Episode 143: Danny Trejo

5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

My guest today is actor and author, Danny Trejo. Danny is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable, prolific, and beloved character actors. He’s starred in AMC’s Breaking Bad, FX’s Sons of AnarchyDesperado, Machete, and Spy Kids. Danny owns restaurants including Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Cantina, and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts in the Los Angeles area. We discuss his remarkable journey from prison to blockbuster movies, which is captured in his new memoir “TREJO”, during this podcast episode.

The 5 questions I ask in this episode:

1. Why were you originally drawn into the systems of crime and violence and how were you able to transition into a new life as a Hollywood actor?
2. How did your struggles with addiction, crime, and an abusive childhood inspire your acting roles and serve as motivation for your career?
3. In your long career spanning hundreds of acting credits, how have you been able to separate the person people see in movies from who you are as a person?
4. Why has it been difficult for you to help your children with the struggles they’re experiencing when you’ve already been through them?
5. What’s your best piece of career advice?

Video interview

Follow Danny’s journey:

• Website
• Book
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram