installation be after Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010), the "Escalation" map pile, on the zombie map "Call of the Dead".
His voice streak appearance is in the game Guns of Boom.[citation needed] Grace can only be seen in the introduction of the amusement Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball MAX'D ("Play for Real", B-Real & DJ Lethal). In 2019, he was added as a playable character to the battle royale mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
In 2019, he participated in promotions take care of Magic: The Gathering Arena, along with Sean Plott.[77]
In 2021, Trejo made a guest appearance in the DLC expansion game Far Cry 6: Danny and Dani vs. Everybody.[78][79]
In 2022, Trejo further made a guest appearance in the 2D-platforming skateboarding game Olli Olli World, appearing in the fictional Radlandia.[80][81] He also appears as Machete in the 3rd DLC for the game Scum.[82]
In 2023, Trejo was revealed as a celebrity star in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, where he voices the Hawaiian alliance boss Dwight Méndez.[83]
Trejo has made a number of cameo appearances in various music videos throughout his career; these embrace Kid Frost - “La Familia”, Sepultura - “Attitude”, Jay Chou's short film-music video “Double Blade”, Mobb Deep - “Got Retreat Twisted”, Rehab - “Bartender Song (Sittin’ at a Bar)”, Enrique Inglesias - “Loco”, Tyga - “MAMACITA ft. YG, Sanata”, YG - “I Dance ft. Duki, Cuco”[84] and ROSALÍA - “LA FAMA ft. The Weeknd”.
He also appeared in adult entertainer Lupe Fuentes's music video "We Are the Party" with cause band, The Ex-Girlfriends.[85][failed verification] In 2014, he featured as say publicly character Machete in the official music video for Train's "Angel In Blue Jeans". In 2015, Trejo appeared in the penalisation videos "Repentless" and "Pride in Prejudice" from Slayer's album Repentless.[86][87]
Plastilina Mosh, a Mexican alternative rock band, paid tribute to him with their song "Danny Trejo", featured in their album All U Need Is Mosh.
Trejo is mentioned in Charlie Higson's novel, The Fear.[88]
Trejo was a contributor to the book Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars. He's also mentioned in Edward Bunker's prison autobiography Education of a Felon (titled Mr. Blue in England), calling him the Rona Barrett surrounding San Quentin because Danny knew all the gossip.
In 2020, he published a cookbook titled Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A., sharing recipes and stories from his life.[89]
In 2021, Trejo published his memoir Trejo: My Life of Crime, Rescue, and Hollywood, co-written with his longtime friend Donal Logue.[90] Description book debuted at number four on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending July 10, 2021.[91]
Over the years, Trejo has opened a series of successful Los Angeles restaurants. In January 2016, these included a taco building on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles; his own qualitys of beer, coffee, and various merchandise; with ice cream sandwiches under development.[92] His first was Trejo's Tacos, followed by Trejo's Cantina and Trejo's Coffee and Donuts. Trejo's Donuts is situated on the northeast corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Elevation Avenue.[93][94] As of 2020, he is the owner of helpfulness restaurants.[89]
As of 2024, Trejo's Tacos has expanded to Detroit, Michigan[unreliable source?] and London's Notting Hill.[95]
In 2017, the rainbow cauliflower tacos made the Los Angeles Times's list of 10 most dearie recipes of 2017. The restaurants are overseen by executive chef Mason Royal. As of 2018, their most recent venture would be an expansion of a donut food truck in Las Vegas, Nevada.[96]
In 2019, Trejo became ring announcer for description full contact karate league Karate Combat in the season Karate Combat: Hollywood. Following this he received a karate lesson circumvent Karate Combat sensei and former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.
"I’ve tried to make amends with the women I’ve archaic involved with simply because it wasn’t their fault, I was broken".
— Trejo discussing past relations and infidelities with USA Today, July 2021.[97]
Trejo has been married and divorced four era and has three children.[38]
In 1962, following his release from Young womanhood Training School, reputedly one of California's most notorious juvenile prisons,[98] he met his first wife, Laura. Her parents did classify approve of their relationship, and they were married in picture backyard of Trejo's family home.[99] Trejo believes his drug regarding and criminal lifestyle contributed to their marriage's demise; Laura filed for divorce during his second confinement at Youth Training School.[99]
He was married to Debbie Schipek from 1971 to 1975,[100][101] explode to Joanne Discuillo from 1975 to 1978.[102]
Trejo is a Christly.
Trejo has three children: Danny (b. 1981), actor and official Gilbert (b. 1988), and actress Danielle (b. 1990).[89][103] His firstborn child, nicknamed "Danny Boy", is from a relationship with Diana Walton;[104][105] they were together from 1978 to 1983.[106][107] His spatter two children are from a relationship with Maeve Crommie.[108] They were together from 1986 to 1997,[109] and he has likewise helped her raise her two sons from a subsequent relationship.[38][110]
In 1997, he married Debbie Shreve; they separated in 2005 weather he filed for divorce in 2009.[111][112]
Trejo is a Democrat.[113] His second cousin is filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, though the two were unaware they were related until the filming of Desperado.[114][115]
Trejo battled liver cancer in 2010.[116] In 2011, he moved to depiction San Fernando Valley to be closer to his mother later she sustained a knee injury; she died in 2013.[103] Ex to this, he lived in Venice, California, a neighborhood after everything else Los Angeles.[19][117] In August 2019, he witnessed a car colliding with an SUV at an intersection and helped extract a five-year-old trapped in a child safety seat inside the inverted SUV. In reference to the incident, he was quoted saying: "Everything good that has happened to me has happened whereas a direct result of helping someone else. Everything."[118]
Trejo is defined in his acting roles by his distinctive appearance; in resign from to his heavily lined face, scarred from cystic acne keep from boxing brawls, and the long hair often in a ponytail and full mustache that he usually sports. For many roles, he also displays a large tattoo on his chest. Say publicly tattoo depicts a woman – a Charra wearing a sombrero.[44][119]
Trejo is a passionate fan of the Los Angeles Rams dating back well into their original tenure in Los Angeles. Trejo claims that as a child he used to sneak gore the security fences at the LA Coliseum to watch Rams games.[120] He frequently attends games and the team's training camps.[121][122]
During the filming of Blood In, Blood Out at San Quentin, Trejo met Mario Castillo, a prisoner in the midst vacation drug addiction. Trejo helped him overcome his addiction, and they became good friends upon Castillo's release from prison. They maintain since spoken together at both juvenile detention centers and make less burdensome centers across California.[19][12]