With over 300 feature films under his belt, Danny Trejo has had a storied career. With the release of INMATE #1: THE RISE OF DANNY TREJO, the feature documentary revealing the extraordinary life journey of Hollywood’s most unlikely hero, it seems like the perfect opportunity to dig back through his filmography…
Examining Trejo’s most iconic roles from Heat to Breaking Bad to Desperado, let’s explore the unique on-screen persona of Hollywood’s most popular tough guy.
Runaway Train (1985)
Runaway Train was Danny Trejo’s debut on screen, and he did not disappoint, landing the role in the most ‘Trejo’ of ways… Trejo was employed on the set of Andrei Konchalovsky’s philosophical action thriller to assist a recovering teen drug-addict but serendipitously became an extra for the day. Whilst appearing in background shots, the film’s screenwriter recognised Trejo from prison and recalled what an accomplished boxer he was, ultimately asking him to train actor Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) for his character’s scenes in the ring.
Runaway Train follows Manny (Jon Voight), a hardened criminal who escapes an Alaskan prison together with a younger prisoner called Buck. The convicts board a freight train, but when the driver succumbs to a stroke, they are trapped on the out-of-control train. For his role, Voight received an Oscar nomination.
Heat (1995)
Heat, a critical and commercial success, is a modern-day classic. Starring alongside Hollywood heavyweights Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Trejo’s casting in this heist thriller gave him a feeling of huge validation. What’s more, he plays a character named after his own name, Trejo, a robber and getaway driver.
Trejo also served as a crime consultant for the film since he had served time behind bars in real life for armed robbery. It’s fair to say his consultancy and expertise paid off, as it is said that Heat has since inspired real-life robberies, including the infamous 1997 Bank of America robbery. The main suspect Larry Phillips was even found with a VHS copy of Heat in his house.
Desperado (1995)
Opposite Antonio Banderas in his absolute prime, Trejo gave a spectacular performance as the knife-wielding henchman Navajas in Desperado. As Banderas’ gunslinging hero arrives in town to avenge the murder of his girlfriend, we witness a battle for the ages as Navajas takes on bullets with blades. With his unforgettable full-torso tattoo of a lady wearing a sombrero only partially obscured by an impressive belt of knives, this is surely one of Trejo’s most iconic outings. This 90s thriller also featured cameos from Quentin Tarantino, Boardwalk Empire‘s Steve Buscemi and Salma Hayek (Frida).
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
With a cult following, two sequels and a video game adaptation to its name – all starring Trejo – horror flick From Dusk Till Dawn is now synonymous with our felon-turned-Hollywood tough guy. Dusk Till Dawn was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriguez and featured a star-studded cast including George Clooney, Salma Hayek, and Harvey Keitel. The movie follows brothers Seth and Richard (Clooney and Tarantino) who are on the run after a violent bank robbery. They escape into Mexico where they plan to meet a drug kingpin and pay him his dues. But first, they must find a place to spend the night so they hop into a strip bar. Well, it turns out everyone in the bar is a vampire, including the bartender, Razor Charlie (Trejo)…
Breaking Bad (2009-10)
In the Netflix show that revolutionised TV as we know it, Trejo played Tortuga, a criminal informant for the DEA, as led by Hank (Dean Norris). Tortuga is a larger than life character with an unwavering and unapologetic love of luxury and the finer things in life. Tortuga strikes deals with the DEA to fund this lifestyle but is eventually found out by the cartel, who proceed to eliminate him in one of the show’s most iconic scenes. Tortuga (literally “tortoise” in Spanish) is decapitated with a machete and, when next meeting Hank and his DEA colleagues, his head is subsequently placed on a tortoise’s shell with a mercury switch and C4… Boom. A sadistic yet suitable fate to match the character’s exuberant hubris!
Machete (2010)
Trejo teamed up with Robert Rodriguez again in 2010 for his very first lead role at the age of 66, though you wouldn’t know it from this all-action performance! Playing the eponymous title character, Trejo reprises a roll seen briefly in both the Spy Kids franchise and an expansion of a fake trailer published as a part of the promotion of Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 double-feature Grindhouse.
After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, Machette – an ex-Federale – launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss. As Machete, Trejo enjoys several outrageous moments, none more so than when he flies through an explosion on a motorbike equipped with the biggest machine gun known to mankind. A lead role worth the wait…
Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2020)
From an early life of drugs, armed robbery and hard prison time, to the red carpets of Hollywood blockbusters and helping troubled addicts, Trejo gives a first-hand account of one of the greatest transformations of human character ever put to film. With a host of celebrity interviews, never-before-seen footage and personal testimony from Trejo and his closest family and friends, this documentary portrays the birth of a Hollywood icon who has become a symbol of hope to people around the world.
To this day, Danny continues to council recovering addicts and speak at state prisons. After 46 years of sobriety, he never forgets his roots and pays forward that which has been bestowed on him. Through the exploration of his old stomping ground and the supporting cast of family, friends and some of the world’s biggest stars, join Danny Trejo as he delivers a raw and sobering account of his transformation from a hardened criminal to celebrated Hollywood icon and beloved friend of all who cross his path.
INMATE #1: THE RISE OF DANNY TREJO is out now digital download, across all major platforms
