Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood
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- Create Date：2021-07-16 10:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Danny Trejo
- ISBN：1982150823
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Summary
For the first time， the full， fascinating， and inspirational true story of Danny Trejo’s journey from crime， prison， addiction， and loss to unexpected fame as Hollywood’s favorite bad guy with a heart of gold。
On screen， Danny Trejo the actor is a baddie who has been killed at least a hundred times。 He’s been shot， stabbed， hanged， chopped up， squished by an elevator， and once， was even melted into a bloody goo。 Off screen， he’s a hero beloved by recovery communities and obsessed fans alike。 But the real Danny Trejo is much more complicated than the legend。
Raised in an abusive home， Danny struggled with heroin addiction and stints in some of the country’s most notorious state prisons， including San Quentin and Folsom， from an early age， before starring in such modern classics as Heat， From Dusk till Dawn， and Machete。 Now， in this funny， painful， and suspenseful memoir， Danny takes us through the incredible ups and downs of his life， including meeting one of the world’s most notorious serial killers in prison and working with legends like Charles Bronson and Robert De Niro。
In honest， unflinching detail， Danny recounts how he managed the horrors of prison， rebuilt himself after finding sobriety and spirituality in solitary confinement， and draws inspiration from the adrenaline-fueled robbing heists of his past for the film roles that made him a household name。 He also shares the painful contradictions in his personal life。 Although he speaks everywhere from prison yards to NPR about his past to inspire countless others on their own road to recovery and redemption， he struggles to help his children with their personal battles with addiction， and to build relationships that last。
Redemptive and painful， poignant and real， Trejo is a portrait of a magnificent life and an unforgettable and exceptional journey through tragedy， pain， and， finally， success that will transfix and inspire。
On screen， Danny Trejo the actor is a baddie who has been killed at least a hundred times。 He’s been shot， stabbed， hanged， chopped up， squished by an elevator， and once， was even melted into a bloody goo。 Off screen， he’s a hero beloved by recovery communities and obsessed fans alike。 But the real Danny Trejo is much more complicated than the legend。
Raised in an abusive home， Danny struggled with heroin addiction and stints in some of the country’s most notorious state prisons， including San Quentin and Folsom， from an early age， before starring in such modern classics as Heat， From Dusk till Dawn， and Machete。 Now， in this funny， painful， and suspenseful memoir， Danny takes us through the incredible ups and downs of his life， including meeting one of the world’s most notorious serial killers in prison and working with legends like Charles Bronson and Robert De Niro。
In honest， unflinching detail， Danny recounts how he managed the horrors of prison， rebuilt himself after finding sobriety and spirituality in solitary confinement， and draws inspiration from the adrenaline-fueled robbing heists of his past for the film roles that made him a household name。 He also shares the painful contradictions in his personal life。 Although he speaks everywhere from prison yards to NPR about his past to inspire countless others on their own road to recovery and redemption， he struggles to help his children with their personal battles with addiction， and to build relationships that last。
Redemptive and painful， poignant and real， Trejo is a portrait of a magnificent life and an unforgettable and exceptional journey through tragedy， pain， and， finally， success that will transfix and inspire。
Reviews
Andrea
，
Interesting & insightful read about a truly unique guy。 A good story， with morals， & a lot of touching moments。
Sarah Durand Lathers
，
So so fascinating！ This book could have been double in size and I’d STILL want more details。 Trejo is an icon and I didn’t think I could adore him any more than I already do - then I read his biography！ Amazing！！
Zenda
，
Danny Trejo has literally been as low as a person can be。 He is a success story that can't really be replicated。 He is not a perfect person， and he acknowledges this， but still tries to help those around him。 He knows how fortunate he is and tries to lift up those around him。 He is 100% himself and never tries to pretend to be anything that he is not。 It was interesting to learn more of his history and some of the things that have made him the man he is today。 Danny Trejo has literally been as low as a person can be。 He is a success story that can't really be replicated。 He is not a perfect person， and he acknowledges this， but still tries to help those around him。 He knows how fortunate he is and tries to lift up those around him。 He is 100% himself and never tries to pretend to be anything that he is not。 It was interesting to learn more of his history and some of the things that have made him the man he is today。 。。。more
Angelina
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Danny Trejo's story is so inspiring。 His is a story of hope and redemption。 In dark times， we look to these sorts of stories to remind us of our humanity and resiliency。 Danny Trejo's story is so inspiring。 His is a story of hope and redemption。 In dark times， we look to these sorts of stories to remind us of our humanity and resiliency。 。。。more
Angel
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A great example how attitude， mindset and willingness to help others can transform your life。
Jason Weber
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5 stars。 What else would you expect？ It’s Danny Trejo’s story！ I’m so glad he decided to write this book。 His story needs to be heard。 Danny doesn’t hold back on his addiction， crimes， and prison stints… he also tells about his children’s addictions and how he handled it being both a parent and drug counselor。From ex con to movie star… it’s a great story。Read this book。 You won’t be disappointed。
Kimberly
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Highly recommend this！ They need to make a movie about his life because it's wild！ Highly recommend this！ They need to make a movie about his life because it's wild！ 。。。more
Ellen
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Wow。 He is the example of what you can become even when all the odds are stacked against you。 The line from the book that I wrote in my journal : “You see what happens when people humble themselves and are willing to be a worker among workers， whatever the job。” He’s a true inspiration。
Oscar Campos
，
Wow， what a book。 I could not put it down。 Mr。 Trejo has also been an interesting person to me and didn’t realize what kind of life he had prior to getting into the movie business。 I knew he had done time but didn’t know the seriousness of his past， he dependencies on substances and his family life。This is a must read。
Chris Finn
，
4。5* I enjoyed this book。 I learnt a lot about Danny Trejo。 I never knew he did so much for addicts。 God bless this man。 The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was it got a bit repetitive at times。 But on the whole a very good book。
Norman is my boo
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Wow。 What an incredible life this guy has lived。 From one end of the spectrum to the other。This is one of those books that lingers after you read it。 He is honest and self reflective in what he’s done， both good and bad。 Coming from his childhood and turning out the way he has， should bring hope to others in the same place。 I hope this book helps many people。
Sarah
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This book is nothing short of amazing。 Danny Trejo has lived a life that most can not even imagine。 His faith in God is inspiring。 And I love how he is able to see God working through various unlikely instances。 Donal Logue was absolutely the best choice as a collaborator in bringing Danny's story to the masses。 Raw and heart-wrenching， this book is extremely hard to put down。 I highly recommend it。 This book is nothing short of amazing。 Danny Trejo has lived a life that most can not even imagine。 His faith in God is inspiring。 And I love how he is able to see God working through various unlikely instances。 Donal Logue was absolutely the best choice as a collaborator in bringing Danny's story to the masses。 Raw and heart-wrenching， this book is extremely hard to put down。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
David
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Danny Trejo has led a much more interesting life than I ever would have imagined。
Annette Martinez
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What a life this man has had！ Such an interesting read。
Mary Monson
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Inspiring read！I have been a fan since Con Air and now I know I will be looking for more of Danny's films。 Unbelievable rise from drugs， prisons and crime to one of the mosted love actors of our time。 His rise is breathtaking， his heart huge and his influence is for all ages。 Inspiring read！I have been a fan since Con Air and now I know I will be looking for more of Danny's films。 Unbelievable rise from drugs， prisons and crime to one of the mosted love actors of our time。 His rise is breathtaking， his heart huge and his influence is for all ages。 。。。more
Sophfronia Scott
，
With his life in the balance and seemingly holding no weight， a young and incarcerated Danny Trejo came to this realization: “Faith shoves fear out of the room。 There’s no room for fear if you fill your soul with faith。 Immediately， a calm came over me。 All this terrible weight I didn’t even know I had been carrying left me。 I felt exhausted， but in a good way。 I relaxed and decided to let God carry the weight。”Trejo must re-learn and re-gain trust in this realization throughout his life and tha With his life in the balance and seemingly holding no weight， a young and incarcerated Danny Trejo came to this realization: “Faith shoves fear out of the room。 There’s no room for fear if you fill your soul with faith。 Immediately， a calm came over me。 All this terrible weight I didn’t even know I had been carrying left me。 I felt exhausted， but in a good way。 I relaxed and decided to let God carry the weight。”Trejo must re-learn and re-gain trust in this realization throughout his life and that is the tension wrapped around this compelling memoir。 It would be easy to think the actor whose stony visage is recognizable to millions from his film and television work， got clean， got lucky， and cruised to a Hollywood happy ending。 But having faith doesn’t mean having it easy。 The guy is no saint， and his good deeds often equaled his poor decisions。 His honesty in presenting his story， with a powerful assist from his talented co-writer， the actor Donal Logue， makes the reader stick with Trejo through failed marriages， health challenges， and the nightmares of a father with drug-addicted children。 Somehow hope keeps Trejo grounded in the present moment， helps him keep putting one foot in front of the other， helps him believe all shall be well when it least seems like it。 A riveting read。 。。。more
Natalie
，
Going into this， I wasn't entirely sure what to expect。 I am familiar with some of his roles， but I never knew a whole lot about his personal life。 This story is a real one， filled with tragedy， addiction and the road to recovery。 He didn't hold back punches with what he went through or where his mind was at growing up。Though a bit of a quicker read for me， it was a great read and brutally honest。 I'm glad that I was able to give this book a read。 Going into this， I wasn't entirely sure what to expect。 I am familiar with some of his roles， but I never knew a whole lot about his personal life。 This story is a real one， filled with tragedy， addiction and the road to recovery。 He didn't hold back punches with what he went through or where his mind was at growing up。Though a bit of a quicker read for me， it was a great read and brutally honest。 I'm glad that I was able to give this book a read。 。。。more
Derek
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A pretty amazing life story， and one hell of a 180。 Being agnostic， the sheer degree of his reliance on god is the only thing that left me squinting at the page a few times。 Though it being the catalyst for such an immense change， who am I to argue it。 In the deepest， darkest hole of the deepest， darkest prison， what else are you going to find？ Definitely a worthwhile read， and I have a great respect for the work that he does in helping others。
Martin Maenza
，
This is a raw， honest， no-holds-barred account of a fascinating life。 Danny Trejo pulls no punches and makes no excuses as he tells his story in graphic detail （with equally graphic language - the faint of heart might be put off by the R-rated words）。 This was as wonderful of a read as I expected。 I might even have to give the audiobook a try as he does the narration himself。
Jesse Keljo
，
To paraphrase the tagline for the film Say Anything， to know Danny Trejo is to love him， and those of you who pick up this book are about to know Danny Trejo。 I was telling my wife some of the stories in this book， and I’m starting to tear up while wondering is this guy even real？ He’s realer than real， forthcoming with his mistakes， always working to be better， and is truly living a life centered around serving God by serving others。 That last is the core running through this entire book: God h To paraphrase the tagline for the film Say Anything， to know Danny Trejo is to love him， and those of you who pick up this book are about to know Danny Trejo。 I was telling my wife some of the stories in this book， and I’m starting to tear up while wondering is this guy even real？ He’s realer than real， forthcoming with his mistakes， always working to be better， and is truly living a life centered around serving God by serving others。 That last is the core running through this entire book: God has put us here to serve others。 It is a message I strive to live as well， though very imperfectly， and this book was a much needed kick in the butt to work harder at this and rest in God’s Grace。 Even if you aren’t into the spiritual message， his life is an incredible journey， and， as a film nerd， I really enjoyed his stories of the films he was involved in。 I also love his outlook on making films: a good film is one that gets made because it is employing a lot of people and helping to support their families。 Three-Headed Shark Attack is a good movie and nothing will convince me otherwise。 I hope to tell you in person one day， but thank you， Mr。 Trejo。 I will be recommending this book to everyone， especially the audiobook， which was a joy to listen to！ 。。。more
amelia
，
machete from spy kids wrote a memoir？？？？？ sign me tf up bro
Beth Bauer
，
One of the most amazing reads ever。 Mr Trejo has lead such an incredible life。 The book sort of jumps a bit at the beginning， but it’s more streamlined after that。 The captions included with the pictures could be a book on their own。 I can’t recommend this one enough。
Hannah
，
（9/10） - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Trigger warnings can be found here To someone who loves （social） psychology， this book was absolute gold， because it's filled to the brim with answers to questions you don't often get to ask。 From hard childhoods， addiction and imprisonment with all the politics that go with it， to recovery， redemption and parenthood - this book really digs in good， and I loved it for that。 I have tremendous respect for this man， and how he continues to grow as a person even well into his 70s， and （9/10） - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Trigger warnings can be found here To someone who loves （social） psychology， this book was absolute gold， because it's filled to the brim with answers to questions you don't often get to ask。 From hard childhoods， addiction and imprisonment with all the politics that go with it， to recovery， redemption and parenthood - this book really digs in good， and I loved it for that。 I have tremendous respect for this man， and how he continues to grow as a person even well into his 70s， and reading about his life was a very enlightening 288 pages。 I think what hit me hardest was not the prison scenes （though they were definitely impactful）， but how Trejo - a recovered addict who's life work includes helping addicts - was basically powerless as he watched two of his children slide down that same hill。 Seeing both sides of that coin in one book made for a very well-rounded account， especially placed in the context of his life as a whole。 Truly a great read！ 。。。more
Carol
，
I listened to the audiobook which is read by the author。 It's rough。 Danny Trejo led a rough life growing up and as an adult。 Some of the stories can be hard to hear。 Never go to prison。 Ever。 The narration is also rough。 The rhythm is off。 There's some stumbling over words。 But I loved the book。 It's great listening to Danny start laughing as he tells a story。 I laughed a lot - and was often embarrassed at the events that caused me to laugh。 I'd equate it to laughing at a guy getting a ball thr I listened to the audiobook which is read by the author。 It's rough。 Danny Trejo led a rough life growing up and as an adult。 Some of the stories can be hard to hear。 Never go to prison。 Ever。 The narration is also rough。 The rhythm is off。 There's some stumbling over words。 But I loved the book。 It's great listening to Danny start laughing as he tells a story。 I laughed a lot - and was often embarrassed at the events that caused me to laugh。 I'd equate it to laughing at a guy getting a ball thrown into his private parts。 Truly not funny - but sort of is :（He's a great storyteller with lots of action in his tales。 I could picture the action movie as he narrated。Danny Trejo turned his life around and has dedicated it to helping addicts get off drugs。 He is an admirable man who has accomplished much。 。。。more
Brian James
，
Just finished the audio book version。 It was utterly painful to get through。 Great stories but it was a TERRIBLE choice to have him narrate his own book。 HE CANNOT READ！！！！ I repeat。 HE CANNOT READ！！！！！
Darcy
，
My first memory of Danny Trejo is in the movie ConAir。 He was such a bad guy and I've seen him play other bad guys， he's so good at it， so it always surprises me when I see/learn that he is such a good guy。 I grabbed this book on a lark， thought it would be interesting and man。。。was it。 I never knew how bad Danny's life was as a kid and into his 20's。 Knowing that， I'm amazed with how he stayed clean， how he has stayed down to earth， how he really lives to help other people。 Danny is surprisingl My first memory of Danny Trejo is in the movie ConAir。 He was such a bad guy and I've seen him play other bad guys， he's so good at it， so it always surprises me when I see/learn that he is such a good guy。 I grabbed this book on a lark， thought it would be interesting and man。。。was it。 I never knew how bad Danny's life was as a kid and into his 20's。 Knowing that， I'm amazed with how he stayed clean， how he has stayed down to earth， how he really lives to help other people。 Danny is surprisingly very honest in a brutal way， he often doesn't come off in a good light， but with each thing Danny learns and really tries to be a better person。 On a side note， when Danny started talking about the tv shows/movies he worked in， I found myself stopping the audio book in order to watch the trailers。 I know that I will be watching some of them in the future。 。。。more
Sarah Gomez
，
I read this expecting to learn more about Trejo， I ended up learning about myself。 :）
Donna McMullen
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Powerfull readA really good read。 Sometimes it got a little confusing when he's telling one story and stops to add details from a different story。 But overall Mr Trejo's book is very inspiring and joyful。 Powerfull readA really good read。 Sometimes it got a little confusing when he's telling one story and stops to add details from a different story。 But overall Mr Trejo's book is very inspiring and joyful。 。。。more
Leslie
，
"LA Times，" July 4， 2021 "LA Times，" July 4， 2021 。。。more
Horace Derwent
，