From prison to pampers: the remarkable rehabilitation of Danny Trejo
Oliviers come and go, every generation has its Daniel Day-Lewis, but there will always only be one Danny Trejo. The Mexican-American actor’s life has been remarkable since day one, as he was born as the result of an extramarital affair after his mother cheated on his father who was away fighting in World War II. He grew up not really knowing his mother or her other children, only reuniting with them later in life.
Trejo’s father was abusive to him and was generally a nasty piece of work. He and his young son were forced to flee their home in Los Angeles after he became wanted by the police after stabbing someone. This turbulent home life drew a young Trejo into the world of drugs, mainly cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, all of which he had tried whilst he was still a teenager. Mixing with drugs naturally led to run-ins with the law; Trejo was first arrested at the age of just ten.
He spent much of his youth in the 1960s in and out of prison, where he had a brief encounter with Charles Manson, but this offered him little help. After participating in a riot at Soledad Prison in California, Trejo was almost given the death penalty after hitting a guard with a rock. Instead, he was charged with solitary confinement instead. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as this is where he discovered his faith and decided to turn his life around.
His first major movie role was in the 1985 action thriller Runaway Train. A 41-year-old Trejo, who had been a successful boxer whilst in jail, played an unnamed fighter in a tiny role, but it was enough to give him some momentum. A series of parts came his way over the next two decades, everything from Michael Mann’s Heat to the classic action romp Con Air to Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn. His relationship with Rodriguez – his second cousin – would prove to be extremely beneficial, as the director cast him as Isador ‘Machete’ Cortez in the first Spy Kids film; a character Trejo would return to many times over the years and one he is still most strongly associated with.
From narrowly avoiding execution to starring in multi-million dollar movies, Trejo’s transformation has been nothing short of miraculous. Even with all of his success, he hasn’t forgotten where he came from, as he used his network of food businesses to help those less fortunate during the pandemic. “We pass out a lot of food, 500 meals, like every other day,” he told Discussing Film in 2020. “We also pass out Pampers. Women with babies always ask for Pampers. So we got 150 boxes of Pampers and passed them out.”
This new venture offered Trejo a chance to reflect on where his life had taken him. “My assistant Mario Castillo said, ‘Wow Danny, we went from shot callers in San Quentin State Prison… to passing out Pampers!’” he joked. “He said if we go to the joint, our nickname would be something like, ‘Hey Huggies!’”
Through the power of art, faith, and sheer self-belief, Danny Trejo has been able to overcome his dark past and establish himself as an idol for anybody who thinks it’s too late to achieve their dreams. For a more detailed examination of his extraordinary life, check out Brett Harvey’s 2019 documentary Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo.
