Danny Trejo (born 1944) is a character actor who has appeared in many Hollywood movies. Trejo is a native of the Los Angeles area of Echo Park.
Trejo's life as a youngster wasn't easy: He roamed the streets around his home area while committing various crimes, and he became an drug user. He went in and out of jail many times as a teenager, accused of different crimes.
While on the streets, Trejo developed talent as a boxing fighter. At an early point of his life, he considered becoming a professional boxer in the future. While in the San Quentin jail, he became the California state jails champion at both the Lightweight and Welterweight categories. His hopes to become a professional boxer were dashed, however, by a long sentence he was given for a crime. In 1981, his son, Danny Boy, was born.
In 1985, he was attended a Cocaine Anonymous meeting, where he spoke of his personal experiences and met a young person who was involved in the movie business and wanted to befriend Trejo. Trejo later met his newly found friend at the set of the movie Runaway Train\. Not having any desire to become an actor at the time, Trejo still accepted a job as an extra in the movie. The screenwriter from that movie recognized Trejo: They had done time together at San Quentin. Remembering Trejo's boxing skills, he asked Trejo to train one of the movie's stars, Eric Roberts, for 350 dollars a day, so that Roberts could develop boxing skills himself to play his character in the movie. in 1988 his second son, Gilbert, was born.
That is when the movie's director, Andrei Konchalovski, decided to offer Trejo a job as a main actor in the movie. Trejo's life would change forever: Realizing he did not need crime to make a living, he decided to stick with acting. Subsequently, he has shared the silver screen with a list of Hollywood's most famous actors, including Nicholas Cage, Charles Bronson, Jennifer Lopez, Edward Furlong, Tyra Banks, Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas.
In 1994, his third child and first daughter, Danielle, was born.
Trejo expressed at an interview with a magazine that he is amazed when he walks the streets where he used to commit crimes and has children ask him for autographs. He also pointed out that, most of the time, he chooses to play the characters of bad guys at the movies he participates, to teach young children that bad guys die.
He is married to Debbie Trejo. He is the cousin of dorector Robert Rodriguez.
Trejo has acted in 74 movies.
