Danny Trejo

Born:May 16, 1944

Place of Birth:Los Angeles, California, USA

Known For:Acting

Biography

With a rugged exterior that matches his tough on-screen persona, Danny Trejo has carved out a unique niche for himself in Hollywood as the go-to actor for playing menacing villains and gritty anti-heroes. Born on May 16, 1944, in Los Angeles, California, Trejo's journey to stardom was far from conventional.

Before finding success in acting, Trejo had a tumultuous past that included struggles with addiction and incarceration. However, his life took a turn when he discovered his passion for boxing while serving time in San Quentin State Prison. This newfound interest not only helped him turn his life around but also paved the way for his future career in Hollywood.

Trejo's distinctive features, including his trademark mustache and numerous tattoos, have made him instantly recognizable on screen. His tough demeanor and gravelly voice add to the authenticity of his portrayals, making him a standout in any role he takes on. Collaborating frequently with director Robert Rodriguez, Trejo has delivered memorable performances in films like "Machete" and "Desperado," solidifying his status as a cult favorite in the action genre.

One of Trejo's most iconic roles came in Michael Mann's crime thriller "Heat," where he portrayed a menacing henchman opposite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. His ability to bring depth and complexity to even the most ruthless characters has earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated fan following. Despite often being typecast as a villain, Trejo's versatility as an actor shines through in roles that showcase his range beyond just being the bad guy.

Beyond his on-screen persona, Trejo is also known for his philanthropic efforts and community work. He has been actively involved in outreach programs aimed at helping at-risk youth and former prison inmates, drawing from his own experiences to inspire others to make positive changes in their lives. Trejo's commitment to giving back to his community reflects a depth of character that goes beyond his tough exterior.

In addition to his film work, Trejo has also ventured into the culinary world with his own chain of restaurants, appropriately named "Trejo's Tacos." His passion for food and cooking has allowed him to explore another creative outlet outside of acting, further showcasing his multi-faceted talents. Despite his busy schedule in Hollywood, Trejo remains grounded and connected to his roots, finding joy in sharing his love for Mexican cuisine with others.

With a career spanning decades and over 300 film credits to his name, Danny Trejo has become a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. His enduring appeal lies not only in his on-screen presence but also in his authenticity as a person. Whether he's playing a hardened criminal or a reluctant hero, Trejo brings a raw intensity to his performances that captivates audiences and cements his status as a true Hollywood icon.

Images

Filmography

Acting

xXx

El Jefe

2002

Xander Cage is your standard adrenaline junkie with no fear and a lousy attitude. When the US Government "recruits" him to go on a mission, he's not exactly thrilled. His mission: to gather information on an organization that may just be planning the destruction of the world, led by the nihilistic Yorgi.

Despicable Me 4

Stronghold (voice) (Uncredited)

2024

Gru and Lucy and their girls—Margo, Edith and Agnes—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, forcing the family to go on the run.

Heat

Trejo

1995

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Stronghold (voice)

2022

A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them, with the backup of his followers, the Minions.

Predators

Cuchillo

2010

A group of cold-blooded killers find themselves trapped on an alien planet to be hunted by extraterrestrial Predators.

Con Air

"Johnny-23"

1997

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules

Janitor Steve Garcia

2020

It's Senior year at East Great Falls. Annie, Kayla, Michelle, and Stephanie decide to harness their girl power and band together to get what they want their last year of high school.

From Dusk Till Dawn

Razor Charlie

1996

After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

El Diablo

2020

When his best friend Gary is suddenly snatched away, SpongeBob takes Patrick on a madcap mission far beyond Bikini Bottom to save their pink-shelled pal.

Anaconda

Poacher

1997

A 'National Geographic' film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who takes them along on his quest to capture the world's largest — and deadliest — snake.

Storks

Jasper (voice)

2016

Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl...

The Book of Life

Skeleton Luis (voice)

2014

The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Boots (voice)

2019

Dora, a girl who has spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, now must navigate her most dangerous adventure yet: high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego, and a rag tag group of teens on an adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.

Spy Kids

Machete

2001

Carmen and Juni think their parents are boring. Little do they know that in their day, Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez were the top secret agents from their respective countries. They gave up that life to raise their children. Now, the disappearances of several of their old colleagues forces the Cortez' return from retirement. What they didn't count on was Carmen and Juni joining the "family business."

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Bartender

2004

It's the 1970s and San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy is the top dog in local TV, but that's all about to change when ambitious reporter Veronica Corningstone arrives as a new employee at his station.

Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue

Laurence (voice)

2024

Family frenemies, Gracie and Pedro, must put their differences aside, embarking on a thrilling quest packed with perilous escapades in order to reunite with their owners.

Desperado

Navajas

1995

El Mariachi plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho, for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his friend and a beautiful bookstore owner, El Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves his own trail of blood.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Cucuy

2003

A corrupt CIA agent Sands hires hitman El Mariachi to assassinate a Mexican general hired by a drug kingpin attempting a coup d'état of the President of Mexico.

Halloween

Ismael Cruz

2007

The early years of young Michael Myers and the events leading up to his fateful Halloween night murder rampage in the quiet town of Haddonfield, Illinois.

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

Machete

2003

Carmen's caught in a virtual reality game designed by the Kids' new nemesis, the Toymaker. It's up to Juni to save his sister, and ultimately the world.

Machete

2010

After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.

Lock Up

Chink's Gang Member

1989

Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.

Death Race 2

Goldberg

2010

In the world's most dangerous prison, a new game is born: Death Race. The rules of this adrenaline-fueled blood sport are simple, drive or die. When repentant convict Carl Lucas discovers there's a price on his head, his only hope is to survive a twisted race against an army of hardened criminals and tricked-out cars.

Inferno

Johnny Six Toes

1999

Eddie Lomax is a drifter who has been in a suicidal funk since the death of his close friend Johnny. Riding his motorcycle into a small desert town where Johnny once lived, Lomax is confronted by a gang of toughs, who beat him and steal his bike. However, Lomax is not a man to take an injustice lying down, and soon he begins exacting a violent revenge on the men who stole his motorcycle, with local handyman Jubal Early lending a hand and several area ladies offering aid and comfort.

Death Race: Beyond Anarchy

Goldberg

2018

Black Ops specialist Connor Gibson infiltrates a maximum security prison to take down legendary driver Frankenstein in a violent and brutal car race.

Planet Terror

Machete

2007

Two doctors find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by sores. Among the wounded is Cherry Darling, a dancer whose leg was ripped from her body. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors, Cherry and her ex-boyfriend El Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

Uncle Machete

2011

Eight years after the third film, the OSS has become the world's top spy agency, while the Spy Kids department has since become defunct. Retired spy Marissa is called back into action, and to bond with her new stepchildren Rebecca and Cecil, she invites them along to stop the evil Timekeeper from taking over the world.

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams

Machete

2002

Exploring the further adventures of Carmen and Juni Cortez, who have now joined the family spy business as Level 2 OSS agents. Their new mission is to save the world from a mad scientist living on a volcanic island populated by an imaginative menagerie of creatures. On this bizarre island, none of the Cortez's gadgets work and they must rely on their wits--and each other--to survive and save the day.

The Ridiculous 6

Cicero

2015

When his long-lost outlaw father returns, Tommy "White Knife" Stockburn goes on an adventure-filled journey across the Old West with his five brothers.

Six Days Seven Nights

Pierce

1998

In the South Pacific island of Makatea, career-driven magazine editor Robin Monroe is on a week-long vacation getaway with her boyfriend, Frank Martin. An emergency work assignment in neighboring Tahiti requires Robin to hire the cantankerous pilot Quinn Harris who had flown them to Makatea on a small transport plane. While flying, a powerful storm forces Quinn to make an emergency landing on a nearby deserted island. The dissimilar pair avoid each other at first, until they're forced to team up to escape from the island -- and some pirates who want their heads.

Machete Kills

Machete Cortez

2013

Ex-Federale agent Machete is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man – he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.

The Devil's Rejects

Rondo

2005

The murderous, backwoods Firefly family take to the road to escape the vengeful Sheriff Wydell, who is not afraid of being as ruthless as his target.

Seven Cemeteries

Bravo

2024

A recent parolee gets a Mexican witch to resurrect his old posse so that they can help him save a woman's ranch from a ruthless drug lord.

The Night They Came Home

Digger

2024

The combined force of local lawmen and Indian police aim to take down the the Rufus Buck Gang, a cold-heated band of fugitives with vengeance on their minds.

Marked for Death

Hector

1990

Just retired from the Drug Enforcement Agency, John Hatcher returns to his hometown and quickly discovers that drugs have infiltrated his old neighborhood. Determined to drive the dealers out, Hatcher crosses paths with a ferocious Jamaican drug lord who vows that Hatcher and his family are now marked for death.

Death Wish 4: The Crackdown

Art Sanella

1987

After the death of his girlfriend's daughter from a drug overdose, Paul Kersey takes on the local drug cartel.

Muppets Most Wanted

Danny Trejo

2014

While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick.

Runaway Train

Boxer

1985

A hardened convict and a younger prisoner escape from a brutal prison in the middle of winter only to find themselves on an out-of-control train with a female railway worker while being pursued by the vengeful head of security.

The Replacement Killers

Collins

1998

Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.

Bubble Boy

Slim

2001

Jimmy is a young man who was born without an immune system and has lived his life within a plastic bubble in his bedroom... who pines for the sweet caresses of girl-next-door Chloe. But when Chloe decides to marry her high school boyfriend, Jimmy – bubble suit and all – treks cross-country to stop her.

The Salton Sea

Little Bill

2002

After the murder of his beloved wife, a man in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

3 from Hell

Rondo

2019

After barely surviving a furious shootout with the police, Baby Firefly, Otis Driftwood and Captain Spaulding are behind bars. But pure evil cannot be contained. Teaming up with Otis’ half-brother Winslow, the demented Firefly clan escape to unleash a whole new wave of murder, madness and mayhem.

The Hidden

Prisoner

1987

When average, law-abiding citizens suddenly turn to a life of hedonistic behavior and violent crime, Detective Tom Beck is tasked with helping young FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher determine the cause.

Clerks III

Auditioner

2022

After narrowly surviving a massive heart attack, Randal enlists his old friend Dante to help him make a movie immortalizing their youthful days at the little convenience store that started it all.

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter

Razor Charlie

2000

Narrowly escaping death, outlaw Johnny Madrid goes on the run with the hangman's sensuous daughter Esmeralda by his side.

Wedlock

Tough Prisoner #1

1991

A male prison escapee heads for his hidden loot, electronically attached to a female prisoner.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

Mr. Perez

2011

Six years have elapsed since Guantanamo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find the perfect Christmas tree, once again stumbling into trouble at every single turn.

Doppelganger

Hard Hat

1993

After being implicated in a murder, a young woman flees New York City and moves to Los Angeles, where she rents a room from a writer. They begin an affair, but it seems she's been followed by a homicidal duplicate of herself.

Muppets Haunted Mansion

Ghost of Huet

2021

Gonzo is challenged to spend one night in The Haunted Mansion on Halloween night.

Grand-Daddy Day Care

Eduardo Hernandez

2019

A man has to figure out a way to make extra money when his father-in-law moves in.

Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie

Bartender

2004

While Ron Burgundy's rivalry with Veronica Corningstone escalates quickly, a group of unprofessional thieves better known as 'The Alarm Clock' try to make the truth known, whatever that may mean...

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto

Rico (voice)

2009

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is an animated comedy that also combines elements of a horror and thriller film. It is based upon the comic book series created by Rob Zombie that follows the character of El Superbeasto and his sexy sidekick sister, Suzi-X, voiced by Sheri Moon, as they confront an evil villain by the name of Dr. Satan.