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Danny Trejo on Being the ONLY Man to Kill Steven Seagal! In this exclusive interview on Sway In The Morning, the legendary actor and cultural icon breaks down the history-making moment from the film *Machete* where he became the only person to take out the action star on screen. Trejo joins Sway, Heather B, and the team for a powerful conversation that spans his incredible journey from San Quentin State Prison to Hollywood royalty.
Subscribe to the channel now for more unprecedented interviews and daily highlights.
Danny Trejo shares hilarious and heartfelt stories about his time on set with icons like Robert De Niro in *Heat*, his friendship with George Clooney, and the intimidating energy of Quentin Tarantino. Beyond the movies, Trejo opens up about his past, detailing the life-changing 1968 Cinco de Mayo riot in prison that led to his pact with God and his subsequent sobriety and redemption. He discusses his passion for social change and prison reform, drawing parallels with Sway’s work with the "Last Mile" program.
The conversation also highlights Trejo's new History Channel series, *Mysteries Unearthed*, where he explores fascinating unexplained phenomena. From his love for his pitbulls to his son Gilbert's success as a director, this interview reveals the heart and humor behind the tough-guy persona. Watch the full video to hear how helping others became the secret to his success and longevity.
Check out more exclusive content on the channel and follow Sway’s Universe on all social media platforms and the official website for the latest in hip-hop, entertainment, and culture.
#DannyTrejo #SwayInTheMorning #SwaysUniverse #StevenSeagal #Machete #HistoryChannel #MysteriesUnearthed #PrisonReform #HollywoodLegends
#sanquentin #dannytrejo #trejo'stacos #stevenseagal #movietrivia
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Danny Trejo Interview Introduction
01:59 - Mysteries Unearthed Documentary Series
06:42 - Prison Experience & Last Mile Program
14:00 - Investigating History's Greatest Mysteries
19:58 - Danny Trejo New Book Release
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Wow, man. Listen.
0:02
>> [cheering]
0:03
[applause]
0:03
>> This is one of those ones that had to be
0:05
Absolutely.
0:06
>> This is one of those ones. Danny, you
0:08
can hear me?
0:09
You okay? You got to turn this mic on,
0:10
okay. Let me Let me say this. Um
0:14
For me I want to say back when 19 about
0:17
1995 when the movie Heat came out.
0:20
>> Woo!
0:21
>> Remember that? The movie Heat?
0:22
>> god.
0:23
>> Nothing but icons in that movie. And I
0:26
watched this man stand next to icons and
0:30
still make his mark in different scenes.
0:32
>> Absolutely. It was the movie from Dusk
0:34
Dusk till Dawn, one of my favorite
0:37
classic cult movies of all time. Um
0:41
where he got shot by somebody from a
0:43
that had a gun in their crotch. Um
0:46
>> [laughter]
0:48
>> You know, um Machete Kills,
0:51
um Con Air. Con Air DB, can you name
0:55
some of the people who were featured in
0:56
Con Air?
0:57
>> I mean Nick Cage, obviously. Uh Ving
0:59
Rhames. Uh
1:01
uh uh God, John Malkovich.
1:03
Mhm. Who else was in there? It was a lot
1:05
of people. I mean he he's worked with I
1:07
mean you you name it, he's worked with
1:08
them. I mean I think it's also cool cuz
1:10
I think one of the first films that I
1:11
noticed him in was when he played an
1:13
extra in Mark for Death with Steven
1:15
Seagal. When Steven Seagal threw him in
1:16
the trunk. And then fast forward when he
1:19
played in Machete and now Steven Seagal
1:21
is like the the the co-star to him. So,
1:25
you know, it's like that full circle.
1:27
>> [laughter]
1:27
>> Yeah. Full circle moment where you get
1:29
to kill Steven Seagal. But um but yeah,
1:31
but I mean this guy's done everything.
1:32
He's even saved kids from, you know,
1:34
traffic accidents. And I mean he's he's
1:36
just obviously he's spoken about serving
1:37
time. I mean he's done so much for the
1:39
community and in Los Angeles and around
1:41
the world he's helped people just like
1:43
you, Sway. You've got the um the the
1:45
program that you do Last Mile with the
1:47
with the inmates.
1:49
And Danny also works with inmates as
1:51
well. So, I mean this guy is a legend.
1:52
He's an icon. It's pleasure to have him
1:54
on the show for the first time. DANNY
1:56
TREJO. YEAH, MAN.
1:59
>> [cheering]
2:01
>> HEY, WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR LIFE like this,
2:03
does it blow you away considering how
2:05
far you come?
2:06
To know that you done all these movies,
2:09
all these TV shows, dude. Yeah, I'm
2:11
afraid somebody going to wake me up.
2:14
>> [laughter]
2:15
>> Must feel like a dream, right?
2:18
Honest to God. Hey, I'm the only one
2:20
that ever killed Steven Seagal. You're
2:22
the only [laughter] person that killed
2:23
Yo, mark that. That's That's That's a
2:25
historical moment right there, man. It
2:28
was funny cuz
2:29
I ran into him. He says, uh
2:31
"Hey, Danny, you think there's anything
2:33
for me in in in uh
2:35
in uh Machete?" Because he I guess he
2:38
had been having like problems getting
2:40
getting money and stuff. I said,
2:42
"And uh I don't Let me ask Robert." I
2:44
asked I asked Robert Rodriguez, "Robert,
2:47
Steven Seagal asked if there's anything
2:49
for him in Machete."
2:51
Uh and uh he
2:54
Robert goes,
2:55
"Let's kill him."
2:57
>> [laughter]
3:01
>> I'm the only one that ever killed Steven
3:03
Seagal on screen. Wow, man. That's a big
3:06
That's some great trivia right there.
3:08
Danny Trejo, the only one that killed
3:10
Steven Seagal on screen, man. That's
3:12
amazing, bro. Did you know
3:14
George Clooney
3:15
um was in From Dusk uh Till Dawn?
3:19
He was relatively new back at that time.
3:21
>> new.
3:21
>> Brand new, right?
3:23
>> new, yeah. And he You know, he's such a
3:25
gentleman, such a nice guy. Uh-huh. And
3:28
uh cuz I went to one of his uh see, he
3:31
had a screening uh from some movie up in
3:34
the air, you Yeah, yeah. That was a good
3:36
movie. Yeah. And uh I'm standing there
3:39
outside watching it. He goes, "Trejo!"
3:41
Just And it so shocked me, you
3:44
>> [laughter]
3:46
>> "No, no, come on, come on." And so, you
3:47
know, we went into the screening
3:49
together and uh he's always been a uh
3:52
a good friend, but you know, Hollywood,
3:54
you can have a friend, but you can never
3:55
see him, you know?
3:56
>> Yeah. Yeah. He's in Europe somewhere
3:58
right now, living Spain or something,
4:00
you know? But, uh
4:02
nicest guy in the world.
4:03
>> Nicest guy in the world, man. Sounds
4:04
like you are, too. Danny Trejo here, but
4:06
we're actually talking about the History
4:08
Channel. Uh they got a non-fiction
4:10
series called Mysteries Unearthed uh
4:12
with Danny Trejo. Uh this is something I
4:15
watch, you know, cuz I'm a history buff,
4:18
too. I know you grew up loving history,
4:20
right?
4:20
>> That's the only class I ever got a good
4:23
grade in. Uh-huh. What was history? It
4:25
was history. Same with me, bro.
4:27
>> [laughter]
4:28
>> Mrs. Finley, she made it interesting.
4:31
>> Yeah. You know what I mean? And she was
4:32
It was she had the the Navajo Indians
4:36
and and and just different issues and
4:38
the Amazon Amazon River. Mhm. So,
4:41
I knew all about the Amazon and I
4:44
thought it was a joke teaching a
4:46
kid from East Los Angeles about the
4:48
Amazon. Who cares? Yeah. Yeah.
4:50
>> [laughter]
4:51
>> But, she used to have a big jar
4:54
of uh
4:55
piranha fish, but they were dead, but
4:58
they were in this jar, you [laughter]
4:59
know?
5:00
And I used to always feed them, you
5:02
know? You used to feed the dead fish?
5:03
[laughter] That ain't how that work,
5:04
Danny. You got
5:06
But, I you know what? But, but
5:09
as a teacher that taught me stuff that I
5:11
didn't even care about.
5:12
>> Yeah. Cuz about what? 30 years later,
5:17
I was doing a movie called Anaconda and
5:20
I was on [clears throat] the damn Amazon
5:21
River. With Ice Cube, right? Ice Cube
5:24
and
5:25
J. Lo and you know, Eric Stoltz and
5:29
uh
5:29
uh
5:30
just one of the guys that was in Runaway
5:33
Train, you know?
5:34
>> Yeah, Christopher Walken was in that,
5:36
too, right?
5:36
>> No, uh uh Oh, no, no, not not Chris
5:38
Walken. Jon Voight.
5:39
>> Jon Voight. Jon Voight. Jon Voight. Jon
5:40
Voight. Jon Voight got ate by Anaconda.
5:43
It cuz I did a I did a
5:45
It was It was funny cuz they were all
5:47
asking questions
5:49
and I knew the answers. You know what I
5:51
mean? I'd answer them, you know, and
5:52
then I That lady taught me [ __ ] I didn't
5:55
even want to know.
5:55
>> Yeah, Miss Finley.
5:57
>> [laughter]
5:59
>> And uh it was funny having me Cube. He
6:01
was
6:02
He Cube said,
6:03
"Damn, what do you know all that [ __ ] I
6:05
thought you were a gangster." And I
6:07
I couldn't tell him Miss Finley taught
6:09
me.
6:10
>> [laughter]
6:11
>> So,
6:12
>> [clears throat]
6:12
>> I lied. I said, "Well, you wasn't
6:14
Quentin. I I did a lot of reading."
6:16
>> [laughter]
6:19
>> You know. How long did you stay in
6:21
Quentin? Five. Five?
6:23
>> Yeah. So, I go I That stretch was five.
6:26
I stayed about 18 months in Quentin and
6:27
then got kicked out and went to Folsom.
6:30
They kicked you out of Quentin?
6:32
Yeah, it was called an institutional
6:34
convenience. If you're just not If
6:37
you're just doing time,
6:39
you know,
6:40
and just getting in trouble, you know,
6:41
so you
6:42
I do a a program I'm a part of a program
6:45
called The Last Mile.
6:46
>> Yeah. And every year we we teach a
6:49
coding class. So, we teach people who
6:51
are in Quentin
6:53
>> Yeah. how to code and then we do a
6:55
career day after about 6 months. Yeah.
6:57
And people who they get to pitch ideas
7:00
to different companies in Silicon
7:02
Valley. I'm from the Bay.
7:04
And
7:05
everybody who went through our program
7:07
has never went back. That's it. Yeah.
7:10
You know what? That's the whole the
7:12
whole uh
7:14
prison system prison system
7:16
lost.
7:17
>> Mhm. You get started in prison, you're
7:19
going to stay in prison. It's it's
7:20
simple, you know, it's recidivism is uh
7:23
is uh is is the is the word
7:27
They should use recidivism instead of
7:30
rehabilitation. Yeah. Because you know,
7:33
and uh
7:34
it just seems like uh anything that you
7:38
can teach somebody they can they can
7:41
take and learn. You know what I mean? I
7:44
can remember in in junior high school
7:47
when they took out all the shops because
7:50
they didn't want the the kids to be, you
7:54
know, I said, "What are you talking
7:55
about?" And they don't want to have a
7:57
trade, right?
7:58
>> use your trade. It's like and you know,
8:00
some people were meant to be
8:02
lawyers and want to be and other people
8:04
want to work on cars, you know, and and
8:06
uh
8:07
and I remember when they cut that out.
8:09
It's like all of a sudden juvenile
8:12
uh Yeah. Got packed, huh? Yeah. Yeah.
8:15
That's a business, though, right? It's
8:17
It's almost like a business. It is a
8:18
business. You know, they keep people in
8:20
prison, you know. Hey, you know what? If
8:23
they would sell stock in the Department
8:26
of Corrections, boy, I'd put some money
8:28
on that.
8:28
>> Yeah. You know, because because it's a
8:30
business.
8:31
>> Yeah.
8:31
>> Yeah. It's not has nothing to do with
8:33
rehabilitation. The people that get
8:36
reha- people like you, like me, that go
8:39
up and say, "Hey, look, this is what we
8:41
got. We got this for you and this for
8:43
you and this for you. If you want to do
8:45
it, come see us when you get out."
8:47
>> Yeah.
8:47
Who Who did that for you? How did you
8:49
get rehabilitated?
8:51
>> [sighs]
8:52
>> 19
8:54
68, Cinco de Mayo, I I
8:59
went to the hole. They Cinco de Mayo,
9:02
they had a outside baseball team. Mhm.
9:05
College kids come in to play us. Now,
9:08
Cinco de Mayo for a Mexican, okay, you
9:11
have to get drunk.
9:13
You you you get stabbed by your wife or
9:16
you beat up a neighbor
9:18
>> [laughter]
9:18
>> or crash a car, you know, or you you
9:20
shoot a gun. You got to you do you get
9:23
busted one way or another, you know what
9:24
I mean? And uh uh
9:27
And so
9:28
Cinco de Mayo, 1968,
9:31
they had a big riot in Soledad cuz they
9:33
brought this
9:34
outside baseball team. And I remember
9:36
the three cohorts there's a guy named
9:40
Ray Pacheco, Henry Quijada. Henry just
9:42
passed away. Ray died in a robbery. And
9:45
and
9:46
uh me. And we
9:49
it was alleged that I hit threw a rock.
9:52
Mhm. It was alleged No,
9:54
Ray ruptured Ray
9:57
socked a free person. Mhm. And uh and uh
10:00
Henry kicked the coach. And so they
10:03
gaffled us up. And I remember being
10:07
being in the hole.
10:08
And I remember Henry saying,
10:11
"Hey Danny, they're going to top us."
10:13
I'll never forget that.
10:15
>> [laughter]
10:15
>> Because you can't assault an officer,
10:18
you can't sock a free person. Those are
10:20
just guys saying
10:21
And I thought about it and
10:23
and
10:25
I said, "Wow." Cuz everybody always said
10:26
I had a lot of potential. Yeah. You
10:29
know, school, lot of potential, but you
10:31
can't sit still.
10:32
Got a lot of potential, but you got to
10:34
stop socking people. You know, just all
10:36
the And then I just remember saying a
10:39
prayer, just saying,
10:40
"You know, God, if you're there,
10:42
you know what? It's going to be all
10:43
right. If you're not, I'm screwed."
10:46
Mhm. And I I just said, "You know what?
10:49
If you let me die with dignity, I'll say
10:51
your name every day and I'll do whatever
10:54
I can for my fellow inmate." I said
10:56
inmate cuz I knew one of the You know, I
10:58
was never getting out.
10:59
>> Yeah. Yeah. You didn't know. And
11:02
I went to board uh
11:05
July of 1969.
11:07
>> Mhm. And I remember Mad Dog Madden, the
11:10
parole agent.
11:12
He said,
11:14
"Trejo, we're getting sick of you."
11:16
And I remember saying,
11:18
"My, that's a pleasant way to start a
11:19
conversation between two gentlemen."
11:23
And uh
11:24
He said, "We're kicking you out of
11:25
here." They kicked me out.
11:27
They said, "Bring us back a life
11:28
sentence."
11:30
Wow. They didn't say What about they
11:32
didn't say good luck? Yeah, they didn't
11:33
say good luck. or you know they bring us
11:35
back a life sentence." Cuz in that way
11:37
they don't
11:40
you don't have to go to board for 15
11:42
years, you know. Uh-huh.
11:44
And by the grace of God, I remember
11:46
getting out. I just
11:47
I started taking out my neighbor's trash
11:50
just to do just whatever I could do, you
11:52
know.
11:53
And
11:54
everything good that has happened to me
11:57
from that day
11:59
has been a direct of helping someone
12:02
else. Everything.
12:04
I got into the movie business helping
12:06
somebody. I started a gardening business
12:08
helping somebody, you know, just
12:10
when I first got out I was
12:12
me and my dad kind of
12:15
got back, my dad
12:17
he didn't hate me. He was just
12:19
disappointed with
12:21
My dad got in trouble, killed a dude.
12:24
Wow, then you pause. You said,
12:26
[laughter] "My dad got in trouble, he
12:27
killed a dude." Took a sip of chocolate.
12:31
MY GOD, WHAT IS IT? YOU WANT SOME TEA,
12:33
SWAY? I GOT real tea for you.
12:35
>> [laughter]
12:36
>> What happened was, you know,
12:38
in in the '40s
12:40
they used to have in a bar you had cold
12:43
cuts and all that,
12:45
all that right there you could have us
12:46
make a sandwich. And he was with my mom
12:50
and I guess some dude got smart with my
12:52
mom, you know, so
12:53
uh uh
12:56
the the dude came at him and he stuck
12:59
him, so they call it was self-defense,
13:01
you know, and uh
13:03
and uh
13:05
and so he he went to I think he went to
13:07
jail about 2 years.
13:09
He got out and but he he promised his
13:12
his his [clears throat] mom
13:14
that you know, if you help me
13:16
fight this, you know, I'll never get in
13:18
trouble again. Mhm. And uh
13:22
and then he didn't, you know, I mean he
13:24
did just started working today after he
13:26
got out started working and uh
13:29
and and so when I started getting in
13:32
trouble, I would say, "You know what?
13:33
I'm never getting up you do and you
13:35
know, but I it's just uh the the problem
13:38
is that you know, there was dope, you
13:40
know, and so it doesn't matter what
13:42
promises you make, you know.
13:43
>> [laughter]
13:44
>> When you're addicted that's
13:45
>> The devil's got you, you know.
13:46
>> Yeah. Yeah. And so then I just did so,
13:49
but I I came out and that's all I've
13:51
been doing. Everything good that's
13:53
happened to me has happened as a direct
13:55
result of helping someone else.
13:56
>> Wow. Man, Danny Trejo is here, man. What
13:59
how powerful, bro?
14:00
>> Yeah.
14:01
>> I'm I'mma play some music to take a
14:02
second and then we're going to come back
14:04
and open the phone lines. If you want to
14:06
talk to Danny Trejo, we got a couple
14:07
callers already. 888-742-3345.
14:12
And we're talking about he's actually
14:13
got a new pro Well, it's a project he's
14:15
been doing on History Channel's um
14:17
popular non-fiction series is called
14:18
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo.
14:22
Um you want to talk about that as well,
14:23
give us a call. Say 45. We got Danny
14:27
Trejo here.
14:29
>> [applause]
14:31
>> Man,
14:32
let me let me give a little bit of
14:34
Mysteries Unearthed.
14:36
Mysteries Unearthed is on the History
14:38
Channel. Um comes on Thursdays.
14:41
This is one of the most interesting
14:42
shows because
14:44
Danny and I are history buffs. Have to
14:46
be. Danny and I we love history, man.
14:49
>> I know you made that clear, Sway.
14:51
>> love Danny because I've seen him with
14:52
some of my friends, Mobb Deep did a Mobb
14:55
Deep video back in the day.
14:57
Uh B-Real is one of my brothers from
15:00
Cypress Hill, you know, and I always
15:02
used to see you and Cypress together.
15:05
How did you meet Cypress Hill, by the
15:06
way? Just out of curiosity.
15:08
>> I knew I just ran into uh B-Real and and
15:12
me and him just tied up together, you
15:14
know, and then I ran into uh Cypress
15:17
Hill at the
15:18
uh that spot that used to be on Sunset.
15:21
Mhm.
15:22
>> They were there. Um
15:24
the House of Blues? House of Blues,
15:25
yeah, yep, yep.
15:27
We just tied in, you know, it's like
15:29
they knew who I was, I knew who they
15:30
were.
15:31
You know, pretty cool, you know.
15:33
Yeah, man. I I And I was telling you I
15:35
grew up in a black black and Mexican
15:38
neighborhood in East Oakland, right? And
15:40
we got along like it was just man, it
15:42
was just everybody got along. It was
15:45
It was like we were fighting the same
15:47
fight.
15:47
>> Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's like uh
15:50
uh
15:51
both oppressed, you know.
15:53
>> [laughter]
15:53
>> We had that in common.
15:57
You know, so when I hear about divide,
16:00
it just puzzles me. I don't get that.
16:03
Well, it's sad. Yeah. It's sad, you
16:05
know, it's like
16:06
uh
16:07
But I think I think the the biggest
16:09
divide is drugs, you know.
16:11
Drugs [clears throat] divides everybody,
16:13
you know. And uh
16:15
uh
16:16
God, who was I That's bugging me, man. I
16:19
was doing a music video with
16:21
uh
16:21
>> [snorts]
16:23
>> He's trying to remember A music video
16:25
that he did with
16:26
>> With a with a rapper who got
16:27
>> One youngster
16:28
>> caught up got caught with guns.
16:30
>> [laughter]
16:30
>> One youngster got popped with guns.
16:34
And everybody was like cuz he was like
16:36
16 or something, you know, he was a
16:37
youngster.
16:37
>> Wow. Who was it?
16:39
Do you remember the year at all? No.
16:43
Cuz I'm trying to think. It wasn't T.I.
16:45
It wasn't I think Sparkle going to work
16:47
on that one.
16:48
I don't remember what I had for
16:49
breakfast.
16:51
>> [laughter]
16:51
>> You're doing pretty good, man. You doing
16:53
good, brother.
16:54
You look amazing. I don't know what you
16:56
if you're still boxing. I don't know
16:57
what you're doing to do it, but you you
16:59
look amazing.
17:00
>> You still got hair,
17:01
right? You [laughter] know, that's crazy
17:03
right now. You know, and your memory has
17:06
been excellent. I'm curious though with
17:09
Mysteries on Earth,
17:11
you know, you guys have unearthed stuff
17:13
like top secret military and Cold War
17:16
discoveries that people didn't know
17:17
about. Right.
17:18
>> Ancient texts, you know, buried or
17:21
artifacts buried in in pyramids, the
17:23
whole nine. Um
17:25
I've seen you unearth a lot of different
17:28
mysteries. What's one that
17:31
almost baffled or scared you when you
17:34
found Well, you know, it didn't scare
17:35
me, but it was just so fascinating. They
17:37
found this Sanskrit in the ocean, just
17:42
and perfectly drawn, you know, like if
17:44
somebody drew it. And nobody could
17:46
figure out what it was. And then it just
17:49
kept on and it kept on and they finally
17:51
put cameras on the spot [snorts]
17:54
and they found out this little
17:55
pufferfish
17:57
would come and and do this little
18:00
Sanskrit, like, you know, 20 ft around
18:03
and a beautiful drawing. And
18:06
the the lady pufferfish would come by
18:10
and if she dug it, she would go in the
18:12
middle and that was his old lady. I
18:15
mean, he was like
18:16
>> [laughter]
18:17
>> So, I started doing one in my backyard.
18:21
>> [laughter]
18:25
>> How did that turn out for you?
18:26
>> [laughter]
18:28
>> My dogs thought I was crazy.
18:32
But it's like, you know, and there's
18:33
just so much stuff that that that that
18:35
people have have found.
18:38
There's
18:40
a sound in in the ocean and they were
18:44
trying to figure out what it was, you
18:46
know, and and I mean, they had like the
18:48
Russians were trying to figure out, the
18:49
military was trying to figure out this
18:51
and they found out it was whale. Yep.
18:56
And they they'd answer them. So, they
18:58
thought it was some kind of code and
18:59
then finally they found out it was the
19:01
giant blue whale, you know, he was
19:04
making
19:05
trying to get [snorts] a date or
19:06
something. I don't know.
19:08
>> [laughter]
19:09
>> Yeah, but that's it's so much that we do
19:12
not know.
19:13
>> Yeah. And my final question won't be my
19:16
final question is what kind of dog do
19:17
you own?
19:19
I own a
19:21
two pit bulls
19:23
and a and a
19:25
golden retriever. My pit bull scared to
19:28
death of bugs.
19:30
>> [laughter]
19:32
>> The irony.
19:34
The other two dogs will run at something
19:37
and then go run the other way. It's just
19:39
not a not a fighter.
19:40
>> [laughter]
19:42
>> Pit bulls get such a bad rap but if you
19:45
see a mean pit bull just check the
19:47
owner.
19:48
That's all. Just check the owner. You
19:50
know, the owner is either trying to get
19:52
him to be mean and
19:54
I don't want my dogs to be mean. I want
19:56
people to be able to walk into my
19:58
backyard with me.
19:59
I wouldn't walk into my backyard alone.
20:02
Yeah.
20:03
>> [laughter]
20:04
>> You know. But you want them to feel
20:05
comfortable in your backyard. And and
20:09
God, my my pit bull if if you come in
20:12
the backyard she'll grab her ball and
20:14
just follow you with it, you know, like
20:16
Until you play with her. Yeah, keep
20:18
dropping it in front of you, you know.
20:19
Yeah, man, I love that. I would have
20:21
guessed you had a pit bull though. I
20:22
ain't going to lie to you, Danny. I was
20:23
going to guess a pit bull. I found it.
20:25
My friend of mine, Kim, she it was tied
20:29
up in a
20:30
in a
20:31
park in Venice and it said please give
20:35
me a good home on the leash. Oh, wow.
20:38
>> and so she got a Zay and you know, I
20:40
found this dog she's beautiful but so uh
20:44
I bring her she brought her over the
20:46
house and
20:47
she was a pup. She was only about one
20:49
year old. So
20:52
I had her
20:53
neutered and spayed and and then I got a
20:56
beautiful dog. She's just awesome. Damn,
20:58
he ain't paying nothing for it. That's a
20:59
bargain. It was a
21:01
it [laughter] was a gift.
21:02
All right, Danny Trejo and see I'm going
21:04
to open up these phone lines too.
21:05
888-742-3345.
21:09
We got uh
21:10
Earth is on the line from St. Louis.
21:12
Earth, welcome to the show. Earth
21:14
>> Hey Earth, great name.
21:16
>> Hey everybody, peace, peace. How y'all
21:19
doing? Feeling good. I'm doing
21:21
beautifully.
21:23
We got a first time caller. We got a
21:25
first time caller.
21:27
Hold up, hold up.
21:32
Welcome to the mysteries.
21:34
>> [laughter]
21:34
>> Hey.
21:36
So
21:37
>> So say hi to Danny, go for it.
21:39
>> Hello. Hey Danny. Yo, I am such a big
21:42
fan of you.
21:44
God bless you, man. I
21:46
My My favorite character of you is
21:52
Enrique and Octavio on King of the Hill.
21:56
My friends [laughter] they they they
21:58
really like Earth, why are you watching
22:01
King of the Hill? Man, it's so freaking
22:04
hilarious. It keeps me laughing.
22:06
>> bringing that back now?
22:08
Yes. Yes, I seen I seen all the new
22:11
episodes. Yeah, I just did a couple I
22:12
just did a couple of series of that.
22:15
Yeah. You did a couple episodes? Yeah,
22:17
King of the Hill.
22:20
Are Are they Are they coming back,
22:21
Earth?
22:23
I know, I seen it. I've already seen it.
22:26
Oh, awesome. Wow. Hey Earth, make sure
22:29
you follow mysteries on Earth.
22:32
Yeah.
22:32
>> [laughter]
22:32
>> That's right up your lane.
22:35
I watch that, too. I watch anything
22:38
anything Yes, I love that. I love that.
22:42
And Sway, Heather B, Tracy G, and
22:46
everybody, I love y'all so much. Y'all I
22:49
grew up on y'all and I'm just my heart
22:52
is just smiling so hard right now.
22:56
Heather B, yo,
22:58
I
22:59
am up under Carolus One as well. I
23:03
went on tour with him as his first
23:05
female DJ. So, I just wanted to put that
23:07
out there to let you know that. I love
23:10
you guys. You guys are so amazing. And
23:13
just keep doing keep doing what you're
23:16
doing because I Oh man, the world is
23:18
like burning around us, but y'all keep
23:20
us laughing. Y'all keep us informed. And
23:23
have a freaking great day. Have a great
23:27
happy uh uh uh
23:29
Black History Month. Have a great year.
23:31
I love y'all so so so so much.
23:33
>> Don't forget to watch History's on
23:35
Earth.
23:35
>> Yes. I will. I promise you. I will
23:38
Listen, I will watch it again. I will
23:40
watch it again.
23:42
God bless you. Hey Earth, thanks for
23:44
your call, man. You made us feel great.
23:45
You're a super citizen.
23:46
>> in the morning.
23:47
>> All right, we got a lot of energy.
23:50
Yes, Earth.
23:51
>> Oskies on the line from Texas. Oskies,
23:53
what up, Oskie? What's up?
23:56
Yo, what up? What up? What up? Um first
23:58
time calling, as well. Oh, wow.
24:00
>> Yeah, we got a first time caller.
24:02
>> time caller, baby.
24:03
We got to celebrate that, Danny. First
24:05
time he called, man.
24:06
>> awesome. Say hi to Danny Trejo. Go
24:08
ahead.
24:09
>> What's up, holmes?
24:10
Uh Mr. Trejo, I I salute you. I salute
24:13
you. Uh I love all your work.
24:15
Uh actually, I'm in position right now.
24:18
Um I've been drinking the tequila that
24:20
non-alcoholic tequila that I had in the
24:22
store. I'm not sure if you
24:25
know about that, but uh I was calling
24:27
because I wanted to know when was the
24:28
first time that you fell in love with
24:29
hip hop sir.
24:32
First time you fell in love with hip
24:33
hop.
24:35
Music. The music was about seven.
24:39
I had a I had a
24:42
all girl cousins and all they did was
24:44
listen watch Bandstand. And you know, so
24:48
we all danced and uh and just I love
24:51
music, any kind. You know what I mean?
24:53
And uh
24:54
The
24:56
just all of it.
24:58
Just there's I don't think there's any
24:59
kind of music I don't like. American
25:02
Bandstand, Dick Clark back in the day.
25:04
And Soul Train, right? Yeah, come on,
25:07
man.
25:08
We all grew up on Soul Train.
25:11
>> [laughter]
25:11
>> Um you have your you still have Trejo's
25:13
music? You still doing the you're still
25:15
doing the music label, right? Yeah.
25:17
Yeah, record label and uh that's doing
25:19
pretty good. We got a uh
25:21
Code of the Barber who's like killing it
25:23
right now. So Code is your artist?
25:26
>> Yeah.
25:27
>> [laughter]
25:27
>> THAT'S
25:28
DANNY TREJO. LISTEN. WHAT?
25:30
THAT'S CRAZY. OKAY, that's what's up,
25:33
man. Hey, Old Ski, thanks for your call.
25:35
You super citizen.
25:36
>> in the morning. Danny, man, when I walk
25:38
when I drive up La Brea,
25:40
I always pass by
25:42
What is that? Trejo's Trejo's Tacos.
25:44
Tacos.
25:45
Now that I part of the reason why I
25:47
wanted you on the show so I could run in
25:49
there and say I know you. [laughter]
25:53
Will that work? You got it. That'll work
25:55
if I say I know you?
25:57
Okay, we got the [laughter]
25:58
We going to take a picture. I'm going to
26:00
have you do a video. Give him whatever
26:01
he wants, all right?
26:03
>> I need one for the donuts then did Mr.
26:05
Trejo cuz this is my my my my drug of
26:07
choice here. It's so good. Thank you.
26:09
Thank you. Thank you.
26:10
>> Yeah.
26:12
They won't let me in
26:13
>> [laughter]
26:15
>> Really? Cuz that's my drug of choice. Oh
26:17
my. THEY ARE SO GOOD AND I love food.
26:20
That's why I was so excited as well that
26:22
you're here. I think we solved the
26:23
mystery, too, uh with the artist. Uh
26:25
Sparkle, I intern, was it Tyga that you
26:28
did the video with? Tyga was the kid.
26:31
That got the Yeah, there's another the
26:33
other the older one uh Okay. It was Tyga
26:36
and uh
26:37
YG? YG. YG.
26:40
OH, MAN. Tyga [cheering] and YG.
26:42
Yes, we had to solve that for you.
26:45
That it's so cool.
26:47
You know, we were doing this it was
26:50
I'm supposed we get out these
26:51
motorcycles. I'm supposed to bust into
26:54
this bar where they're all partying and
26:57
and
26:58
my old lady is supposed to be there,
27:00
right? Uh-huh. And uh
27:02
And uh
27:03
I'm supposed to like
27:06
What are you doing here, right? And and
27:08
so I'm supposed like, "You get home."
27:10
You know, like
27:11
And uh like be
27:13
You know,
27:14
I do you What are you doing here? Go
27:17
home, you know.
27:18
I busted I looked AT HER
27:20
HONEY, WHY ARE YOU
27:22
What are you doing?
27:23
Why are you
27:25
Why are you [laughter] here?
27:26
I swear to God. Hey.
27:28
YG almost fell off his chair. He
27:31
couldn't believe [laughter] it.
27:32
He was saying, "Now, that's how it
27:33
really is. That's how
27:37
>> [laughter]
27:39
>> That's so funny. And and
27:42
Ty goes the youngster right saying,
27:44
"What? What?" He couldn't understand
27:46
>> [laughter]
27:46
>> He didn't know the joke. So, he he
27:48
didn't even get it.
27:49
>> No, but I think that's the And then God
27:51
bless you. I want to say that, too.
27:52
Thank you so much for coming here, Mr.
27:54
Trejo. God bless you. I I mean, I felt
27:56
your energy and your spirit when you
27:58
walked in and you talked about that
28:00
prayer that you said, um which resonated
28:03
with me because you said everything that
28:07
came to you came from helping someone
28:08
else. And if this is true, you helped
28:11
you became an actor well, offered a job
28:13
based on helping another actor train for
28:16
boxing, correct? Eric Roberts. Yeah.
28:19
You became so much more than that,
28:22
though. And I'm curious, did you start
28:25
training and taking acting courses
28:27
afterwards because I always said I told
28:29
my husband, "If I ever met that guy from
28:31
Heat, I would just run across the
28:33
street." I was so scared of him like cuz
28:34
you were so believable in everything you
28:37
do. Did you start training as an actor
28:39
as well? Well, let me tell you my
28:41
training. My training was standing on
28:44
the yard in San Quentin
28:46
knowing
28:48
there's going to be a riot
28:49
and people are going to die
28:52
and you got to stand there
28:54
and not look afraid. Mhm.
28:56
And not tell people you really pissed
28:58
your pants. Mhm. And just be hard. You
29:02
know, and you know I might die right
29:05
now, you know, cuz people just go crazy
29:08
and and uh
29:10
and then when the
29:12
when the recall cuz
29:14
cops just realize something coming down,
29:17
you know, all inmates return to your
29:19
cell. You can
29:20
>> [sighs]
29:21
>> you know, so and you
29:25
it's funny it's like even acting when I
29:28
have to
29:29
get into that bag, you know, uh
29:33
right afterwards I got to go play with a
29:35
puppy or something cuz you know, now
29:37
that guy makes me sick. It takes you to
29:39
that [clears throat] place.
29:40
>> Yeah. Yeah. And uh
29:42
and if I love it when someone says "Hey,
29:45
where did you study?"
29:47
San Quentin, Folsom
29:49
>> [clears throat]
29:49
>> Solidad
29:50
>> [laughter]
29:53
>> Yeah. And
29:55
and it's like you know, the where I was
29:57
at
29:58
to I say to do in mysteries I'm with
30:00
William Shatner.
30:01
>> Yeah.
30:02
Captain Kirk.
30:04
That guy, you know,
30:06
what is it it's like
30:08
the man who's been to the
30:10
places unearthly.
30:12
>> [laughter]
30:13
>> Places never before seen, right? You
30:16
know, and
30:17
nicest guy in the world.
30:20
Nicest guy in the world. You meet him
30:22
one time and the next "Hey, what's up
30:24
Dan?" you know, so he must have some
30:26
kind of memory, you know, but Yeah. But
30:28
I've I've I've become friends with him.
30:30
Yeah.
30:32
William Shatner, bro. Star Trek.
30:34
>> Yeah, sweet just unbelievable person.
30:37
Man, we've had him on the show, man. We
30:38
had you Nice guy, beautiful. Bro, we
30:40
have on the show people we just grew up
30:43
loving. That's that's why you here. It's
30:45
like his name came across. I was like,
30:47
"Danny, who?"
30:48
>> [laughter]
30:49
>> Trejo? He's going to come to our show?
30:50
Early? This early?
30:53
Come on, man. So, it's like I get it
30:55
when William Shatner came up. You know,
30:57
he he he blew our minds. Ron Howard. Ron
31:00
Howard played the Come on, he blew our
31:02
mind. Tarantino, you and Tarantino were
31:04
in Yeah.
31:06
Yeah, um so we've had all the
31:09
heavyweights and all that.
31:11
No, I met Quentin I met Quentin doing
31:14
uh
31:15
uh Desperado. Mhm. Robert Rodriguez.
31:19
And I'm standing
31:20
in the street in a Mexican little town
31:23
and all of a sudden this crazy white boy
31:25
comes running up to me going, "Oh, you.
31:28
No, we got a movie No, you you know what
31:30
you're going to do the" And you know how
31:32
he does he's so he's so vibrant I mean
31:36
he's scary. Yeah.
31:37
>> [laughter]
31:38
>> Uncomfortable.
31:40
Right.
31:41
I don't know and okay, all right. And
31:43
then he's and then he's left and I go,
31:45
"Robert, who was that?"
31:46
>> [laughter]
31:47
>> You didn't even know who he was. No.
31:49
Wow. Wow. And then Robert said, "That's
31:52
that's my business partner. That's uh
31:54
uh Quentin."
31:55
I said, "Okay, well, he just scared the
31:57
[ __ ] out of
31:58
>> [laughter]
31:59
>> And you've been a
32:00
been a Quentin, Folsom and and and
32:04
and Sal and Dad and Quentin Tarantino
32:06
scared you. And you scare everybody
32:07
[laughter] else.
32:09
From saying Quentin Quentin Tarantino
32:11
You know what's so funny though?
32:12
You're funny.
32:14
Tough guys don't scare anybody, but
32:16
crazy people will scare [laughter] you.
32:18
That's true. That's true. So, I deal
32:20
with that daily. You know what? No, but
32:22
[laughter]
32:23
Danny, what what what what what you your
32:25
your career never stopped. You know, you
32:28
made that promise to God and got out
32:30
that hole and been giving back and it
32:33
just keeps going. Yeah, he's got me. You
32:36
know what? It's like
32:37
uh
32:38
>> You said it. Amen. He's got me. He said,
32:40
"I know." He said, "I you know
32:43
I I wasn't supposed to make it past 25."
32:45
Mhm. You know, and uh
32:47
uh
32:49
in prison you know, friends of mine
32:51
died, you know, and and
32:54
uh getting out boom boom boom robbers
32:56
bang dead, you know, and and uh
32:59
And and I'm still here. Me and Henry the
33:01
other guy that was in that riot with me,
33:03
uh he just passed away about 6 months
33:06
ago, you know, and uh
33:08
And we only two left. I mean, and that's
33:10
from
33:11
you know, the only friends that I've
33:13
ever had
33:14
had, you know,
33:15
and and uh
33:17
And it's like I my daughter I love my
33:19
daughter. She said, "Dad,
33:21
God's not through with you." Yeah. Mhm.
33:24
Yeah. God's not through with you. That
33:26
was I said, "I I love it."
33:27
>> [laughter]
33:29
>> And uh my my son's clean.
33:32
My son's got
33:33
uh uh
33:34
11 years clean.
33:36
>> Wow.
33:36
>> "He's a director." Congratulations. He's
33:38
a director now. Yeah, man.
33:39
Congratulations. What's your son's name?
33:41
He's a director and people keep calling
33:43
him to do music videos cuz he just got
33:46
an eye, you know. I used to bring him to
33:48
movies cuz I wanted him to get a SAG
33:51
card and be an actor and secretly he
33:53
[laughter] learned
33:54
how to projector, he learned lighting,
33:57
he learned all that [ __ ] just by
33:59
himself, you know, and uh Wow. And then
34:01
when we did our
34:03
uh
34:04
uh Machete
34:05
>> Mhm. he shadowed Robert Rodriguez. And
34:08
after that he says Robert says, "Man,
34:10
you have him take the director's test.
34:12
He knows he already knows." And uh
34:16
he took the test and passed it. What's
34:18
his name? Gilbert Trejo. Wow, man.
34:21
Congratulations.
34:23
Yo, Danny, hey, you got friends with us
34:24
now, too. So, I know you lost one, you
34:26
just added some more. They're They're
34:28
New York the ones over here. They're all
34:30
in our New York office right now. That's
34:32
Tracy, Danny
34:34
Trejo,
34:35
Torche. They all team Trejo. I'll be in
34:37
New York a couple weeks, I think. A few
34:40
few weeks, I think. Yeah, bro, you don't
34:41
stop, huh?
34:42
>> I don't know where I'm going.
34:43
>> Yeah, man,
34:44
that [laughter] was an honest attempt.
34:45
You act like you knew where you were
34:46
going.
34:48
YOU WERE LOOKING AT ME FOR THE ANSWER.
34:50
TWO WEEKS, three weeks, I don't know,
34:51
Daddy. I don't [laughter]
34:53
Um but listen, man, thank you. Come back
34:56
anytime, brother. God bless you. God
34:58
bless you, man. Really, God bless you.
35:01
And you you're always transparent about
35:03
your story.
35:04
>> Yes. I got people right now who you've
35:07
inspired, folks who dealt with some of
35:09
the things you dealt with, whether it's
35:10
addiction or incarceration or oppression
35:13
or suppression. And uh the lines have
35:16
lit up. And I I would love for How can
35:18
people reach Danny? You on Instagram?
35:20
You on that? What's your
35:21
>> don't know. I
35:23
I just
35:24
got a website or something. I don't know
35:26
what I got.
35:26
>> Well, you got to get
35:27
>> know where he's going, he doesn't know
35:28
what he's got.
35:29
>> Official Danny Trejo on Instagram.
35:31
Official Danny Trejo on Instagram.
35:35
Uh you're a hero of ours. Keep going,
35:37
man. You're a straight and great
35:39
inspiration. Thank you.
35:40
>> Indeed. God bless you, man. Thank you.
35:42
>> you, man. Thank you, man. Danny Trejo,
35:44
y'all. Make sure you watch the History
35:46
Channel a Mysteries Unearth with Danny
35:48
Trejo.
#Arts & Entertainment