Tacos, autism and kissing: 10 facts about Danny Trejo (12 photos)

His track record includes almost 400 films and 11 years in prison. On he has a scar on his chin from being hit by a car jack. He wanted bring coffee to De Niro, but he refused because he was too admired. Hundreds of people are praying for him.





When Danny Trejo Plays Scary Bandits, He Doesn't Play

Danny Trejo was born in 1944 in Los Angeles - in a very poor family and not in the best area. Options for the development of events for the beggar there were exactly two people from Mexico: either Danny would push drugs, or steal, or both. And he had a dream - a boxing school. From the age of eight, he was a sparring partner for his cousin, thanks to who somehow learned to defend himself, otherwise the guy who was much older, would just blow his brains out. To stand against A 13-year-old in the ring, one must have talent, will and strength. All this was in excess (over time, Danny was awarded the nickname "Knockout"), but money for he could not collect payment for classes in a normal gym.



The result was natural. Danny used to break into cars first stole small things, and over the years switched to robberies, including with weapons. At the age of 17, his own uncle suggested Trejo to sell drugs, and at gave him heroin as a stimulus. With this heroin, Danny got caught. To him remembered all the good deeds that were found in the police records, and planted. Initially, the term was short - but since Danny got involved in all prison fights, and even tried to escape, he sat for 11 years. Almost all these years he continued to inject, but became a champion boxing in each of the nine prisons in which he was imprisoned.



His reputation was such that when, during a riot in 1968 Trejo attacked the police, no one who saw this fight The prisoners did not testify. Everyone wanted to live. That's the only reason why ended only in a punishment cell, and Danny thought hard about his behavior. One of the prisoners who was in prison for the massacre gave him a good advice:

"Learn to control yourself, otherwise, even if you get out of here, you will kill someone in the ring."

Trejo obeyed and quit drugs at the same time, signing up for rehabilitation program. Instead, Danny began to train a lot, he he rocked wherever he could: in the cell, in the yard, in the toilet. In 1972 in At the age of 28, he was finally released, intending to do everything efforts to never go back.

Trejo got into movies thanks to drugs, prison connections and luck

On freedom, he did the same thing that his father did - he went to work at a construction site and even became a foreman. At the same time, Danny attended meetings Alcoholics Anonymous, so as not to sit on the needle and start drinking again. His progress in the program was decent: he became the curator of a person who worked on the set of the film and had a serious problem with cocaine. A curator in the program is assigned to each newcomer to help him pass all 12 steps to get rid of addiction and not break loose, but the ward Trejo had every chance: in 1985, cocaine on the set did not use only lazy. Danny came to the site to reason with the guy with a kind in a word, and met Eddie Bunker there.



Bunker went about the same way as Trejo: a small theft, robbery, drug dealing, check forgery and eventually jail time. They met in St. Quentin, where Danny became a champion in welterweight. Only Bunker, shaking his 18 years, did not take up boxing, but started writing books. In 1977, based on his novel "Man is a wolf to man" filmed with Dustin Hoffman. Bunker, who was released, decided to time to leave major prose and take up scripting and consulting directors who made crime films. For one of these films the name "Runaway Train" and hit Trejo. Eddie Bunker Impressed scars, tattoos and luxurious physical form, offered him shooting in extras and, according to an old acquaintance, a job as a coach for Eric Roberts for $320 per day. True, he asked to be more careful with the star.

Danny was ready for anything for that kind of money - at least show accuracy, at least send a knockout with one blow. They With Roberts started training, and Andrei Konchalovsky saw it.



“He saw that Roberts respects me and does everything what will I say. With Eric, so few succeeded. Andrew called me and said that I would star in his film,I will play that bandit with which Roberts fights. It was the first movie in my life,” says Danny Trejo.

Konchalovsky on the same day sent him to write a statement to actors' union is a necessary condition in order to work for filming as an actor. The union was denied because Trejo was just some guy off the street who came to help another man to refrain from drug use. Then Konchalovsky dealt with the issue himself, and Trejo received the necessary documents, and at the same time found a good friend.

Further, Danny has already worked steadily in crime films: useful connections and life experience helped a lot. As in a similar situation, Jason Statham said, “I didn’t even have to play.” The directors received, as they say, two in one: Trejo and consulted, like De Niro on what an armed robbery looks like, and in the frame with its brutal appearance fit in without problems.

Trejo's tattoo is officially recognized as the most famous in the world

Did this tattoo from 1964 to 1967. In Saint Quentin with Trejo sat a certain Harry - Super-Jew - Ross. He is such a nickname honored, because, firstly, he managed to get into prison, when all Jews were thought to be smart, wealthy, and hire lawyers. Second, Harry was relatively small in stature, but distinguished by a huge physical strength, so he was respected for more than just skill.



Danny wanted a tattoo, Harry did not refuse and started working, but Here Trejo was transferred to Folsom Prison. After some time, he was there. and Harry Ross. Work resumed—until the race riot broke out. soil, in which Danny took an active part. Then he was transferred to Soledad, and Ross, saying goodbye, told Trejo not to let anyone touch a tattoo he wanted to finish himself. When Trejo got into the movies his luxurious tattoo was shown in about 180 films, plus shooting for magazines. Professional international magazine Tattoo Art magazine held a vote and named a woman in a sombrero on Danny Trejo's chest the most famous in the world.

Danny Trejo enjoys working with women

"If you stand between Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, when they talk, you get electrocuted, so a lot of energy between them. They can write a movie in 10 minutes."

So said Danny Trejo in one of the interviews - and in it admitted that he was very comfortable working with a woman director, because "sometimes there's too much testosterone in the damn industry."



He got the experience of such work on the set of Snoop's Terror Quarter. Dogga, a horror comedy directed by Stacey Title. Danny I liked working with Snoop Dogg: he, by virtue of his biography, did not belong to rappers who are very puffed up, trying to portray the cool. And to him liked Title, who trusted his instincts and knew how to extinguish irritation on the site - and there was a lot of irritation, since Trejo, for example, started the day by sitting in the dressing room for more than two hours, acquiring nightmarish teeth and an even creepier appearance than usual. Work on horror movie is a long and hard process, so Danny I liked that he was in command of someone who seemed to be not in command at all.

“Stacy knows what she wants. She is a master achieve your goal without any aggression. When we worked together it was more like entertainment than filming,” Trejo said.

Trejo kissed Jessica Alba

Trejo always calls "Machete" his favorite movie because that Michelle Rodriguez jumped on him, and he also kissed Jessica Alba. Of course, it's also his favorite movie, because Robert Rodriguez promised Machete to Trejo since the fake trailer for Grindhouse.

Many said that they want such a movie in its entirety, Trejo more wanted such a movie, and, importantly, Rodriguez himself wanted such movie that would have "Mexican Jean-Claude Van Damme or Charles Bronson."



By the way, if you want more facts about Machete, it was Danny's mom's favorite movie. He begged her not to look, because there debauchery and blood, but she looked anyway. And she liked everything!

Danny Trejo is trying to help everyone he can get his hands on.

He always said that he got out of prison only by grace. God's and, accordingly, had to devote part of his life to helping other people. Trejo gained a lot of experience in Alcoholics Anonymous work with drug addicts. He does not quit this job even now and constantly donates money to charity. Actually, acting career, point