SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Danny Trejo is one of the most recognizable character actors in movies and television.
But his road to success was not an easy one.
He has played countless tough guys on the big and small screens.
Now he’s one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
In town, Trejo is known as the nicest bad guy – someone who is always giving back to his community.
“Everything good in m life is a direct result from helping others.”
But he didn’t always live that way.
Trejo spent his youth in and out of prison.
“I didn’t know if I was going to live another day.”
But he turned his life around, getting sober and becoming a drug counselor, and it was helping others try to stay clean that led him to the set of the 1985 film “Runaway Train.”
That one shot led to a career spanning over three decades with over 300 TV and film credits including “Machete” and the popular “Spy Kids” films.
In addition to the big Hollywood career, Trejo is also a successful restauranteur.
“Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes and stories from LA” and his memoir “Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood” are available now.