Danny Trejo - biography, filmography and best films with the actor

Few actors were lucky enough to start their careers in cult films like Danny DeVito. He became famous at the age of 30, when he first starred in the drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and then in the TV series Taxi. Among the numerous films with his participation are also “Romancing the Stone”, “Throw Mom from the Train”, “Batman Returns” and comedies with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition, Danny received recognition as a director and producer. He founded Jersey Films, which helped create masterpieces like Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich and Man on the Moon. Despite his short stature caused by a genetic disease, DeVito became a major Hollywood star.

Danny DeVito in his youth

Danny DeVito was born in 1944 in Neptune, New Jersey. His family comes from San Fele, a commune in Italy, and also from Calabria. The father of the future star, Danny Sr., was the owner of small businesses, including a dry cleaner, a small restaurant, a dairy store and a pool hall. He sent the boy to a Catholic school, where DeVito first tried himself as an actor. However, his small height - 147 cm - hindered his studies. Danny himself recalls how he suffered because of this:

“I couldn’t dance with the girls I wanted to because my face wasn’t at the right level. I was also often beaten by hooligans. But I had a lot of friends who helped and looked out for me.” Growth problems are caused by Fairbank's disease, an inherited disease characterized by defective ossification of the epiphyses.

When DeVito graduated from high school in 1962, he did not consider acting a worthy career. College also didn't seem like a desirable option, so the teenager got a job as a hairdresser in his sister's salon. He soon realized that he wanted to get into makeup. To learn this, Danny applied to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Candidates were required to perform a monologue to enter either program. After DeVito's performance received positive reviews, he decided to take acting classes.

The student worked for some time at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, where he met Michael Douglas. However, the real impetus for choosing a career was Truman Capote’s book “In Cold Blood,” which greatly impressed the actor. After seeing an advertisement for auditions in Hollywood, where they were going to film the novel, DeVito moved to Los Angeles.

Stormy youth

Danny is of Mexican descent, born to construction worker Dan Trejo and Alice Rivera. The cousin of the future Hollywood star was director Robert Rodriguez. Since childhood, the boy had to help his uncle when he committed small thefts.

After some time, the younger Dan became interested in drugs, and then he began to break the law on his own. The young man used every opportunity to earn money for heroin: he stole from stores, sold weapons and participated in numerous fights. Thanks to his fearlessness, he quickly gained the respect of local crime bosses, and was even called "The Elder".

At a young age, Trejo saw his calling in professional boxing. Danny planned to quit illegal activities and take up martial arts seriously, but instead he was convicted of drug addiction and robbery.

The juvenile offender spent the next 11 years in Holmesburg Prison. He didn’t want to give up his dream, so even during his imprisonment, Dan managed to become the Pennsylvania middleweight and lightweight boxing champion. During this period, he also underwent a rehabilitation course, as a result of which the young man completely got rid of his addiction.

First film roles

The actor never took part in the Richard Brooks film, which was released in 1967. Instead, he worked as a parking attendant, hanging around Sunset Boulevard with the flower children. Danny found himself in the epicenter of the hippie subculture. He grew his hair long, wore a trench coat and sneakers, but still wanted to do something more. DeVito even returned to New York, where he played in several Broadway plays. In 1971, he was cast as Martini in the Broadway play based on Ken Kesey's classic novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was this that led to DeVito's big break four years later. Douglas, who during this time managed to become Danny's friend, invited him to shoot the film of the same name. The film won five major Academy Awards in 1976, thrusting DeVito into the national spotlight.

In fact, this was not the actor’s first film role. He made his big screen debut with the 1970 drama Fragile Dreams. In those years, he also played in the films “Lady Liberty”, “Sandwiches for Gauguin”, “Hurry up, otherwise I’ll be 30” and “Slacker”.

Actor career

Trejo was released when he was already twenty-eight years old. He had neither a specialty nor education. Danny even had trouble reading. All he knew was how to box masterfully, and this helped him not die of hunger: he became a coach. It must be said that Trejo never even thought about returning to the slippery slope of a drug dealer. On the contrary, he became enthusiastic about helping people with drug addiction get rid of it.

Danny Trejo spent 11 years in prison

Fate rewarded Danny in 1985. After the next fight, he saw a familiar face in the crowd - it was his friend from prison Eddie Bunker. It turned out that Eddie, who had swapped the criminal world for a screenwriter’s job, wanted to ask Trejo to teach “one actor” how to box. That’s how Trejo ended up on the set of the movie “Runaway Train,” and he taught actor Eric Roberts how to fight realistically. The director of the film, Andrei Konchalovsky, noticed the colorful Mexican and gave him a small role. This was the beginning.

Trejo said in an interview that after his first role he played a huge number of villains of the same type who appeared on the screen with a single line: “Kill him!” However, for yesterday’s drug dealer and prisoner, even such a cinematic career was a miracle, and Trejo accepted any offers. He said that for money he was ready to star in even the stupidest comedy. Gradually, the episodes in which Danny starred turned into supporting roles: “Hidden”, “Kinjait: Forbidden Topics”, “Maniac Cop 2”, “Deadly Bonds”, “From Dusk Till Dawn”, “Spy Kids”, "Desperate" etc.

Danny Trejo and Antonio Banderas

Trejo also starred in TV series, and his filmography includes such world-famous projects as “Desperate Housewives”, “The X-Files” and “Baywatch”. Danny Trejo in Desperate Housewives Danny's professionalism grew rapidly, but in communicating with colleagues, according to Trejo himself, he had problems. Danny said that on the set of the film “Con Air” all the actors except Nicolas Cage were afraid of him. It must be said that Trejo overcame his communication difficulties over time: in the film “Anaconda” he easily played with Jennifer Lopez, who played the main role, and in the series “Walker, Texas Ranger” - with the legendary Chuck Norris, and Trejo no longer experienced any discomfort .

It was not often that Trejo managed to break out of the image of a villain that was familiar to all viewers. However, his long list of roles also includes a benevolent character – Slim, whom the actor played in the comedy melodrama “Bubble Boy”.

Danny Trejo's entire body is covered in tattoos

The beginning of the twenty-first century brought Danny Trejo several leading roles. His work in the horror films “The Night Stalker” and “Spy Kids 4D” became especially memorable. The series of films about children of spies continued in 2013 with the film “Machete Kills,” where Trejo again played the main role. Danny Trejo in the film “Machete Kills” It is worth noting that Danny played his most prominent roles in films directed by his cousin Robert Rodriguez. This is a series of films about children of spies, and the film “From Dusk Till Dawn”, and many others. It is noteworthy that Rodriguez and Trejo only learned about their relationship on the set of the film Desperado.

Danny Trejo in the movie From Dusk Till Dawn

Film critics have always said that in the role of a criminal and villain, Danny Trejo is absolutely limited, it’s as if he is not acting, but reliving episodes from his past criminal life. This is probably what accounts for the amazing demand for this unprofessional actor. During his career, which the actor began at the age of 41, Trejo has appeared in more than 250 films.

At the pinnacle of glory

In 1978, DeVito played the character Hog in the western "Heading South" with Jack Nicholson. After that, he auditioned for a new series called Taxi. It told about employees of a company that transports passengers in New York. Arriving at the casting, Danny pointedly threw the script on the table and asked: “I want to know one thing before we start: who wrote this shit?” The move landed him the role of Louis De Palma's charmingly tyrannical taxi dispatcher. For her, DeVito received an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

After Taxi ended in 1983, the actor began a successful film career. He starred in the Oscar-winning film “Terms of Endearment,” and then got the role of the unlucky swindler Ralph in the adventure film “Romancing the Stone.” There he again met Michael Douglas, as well as Kathleen Turner. A year later, the actor starred in the sequel “Pearl of the Nile.” In the mid-1980s, he also made his mark with the films Johnny Dangerous, The Office, Smart Guys and Ruthless People. Another breakthrough was the dark comedy Throw Momma from the Train, in which Danny played with Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey. Two years later he reunited with Douglas and Turner in War of the Roses, which he directed.

Biography

Danny Doherty was born on November 29, 1940 in Halifax, Nova Scotia in southeastern Canada. When Danny was sixteen years old, he became interested in music and became part of a musical group called 'Hepsters', organized by his friends Richard Sheehan, Eddie Thibodeau and Mike O'Connell. Despite the youth of the musicians, the group performed in clubs throughout Halifax and lasted for 2 years, largely thanks to Danny's outstanding voice. In 1960, Doherty, Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne formed a new white folk band called The Colonials, but changed their name to The Halifax Three after signing a recording contract with Columbia Records. The group recorded 2 records, the song 'The Man Who Wouldn't Sing Along With Mitch' enjoyed some success, but in 1963 the group broke up - and this event took place in the Los Angeles hotel 'The Colonial'.

Danny Doherty photography

But there was a plus - on tour, Doherty met John Phillips and his second wife Michelle Gilliam, lead singer of The Journeymen.
That same year, Danny began a friendship with Cass Elliot, a singer with amazing vocal abilities from the group 'The Big Three'. Elliot, nicknamed 'Mama Cass' because of her plumpness, was said to be in love with Danny. In any case, she could not leave Doherty to his fate, and convinced her band manager to hire Danny and his accompanist Zal Janowski. After the group's membership expanded significantly, it changed its name from The Big Three to The Mugwumps and disbanded due to financial difficulties. Advertisement:
Fortunately, around this time, John Phillips needed a new tenor to replace Marshall Brickman, who had left to pursue a career as a television writer. Unemployed Doherty happily agreed to help his friend. Then Cass Eliot joined the group, and, having signed a contract with the recording studio 'Dunhill Records', the newly formed group changed their name to 'The Mamas & the Papas' and began recording their debut album 'If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears'.

Danny Doherty photography

The new group's first single, 'California Dreamin', released in 1965, became an absolute hit. The composition was included in the list of '500 greatest hits of the world' according to the publication 'Rolling Stone', and various groups and performers still release cover versions of the song.

Despite the great success, 'The Mamas & the Papas' did not last long; already in 1968, the band members went their separate ways to pursue solo projects. This is partly the fault of Danny Doherty, who by the end of 1965 had an affair with Michelle Phillips. At first, the lovers, living in the same house, managed to keep their relationship a secret, but soon the secret came out and a scandal broke out; Cass Elliot was desperately jealous, and John Phillips even kicked Michelle out of the group, but was forced to take her back under pressure from fans. However, the group had lost its inspiration, Mama Cass had left The Mamas & the Papas to pursue a solo career, and there was no point in replacing her. They all came together again in 1971 to release a final album, People Like Us, as required by their contract, but it was not particularly successful.

Danny Doherty photography

Despite the fact that Cass Elliot proposed marriage to Doherty and he refused, they were able to remain friends. She and Michelle Phillips helped Danny record his hit single 'Waiting For A Song' in 1974. This recording was one of the last for Cass Elliot - in 1974, the 32-year-old singer, who was overweight, died of a heart attack. Doherty was shocked and felt great grief. All band members attended the funeral.

In 1982, Danny participated in an attempt to reconstruct The Mamas & the Papas, this time consisting of himself, John Phillips, his daughter Mackenzie Phillips and Elaine Spanky McFarlane. The group toured, performing old hits and new songs written by John, but could not repeat the success of the first lineup. In 2003, Danny took part in the Broadway production of the musical 'Dream a Little Dream', based on the story of 'The Mamas & the Papas'. The musical was well received by the public and received favorable reviews from critics.

Danny Doherty photography

In the 1990s, Doherty returned to his native Halifax and worked in television, voicing characters in the children's show Theodore Tugboat, about the adventures of a small tugboat living in the Grand Harbour. In 1999, Danny played a character named Charlie McGinnis in 22 episodes of the historical series Pit Pony.

Best of the day

Danny Doherty died on January 19, 2007, at his home in Mississauga, Ontario. The cause was a second abdominal aortic aneurysm. Doherty is survived by three children - a daughter from her first short-term marriage, Jessica Woods, a daughter, Amberley, and a son, John, from her second marriage. His wife Jeanette died in 1998.

Shortly before his death, Danny played a small role as an FBI agent in an episode of the series Trailer Park Boys. This episode was released as a dedication to the memory of the artist.

Best weeks

Danny DeVito and Penguin

In 1988, DeVito began collaborating with Arnold Schwarzenegger. They starred together in the comedies "Twins" and "Junior." However, soon the public's attention was drawn to the comic book character from DC Comics, which the actor showed. He became the main character in Tim Burton's Batman Returns. Danny the Penguin was a big hit, in both good and bad ways.

DeVito was suggested for the role by his friend Jack Nicholson after the success of the first film, in which Nicholson played the Joker. By the way, initially this role was supposed to go to Dustin Hoffman, but he refused. In addition to him, Marlon Brando, John Candy, Dean Martin, Dudley Moore, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta and Christopher Lloyd could play the Penguin. All of them were considered by the director, but the choice ultimately fell on Danny.

Taking on the role of the iconic villain, DeVito fought against Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) and Michael Keaton (Batman). According to Danny, the makeup took four and a half hours. It also took a lot of time to put on the suit. Stanley Winston, master of visual and technical special effects for “Terminator”, “Jurassic Park”, “Aliens”, “Predators” and “Edward Scissorhands” was responsible for all this:

“The original concept was to just have a pointy nose,” Winston said, “but I wasn’t very happy with that. So I dipped my hands back into the clay I love and started playing with the look. A few years ago, for the movie Wiz, I created a crow with a huge beak. I've always loved this design, and although crows had nothing in common with penguins, I felt I could use a similar concept." On top of everything else, Danny even had to eat raw fish. To further convey the image, he poured dark green mouthwash into his mouth. It oozed and dripped as DeVito spoke. The actor looked so intimidating, which is why his colleagues in the film avoided him. This allowed him to immerse himself even more in the role.

Evolution of Machete

The character of Machete, one of the brightest in the actor’s filmography, was created by Robert Rodriguez specifically for Danny Trejo long before the release of the 2010 film of the same name. During the filming of Spy Kids, the director introduces the uncle of the main characters, Isidore "Machete" Cortez, into the narrative. The character later appears in a fake trailer for Grindhouse, with many critics calling it the film's best storytelling moment. The textured Mexican, who for a long time played only memorable cameo roles, proved that he can easily pull off a full meter with his charisma.

Rodriguez and Trejo have been discussing the possibility of creating a feature-length project about this hero for several years. As a result, in 2010, the stylized action movie “Machete” was released. Trejo in the film appears as the public is accustomed to seeing him - gloomy, dexterous, strong and merciless to his enemies. As it turned out, he can joke, without a hint of a smile, but it’s quite funny.

The film was successful, so the creators decided to launch production of a sequel, “Machete Kills.” An absurd action movie about an invincible Mexican who never texts, but is able to chop an army of enemies into cabbage, ends with a fake trailer “Machete kills again... in space.” Perhaps a threequel is already in development, and the viewer will meet the frantic character more than once. For Danny Trejo, films with Machete, as he himself admits, are especially significant.

Producing and directing activities

Although Danny DeVito was originally a comedic actor, he was able to transform himself into amazing dramatic characters. The Hollywood star played in such films as “Jack the Bear,” “LA Confidential,” “The Benefactor” and “The Virgin Suicides.” Danny also founded Jersey films with Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. She helped produce the films Hoffa, Killing Smoochy, Man on the Moon and Pulp Fiction. It was DeVito who took Quentin Tarantino’s script to the Miramax studio, after which the film became a legend.

Danny's other producing credits include Reality Bites and Get Shorty, one of Hollywood's best Hollywood films and the film that revitalized John Travolta's career. The crown of creation can be called the biographical drama “Erin Brockovich” by Steven Soderbergh, where Danny again acted as a producer. For this he received an Oscar nomination. In addition, DeVito was the director of the films “Matilda”, “Duplex” and many other famous works. In 2006, he began working with Morgan Freeman's ClickStar, focusing on documentaries.

First role

Arriving in Hollywood, as Banker requested, Trejo found himself on the set where prison scenes were being filmed. Seeing the "prisoners" with the wrong tattoos and never having tasted prison life, Danny became amused. The guy who needed to be saved from drugs offered him the role of a prisoner, after asking Danny if he would be up to such a role. This amused Trejo even more. He easily fit into the crowd, because he had to portray himself. When he was given an orange robe, Danny began to change clothes, but the director, amazed by his tattoos, suggested that he play naked from the waist up. They paid Danny $15 a day, and he was quite happy. But Eddie Bunker, remembering Trejo's wonderful fights, invited him to become a consultant to the young actor, who also plays a prisoner and does not know how to fight at all. Banker promised a salary of as much as $320 a day. Trejo happily agreed. One of his training sessions with Eric Roberts - that was the name of that actor - was seen by Andrei Konchalovsky. The pumped-up, stern consultant with the face of a typical bandit amazed him. Konchalovsky gave the small role of a boxer in his film to the unknown Danny Trejo. The filmography of the future star has begun.

Movies of the 2000s

Danny's career never stopped. In the 2000s, he starred in comedies and dramas, including Kidnapping Story, Heist, Austin Powers: Goldmember, Big Fish and The Odd Relatives. DeVito also received one of the main roles in the TV series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is still running. The actor was nominated for an Emmy for his cameo role in the series Friends. He has also been scoring animated films for nearly 40 years. It all started with the cartoon "My Little Pony" in 1986. Danny later was the voice of Herbert Powell in The Simpsons and the Lorax in the cartoon of the same name. Following the release of the Japanese Nintendo 3D game Detective Pikachu, dedicated Pokemon fans created a petition asking for DeVito to become the English voice for the title character. The petition received 40,000 signatures, but the actor refused, saying he was not familiar with the popular franchise.

Today, Danny DeVito is still in demand. In 2019, he collaborated again with Tim Burton for the film Dumbo, and then starred in the sequel Jumanji. Next up is the release of the fantasy drama “Ivan, the One and Only” and the biographical drama “Harry Haft.”

In Russian cinema

The actor is always open to international cooperation and is happy to learn new things. In the film “Courier from Paradise” by Russian director Mikhail Khleborodov, he played one of the supporting roles. He fruitfully realized the offered chance, following the recommendations of his friend, photographer Andrei Kazanovsky. As it turns out, Danny Trejo really likes it in Russia. He is always ready to discuss proposals related to filming in Russia. Moreover, he has experience working with domestic filmmakers, because one of the producers of “Machete” was Alexander Rodnyansky. Moreover, in the vast expanses of the Russian Federation, the actor is known and popular, it is no coincidence that he is mentioned in the song, who became famous thanks to the image of the evil clown of the rapper “Danny Trejo” Routh.

Personal life of Danny DeVito

Back in 1971, the actor met Rhea Perlman when she came to see a friend at a play where DeVito was playing. The couple began living together within two weeks. They got married 11 years later. The marriage produced three children. Ray and Danny performed together several times, including in the TV series Taxi and the film Matilda. Although they separated three times during this time, today the couple are still together.

Regarding his success with such an unusual appearance, Danny says:

“I did well, but acting is like any other business. If you have a desire in your soul to write stories, paint pictures or build bridges, if you want to do something, everything will work out. Once you've been bitten by that bug, your passion, you have to follow it. This is true whether you are tall, short, black, white, green or yellow.”

Personal life

The performer does not like to talk about his personal life. It is known for certain that the actor was married twice. From his first marriage he has a son, Danny Boy. For the second time, he walked the beautiful actress Debbie Shreve down the aisle. The photo of Danny Trejo in an embrace with his wife did not leave the front pages of the media for a long time. The chosen one gave her husband two children: daughter Danielle and son Gilbert. But, after 12 years, their union broke up. Subsequently, the actor did not tie the knot, but became the father of two more children, Jose and Esmeralda, whom different women gave birth to. Despite his sinister appearance and brutal image, Danny turned out to be a caring and kind father.

Trejo is actively involved in charity work, works a lot with teenagers in creative circles, and attends school classes and juvenile prisons.

Recently, the actor decided to realize himself as a restaurateur; he owns a chain of Mexican restaurants.

Films of Danny DeVito

Unmentioned paintings:

• Deadly Hero – 1975;
• Money/The Money – 1976;
• The Van – 1977;
• The World's Greatest Lover – 1977;
• Swap Meet – 1979;
• Monkey/Going Ape! – 1981;
• Aluminum Men/Tin Men – 1987;
• Other People's Money – 1991;
• Last Action Hero (voice) – 1993;
• Look Who's Talking Now (voice) – 1993;
• Renaissance Man – 1994;
• Space Jam – 1996;
• Hercules/Hercules (voice) – 1997;
• Men in Black (cameo) - 1997;
• To the fullest / Living Out Loud – 1998;
• The Big Deal/The Big Kahuna – 1999;
• Let's drown Mona!/Drowning Mona – 2000;
• What's the Worst That Could Happen? – 2001;
• Something else/Anything Else – 2003;
• Love for Christmas/Christmas in Love – 2004;
• Be Cool – 2005;
• Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School – 2005;
• Big Bet/Even Money – 2006;
• 10 steps to success/10 Items or Less – 2006;
• Orgasm in Ohio/The Oh in Ohio – 2006;
• Welcome or no neighbors allowed / Deck the Halls – 2006;
• Good Night/The Good Night – 2007;
• 911: Call Boys/Reno 911!: Miami – 2007;
• Son of a Nobel laureate / Nobel Son – 2007;
• Just Add Water – 2008;
• House Broken – 2009;
• Sexaholic/Solitary Man – 2009;
• Once in Rome/When in Rome – 2010;
• I'm Still Here – 2010;
• Girl Walks into a Bar – 2011;
• Revenge of the Electric Car – 2011;
• Hotel Noir – 2012;
• James's Wilderness/All the Wilderness – 2014;
• Grumpy/Curmudgeons – 2016;
• Dachshund/Wiener-Dog – 2016;
• Comedian/The Comedian – 2016;
• Mayhem in the world of animals/Animal Crackers (voice) – 2017;
• Smallfoot (voice) – 2020.

Childhood and youth

The singer's biography is a story about a girl born and raised in a family of equally talented parents. DaniLeigh's real name is Daniela Curiel. The girl grew up in a creative family. My father was fond of singing, and my mother enjoyed dancing at one time. In addition to Daniela, her parents had three more children: a son and daughters, Amanda and Brianna. On Sunday morning, the father and children attended a local church, where members of the Curiel family sang Christian psalms.

However, young Danny's musical tastes differed from soulful religious songs. The girl enthusiastically listened to tracks in the R'n'B style and dreamed of appearing on stage with her own works.

As a teenager, Daniela grew up to be a tomboy. She played sports, particularly basketball, despite her short stature, and would get into fights at any opportunity. Who would have thought that at the age of twenty she would turn into a feminine girl with beautiful vocals.

Danny Welbeck: personal life

On the eve of the 2020 FA Cup final, one of the online publications published an interesting alternative to the starting lineup for the upcoming match. In it, on a schematic field, the wives and girlfriends of the star football players of both teams were located. Imagine the public's surprise when the list did not include information about Danny Welbeck's passion. Even the most curious English journalists know very little about the attacker’s possible relationships. However, Danny Welbeck is a modest person, which is very rare by the standards of modern football.

Personal life of Dany Boon

Until the age of 12, Dany Boon spoke almost no French. At home, his family spoke Picard. Boone often speaks his native language at his concerts and in his shows. He also used his accent for his role in the film Merry Christmas (2005).

Boone borrowed his stage name from the character of the television series “Daniel Boone,” which he liked as a child.