A Look Inside The Life Of Danny Trejo

The man, the myth, the legend, Danny Trejo is a seriously prolific actor with equally impressive side hustles. Known for his roles in films like "Machete," "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Spy Kids," and "Heat," to name just a few, Trejo is arguably one of the busiest people in all of Hollywood. His unmistakable visage is instantly recognizable to anyone not living under a rock, and he doesn't show any signs of slowing down, even as he gets older.

Trejo may be an internationally famous movie star, but his path to success was anything but typical or easy. Indeed, Trejo hails from the mean streets of Los Angeles, where his misspent youth led to a harrowing series of stints behind bars (via SI). And while Trejo's story could have ended very differently, he managed to turn it all around and become the man he is today — and we're absolutely here for all of it.

A person like Trejo is definitely worth getting to know — hence the fact that he's the subject of the documentary "Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo." To that end, here's a look inside the life of Danny Trejo.

In addition to being influenced by his wayward uncle, Danny Trejo was very much a product of his surroundings. At the time, the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Echo Park meant that Trejo got dragged into gang-style life as a youth. "It was basically a ghetto," he explained during an interview with "Wide Open with Tony Gonzalez." "It was just chaos all the time. You fight on the way to school, fight on the way home, and you had to keep people out of your neighborhood."

While Trejo did have a place to call home with his father and stepmother, he didn't quite get along well with his father's wife, who wasn't fond of children. That led to Trejo spending a significant amount of time out and about. "I kind of just grew up on the streets," he continued, adding that he had a couple close friends who he would hang out with. It's not surprising, then, that Trejo turned to a life of crime early on.

So what is it that Danny Trejo did when he was locked up at various prisons during the early part of his life? Well, for one, he hustled. But other than that, Trejo was known for his skills in boxing. "I love boxing," he proclaimed in a chat with SI. "I think boxing is an art."

Trejo was quite good, too. In fact, during his time behind bars, he even had a teacher to help him hone his abilities. "For a trainer I had a guy named Joey Abasta," he shared with Grantland. "Legend in the penitentiary." With Abasta as a mentor, Trejo became such an epic boxer that he was a force to be reckoned with at Folsom, San Quentin, and Soledad. "I was the lightweight and welterweight champion of all three," he continued.

Of course, you won't find boxing matches like that in prison anymore, but the sport gave Trejo something to hold onto while on the inside — and that would set him up for success after he was freed.

In addition to starting a relationship with God while incarcerated, Danny Trejo made the decision to get serious about his recovery. That couldn't have been easy, given how difficult life behind bars is. "Prison is the most hopeless place in the world," Trejo shared in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. 

Hopeless as it may have been, the work of sobriety advocates in prison threw a lifeline out to Trejo. "I met a guy named Johnny Harris in prison. He was a speaker and I [saw] him in four different penitentiaries, but I was always the inmate," he continued. "He's been my sponsor since 1963." 

And while Trejo didn't get sober in 1963 — that didn't happen until 1969, as noted by Page Six — the foundation was clearly being laid. So after Trejo was released from prison in 1969, according to Texas Monthly, he had no interest in drugs, drinking, or crime, even when his uncle offered him a new opportunity. Instead, Trejo boxed for money and worked odd jobs until becoming a substance abuse counselor — a job he reportedly still works at part-time today. What a legend.

Clearly, Danny Trejo wasn't born into wealth and prestige, as he came from a humble background in an impoverished neighborhood in Los Angeles (per Grantland). But these days, Trejo is quite the wealthy man, though he hasn't moved too far from where he grew up. Still, Danny Trejo has a stunning net worth. He's said to be worth a cool $8 million, as noted by Celebrity Net Worth — he's clearly a long way from his days solitary confinement in prison.

While Trejo is certainly comfortable when it comes to finances, he's not as flashy with his riches as some celebs are known to be. He did buy himself a nice four-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Mission Hills, according to TMZ, with a billiards room, pool and jacuzzi, and three fireplaces. However, it only cost Trejo $550,000, which is a lot for humble folks like us, but not much compared to some of the price tags of SoCal homes. 

Speaking of Danny Trejo's children, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more doting dad out there. While there are conflicting reports about how many kids Danny actually has, according to his website, he has three children whom he loves. "My kids are my greatest accomplishment," he gushed in a chat with Variety. "I just adore them."

As it turns out, while Danny's kids never saw him using drugs and alcohol, two of them did have substance issues of their own; both Gilbert and Danielle Trejo were addicted to heroin. Fortunately, Danny was able to help both of them get sober, thanks to 12-step groups. "This program not only let me know where to take my kids; it surrounded me with a support system that was able to help keep my kids from using," he explained in an interview with Men's Health. "The support group saved their lives."

One thing that Danny Trejo will always be sure to do is give back to others, something he swore when he had a moment of clarity back in solitary confinement. "Everything good that has ever happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else," he shared in a chat with Canada's Hello! magazine.

Indeed, Trejo has paid it forward in a variety of ways over the years. For one, he continues to volunteer his time to help people get sober — something he was honored for by the Los Angeles City Council (per NBC Los Angeles). Plus during the pandemic, Trejo fed hundreds of hospital workers for free, courtesy of Trejo's Tacos, as noted by ABC 7. Oh, and don't forget the time he literally saved a child with special needs who was stuck in a car that had flipped over. Yes, really! 

Trejo's commitment to helping others isn't lost on his son Gilbert, who knows his father is a great man. "We've experienced my father helping people ... for most of our lives, at this point,” he told NBC Los Angeles. "Long before he started acting, he was active in the community, and I always saw my dad as a celebrity long before anybody else.” We are so here for this!

After taking a thorough look into Danny Trejo's life, it's abundantly clear that the man truly knows how to lead a principled existence. He prioritizes helping others, believes in the power of family and community, and continues to be a prolific working actor. Who else can boast such an ethos, especially after some seriously harrowing experiences in prison?

Additionally, Trejo continues to have a powerful spiritual life, making sure to check in with the deity who saved him from a squalid prison cell all those years ago. "I talked to God a couple of days ago and I said, 'How am I doing?'" he shared in an interview with Texas Monthly. "And he said, 'You're almost out of hell. Keep it up, you're doing great.'" Of course he's joking, as, at the end of the day, Trejo's life looks pretty darn great from where we're sitting. Keep it up, Danny!