Danny Trejo

Born in Echo Park, Calif., on May 16, 1944, the distinctively tattooed Danny Trejo rose from a murky past filled with violence, drugs and jail time to become an unlikely regular on the big screen.

Called in to the set of Runaway Train (1985) while he was working as a Narcotics Anonymous officer, Trejo caught the attention of screenwriter Eddie Bunker, who remembered him from prison and promptly had him cast as an extra. That lucky break led to a string of steady film work playing con artists, thieves and thugs.

Trejo is most often remembered for his memorable roles in Desperado (1995), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Heat (1995), Con-Air (1997), xXx (2002), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2002) and the Spy Kids series (2001-2003). More recent work includes the critically acclaimed Sherrybaby (2006), starring Golden Globe nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Filmography