Photo courtesy of Open Road Films At age 69, Trejo is no longer a card-carrying badass—he just plays one in the movies and on TV. In addition to his starring role in Machete Kills (in theaters today), the actor has a loaded resume filled with parts that have drawn on his experience on the streets and in the slammer: Heat. Desperado. Breaking Bad. Runaway Train.
So what’s the key to Trejo’s reinvention of a life that could have led to a continued revolving door of prison stops, or worse, an early grave? Here’s how he not only survived, but thrived—and how you can follow his lead.
Men’s Health: From all accounts, you’re having the time of your life these days.
Danny Trejo: Oh God, I love this life. This is all a dream come true. Doing a character like Machete—who is, really, the first Hispanic superhero—is kind of an honor. I’m really blessed. And Machete Kills is an adrenaline rush, wall-to-wall action. If you could take adrenaline intravenously, that’s what its like.
MH: This begs the question: How do you stay fit and kick ass when you’re pushing 70?
Trejo: You know what? Don’t stop. That’s the rule. People ask me all the time, ‘When are you gonna retire?’ And I’m, like, ‘I’m afraid to.’ Beyond that, I do all the stuff your magazine would tell me to do: I walk, I eat well, I exercise, I lift a little, I do a lot of reps at low weight. I just don’t quit.
MH: And just like that, at 69, you’re still taking off your shirt in the movies.
Trejo: [Laughs] The first 5 years of my career, I don’t think I ever wore a shirt. Directors really liked my tattoos. The tattoos became famous before I did.
MH: That tattooed lady on your chest is damn near your co-star.
Trejo: International Tattoo Magazine said that’s the most recognizable tattoo in the world! How’s that? To think I just did it ‘cause I was killing time.
MH: Your early years were not exactly easy living, but you created an astonishing second act for yourself. What’s the key to reinvention?
Trejo: Well, for me, I had to take drugs and alcohol out of my life. Just completely. That might not apply to every man, but it was necessary for me. And then I replaced that addiction with something more positive: helping other people. It doesn’t mean beating a tambourine on the street corner. It just means dedicating your life to helping others. If the guy down the street from me is moving, I want to help him. I’ve got a truck; let’s fill it up and go. If an elderly lady on your block is in the hospital, go mow her lawn and water her plants. You take care of each other. Everything good that has happened to me in this life has happened as a direct result of helping someone else. Everything. That sounds corny, but it’s true. I must be helping a lot of people, because good shit keeps happening to me, man.
MH: Is that karma?
Trejo: Karma! You got it, man. You get what you give.
MH: Is there a spiritual component to your life?
Trejo: Absolutely. Every morning I say my prayers and ask God to please let me do good work in every picture, to not hurt anybody’s feelings, to help my children reach their dreams, and to be a good, honest man—a better person than I was yesterday.
MH: How’s that different from your life 50 years ago?
Trejo: [Laughs] It was a different prayer, man, goddammit. It was, ‘Let’s go rob somebody and please, God, don’t let me get caught.’
MH: Do you have a dream project? Something you’d really love to do?
Trejo: Give me what you got. I’ve done Westerns. I’ve done cartoons. I’ve done drama. I do action. I’ve done stuff I thought I’d never like, but they turn out great. I did this movie with Maggie Gyllenhaal a few years ago, Sherry Baby, and that’s not a movie I would ever ordinarily go see, but it turned out amazing. And damn, she smelled good.
MH: So your advice is to just stay open to everything.
Trejo: Yeah, man. I get calls all the time for student films and sometimes they’re working on a budget of, like, $300, and I’m, like, ‘Tell me what time to be there and buy me lunch!’ It all works out.
If you liked this story, you’ll love these:
- LISTEN: Danny Trejo on the Men’s Health Podcast
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