Most people with criminal backgrounds have a hard time turning what they learned on the wrong side of the law into a successful career. But when Danny Trejo began acting after spending time in prison, he realized his unfiltered look and troubled past gave him an edge over the competition in Hollywood.
When casting thugs, drug dealers, gangsters, and killers, authenticity goes a long way. However, finding reliable individuals that fit the culprit criteria can be difficult unless Trejo is on the call sheet. The actor quickly became a hot commodity when it came to selecting candidates to play crime-ridden characters. "I played 'Inmate No. 1.' I played 'Bad Guy.' I played 'Chicano Dude.' I played 'Guy With Tattoos.' I never had a name," the actor said in an interview with KTLA. Trejo didn't even flinch when asked to play a convict in "Runaway Train." "I almost started laughing," Trejo said. "I had been in every institution in the state of California. I'll give it a shot."
Trejo would continue to get several similar gigs and was never bothered by always playing the heavy. "The first time I was ever really interviewed, She says, 'Danny, don't think you are being typecast?' 'You're Always playing the mean Chicano dude with tattoos,'" Trejo said in an interview with IMDb. "And I thought about it, and I said, I am the mean Chicano dude with tattoos. Go with what you got!"
Whether it's playing small parts like The Clam on "Blue Bloods" or executing enforcer duties in the actor's long list of credits, there is no denying Trejo is proud of the tough guy legacy he has cultivated.
