About
| Birth Name: | Dan Trejo |
| Birth Notes: | 16 May 1944, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Height: | 5' 7" |
| Nicknames: | The Mayor |
| Family: | * Debbie Trejo (12 December 1997 - present) (filed for divorce); 2 children |
| Biography: | A child drug addict and criminal, Danny Trejo was in and out of jail for 11 years. While serving time in San Quentin, he won the lightweight and welterweight boxing titles. Imprisoned for armed robbery and drug offenses, he successfully completed a 12-step rehabilitation program that changed his life. While speaking at a Cocaine Anonymous meeting in 1985, Trejo met a young man who later called him for support. Trejo went to meet him at what turned out to be the set of Runaway Train (1985). Trejo was immediately offered a role as a convict extra, probably because of his tough tattooed appearance. Also on the set was a screenwriter who did time with Trejo in San Quentin. Remembering Trejo's boxing skills, the screenwriter offered him $350 per day to train the actors for a boxing match. Director Andrey Konchalovskiy saw Trejo training Eric Roberts and immediately offered him a featured role as Roberts' opponent in the film. Trejo has subsequently appeared in many other films, usually as a tough criminal or villain. |
Filmography
| 13 Moons (2002) as Hoodlum #2 |
| Anaconda (1997) as Poacher |
| Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) as Bartender |
| Animal Factory (2000) as Vito |
| Boston Girls (2010) as Uncle Reggie |
| Cage (1989) as Costello's Bodyguard |
| Chasing Ghosts (2005) as Carlos Santiago |
| Con Air (1997) as Johnny 'Johnny-23' Baca |
| Eyeborgs (2009) as G-Man |
| From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) as Razor Charlie |
| Furnace (2006) as Fury |
| Grindhouse (2007) as Machete (segment "Machete") |
| Halloween (2007) as Ismael Cruz |
| Heat (1995) as Trejo |
| Heckler (2007) as Himself |
| Hood of Horror (2006) as Derelict |
| Justin Time (2010) as Mardok |
| Lock Up (1989) as Chink's Gang Member |
| Lonely Hearts (1991) as Angry Client |
| Machete (2010) as Machete |
| Necessary Evil (2008) as Barro |
| Nightstalker (2002) as Officer Frank Luis |
| Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) as Cucuy |
| Penitentiary III (1987) as See Veer |
| Planet Terror (2007) as Machete |
| Point Blank (1998) as Wallace |
| Predators (2010) as Cuchillo |
| Saint John of Las Vegas (2009) as Junkyard worker |
| Seven Mummies (2006) as Apache |
| SherryBaby (2006) as Dean Walker |
| Six Days Seven Nights (1998) as Pierce |
| Smiley Face (2007) as Albert |
| Spy Kids (2001) as Machete |
| Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) as Machete |
| Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) as Machete |
| The Art of Travel (2008) as Limo Driver |
| The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) as Harold |
| The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) as Boss Rico |
| The Hidden (1987) as Prisoner |
| The Killing Jar (2010) as Jimmy |
| The Salton Sea (2002) as Little Bill |
| Through the Valley (2008) as Don Reyes |
| Toxic (2008) as Antoine |
| Trojan War (1997) as Scarface |
| Valley of Angels (2008) as Hector |
| Venice Underground (2005) as Papi |
| xXx (2002) as El Jefe |
| 'A' gai wak (1983) as Lor Sam Pau |
| 3V Man (2009) as Captain Podrido |
| 51.50 (2004) |
| A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011) |
| Alcatraz Prison Escape: Deathbed Confession (2010) as Narrator |
| All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005) as Vargas Diaz |
| Ambition (2011) as Ricky Mejia |
| An Eye for Talent (1998) as Fred |
| Beat the Devil (2002) as Bob |
| Blacktino (2011) as Rogelio |
| Bound by Honor (1993) as Geronimo |
| Bro' (2011) as Gilbert |
| Bubble Boy (2001) as Slim |
| Bulletproof (1988) as Sharkey |
| Champion (2005) as Himself |
| Champions (1998) as Max Brito |
| Child's Play (2011) as Paulie |
| Chinaman's Chance (2008) as Manolo |
| Cowboy Dreams (2009) as Lobo |
| Criminal Passion (1994) as Construction Worker |
| Cross (2010) as Lexavier |
| Cuenta saldada (2000) as Secuestrador 1 |
| D.O.P.E. (2008) as Narrator |
| Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006) as Hector |
| Dark Games (2010) as Archie |
| Dead Badge (1995) as El Tango Bartender |
| Death Race 2 (2011) as Goldberg |
| Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) as Art Sanella |
| Delta Farce (2007) as Carlos Santana |
| Desperado (1995) as Navajas |
| Dilemma (1997) as Rudy Salazar |
| Do It for Uncle Manny (2002) as Pedro |
| Doppelganger (1993) as Hard Hat |
| Double Blade (2003) as El Patron |
| Dreaming on Christmas (2005) as Train Driver |
| Fanboys (2008) as The Chief |
| Femme Fatale (1991) as Toshi |
| Food Stamps (2010) as Mr. Fernandez |
| Guns (1990) as Tong |
| Inferno (1999) as Johnny Six Toes |
| Jack's Law (2006) as Jack Santos |
| Jake's Corner (2008) as Clint |
| Juan Frances: Live (2008) as E.J. |
| Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989) as Prison inmate |
| La linea (2009) as Mario |
| Le jaguar (1996) as Kumare |
| Lean Like a Cholo (2010) as The O.G. |
| Legends (2012) as Legend |
| Living the Dream (2006) as Chuck |
| Los Locos (1997) as Manuel Batista |
| Lost (2004) as Edward James Archer |
| Love, Cheat & Steal (1993) as Cuban |
| Lunar Effect (2009) as Esteban |
| Maniac Cop 2 (1990) as Prisoner |
| Marked for Death (1990) as Hector |
| Mi vida loca (1993) as Frank |
| Modus Operandi (2009) as Director Holiday |
| Nice Guys (2006) as Shady |
| North by El Norte (2010) as Uncle John |
| Official Rejection (2009) as Himself |
| On Bloody Sunday (2007) as The Ref |
| Pastor Shepherd (2010) as Phil Harrison |
| Perfectus (2011) |
| Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury (2011) as Caesar |
| Propensity (2006) as Roy |
| Raggedy Anne (2010) as The Gun Shop Owner |
| Ranchero (2008) as Capone |
| Reindeer Games (2000) as Jumpy |
| Richard III (2008) as Major |
| Runaway Train (1985) as Boxer |
| Sex Crimes (1992) as Palmer |
| Shadows in Paradise (2010) as Matador |
| Shoot the Hero (2010) as Crazy Joe |
| Simplicity (2002) as Barber |
| Six Days in Paradise (2010) as Ruben Skinner |
| Six Shots of Tequila (1999) |
| Skinny Dip (2011) |
| Skippy (2001) as Hitman |
| Soundman (1998) as Duce's Father |
| Sunset Grill (1993) as Young Mexican |
| Take Back (2012) as Bang Bang |
| Taphephobia (2006) as Creek |
| Tennis, Anyone...? (2005) as Hector |
| Terra (2007) as Elder Barum |
| The Big Empty (2003) as Lt. Gates |
| The Bill Collector (2010) as Frankie Gutierrez |
| The Blue Rose (2007) as Junk |
| The Boys of Ghost Town (2009) as Father |
| The Curse of El Charro (2005) as El Charro |
| The Dead Cage (2010) as Tiny |
| The Devil Inside (2010) as Mondo |
| The Devil's Rejects (2005) as Rondo |
| The Grind (2009) as Nicholi Guzman |
| The Human Factor (2011) as John |
| The Hunchback (2011) as Gypsy |
| The Last Hour (1991) as Spider |
| The Lazarus Papers (2010) as Aroon |
| The No Sit List (2008) as Clyde/The Guard |
| The Replacement Killers (1998) as Collins |
| The Stranger (1995) as Hawk |
| Turned Out: Sexual Assault Behind Bars (2004) as Himself |
| TV: The Movie (2006) |
| Vengeance (2010) |
| Vengeance II (2012) as Jack |
| Victor One (1994) as Sergeant Aguilar |
| Victory to the Underdog (2009) as Danny Trejo |
| Violet & Daisy (2011) |
| We Gotta Get Buscemi (2009) as Himself |
| Wedlock (1991) as Tough Prisoner #1 |
| Whiteboyz (1999) as Prisoner |
| Whore (1991) as Tattoo Artist |
Trivia
|
* A scarred face, a long, thin moustache, and a muscular body with large tattoos render Trejo one of the most distinctive character actors of our time. * Has two sons: Danny Boy (b. 1981) from an earlier marriage, Gilbert Trejo(b. 1988) and one daughter Danielle (b. 1994). * He is one of the most prolific of American actors, having usually done at least 4 films a year since the 1990s. In 2002 alone, he did 9 films. * His character's name in Heat (1995) was Trejo. * Is the only actor to appear in all three of the From Dusk Till Dawn movie series. * Trejo spent much of the 1960s in California prisons--Tracy (1963-65), San Quentin (1965-68), Soledad (1968-69). * He and director Robert Rodriguez are second cousins. * His characters in the films of Robert Rodriguez are usually named after knives: Desperado (1995) (Navajas), the From Dusk Till Dawn trilogy (Razor Charlie), the Spy Kids trilogy (Machete), the Grindhouse (2007) trailer (Machete), Predators (2010) (Cuchillo), Machete (2010) (Machete again). Only in Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) (Cucuy) is this not the case. |
Quotes
|
* [of on-set competition between actors] I've watched so many of those kinds of things turn bad, and the last thing you want to do is compete with somebody, 'cause he might be a sore loser. * [on being promoted from a $50/day extra to a $350/day boxing coach] How bad do you want this kid beat up? * [after being told an actor he was supposed to hit might hit back] For $350 a day, give him a bat. I used to get beat up for free. * Juvenile hall, youth authority . . . I was in a lot of trouble. I grew up like the characters I've been playing. But would I do things differently? I honestly believe that circumstances create destiny, almost. There weren't too many ways I could have done things. The only things that were available to me were either be a laborer or be a drug dealer. So I became an armed robber. It was a lot simpler. * I'll be watching TV and all of a sudden I'll think, "Hey, I'm in this!" A lot of times I don't even know the names of [the movies]. I just show up. From 1985, when I first started, to 1990, I did a shitload of B-movies about prisons. They would always say, "Get that Mexican guy with the big tattoo". I'd show up and I'd have one line, like, "Kill 'em all!" or something. * I'd have to say my favorite film would be Heat (1995) and it's got me out of many tickets. * It was the funniest thing I'd ever heard. I'd been in Soledad, San Quentin, Folsom, Vacaville, Susanville, Sierra--and here's a guy asking, "Can you act like a convict?" I remember I said. "I'll give it a shot". * I'm an ex-con turned icon. |
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