Danny Trejo: How a convicted felon became an iconic Hollywood action star
From San Quentin to the silver screen, Danny Trejo’s incredible rise to fame.
Danny Trejo’s journey from prison inmate to action star is one of the most unexpected success stories in Hollywood. Before becoming the gritty, tattooed icon known for roles in 'Machete’, 'Desperado’, and 'Breaking Bad’, Trejo lived a rough life, spending years in and out of California’s most notorious prisons. His rise to fame? A complete accident, one that started with a random phone call and a tattoo that caught the right person’s attention.
A troubled past: crime, prison, and redemption
Trejo grew up in Los Angeles, where he was introduced to crime and drugs at an early age. By his teens, he was already involved in armed robberies and drug deals, leading to multiple stints in juvenile detention centers. His criminal activities escalated, and by the 1960s, he found himself serving time in San Quentin, Soledad, and Folsom prisons.
Inside prison, Trejo became a champion boxer, earning respect among inmates. But his turning point came when he decided to leave crime behind and become a drug counselor, helping others escape the life he once lived.
Reflecting on his past, Trejo once said:“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.”
Hollywood by accident: how a tattoo changed everything
Trejo’s entry into Hollywood was pure chance. In 1985, a friend invited him to the set of 'Runaway Train’, promising free cocaine. Instead of drugs, Trejo found himself surrounded by actors and filmmakers. His prison tattoos immediately caught the attention of the crew, and when asked if he could act like a convict, he famously replied:
“I’ve been doing it for free my whole life... of course I can.”
That moment led to a chain reaction: Trejo was recognized by Eddie Bunker, a former inmate turned screenwriter, who remembered him from San Quentin’s boxing matches. Bunker offered Trejo a job training Eric Roberts in boxing, paying $320 a day, a life-changing amount compared to the $160 a week he had been making before.
“When I was starting to get famous, a good friend of mine told me, ‘The whole world can think you’re a movie star, but you can’t’. I don’t want to be a movie star. I want to be a good actor”, he once told the BBC.
From extra to action star
Trejo’s ability to control Roberts in the ring impressed director Andrei Konchalovsky, who immediately cast him in the film. That role earned Trejo his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card, opening the doors to more movie roles.
Over the years, Trejo became Hollywood’s go-to tough guy, appearing in hundreds of films and TV shows, including:
- Heat (1995)
- Desperado (1995)
- Con Air (1997)
- Spy Kids (2001)
- Breaking Bad (2009)
His signature look, combined with his real-life criminal past, made him one of the most recognizable faces in action cinema.
Danny Trejo’s story is a testament to second chances and unexpected opportunities. From prison yards to movie sets, his journey proves that redemption is possible, and sometimes, all it takes is being in the right place at the right time.
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