Danny Trejo’s Classic Rides
The star of Recoil tells us about his retro car collection
The star of Recoil tells us about his retro car collection
Danny Trejo is known as a Robert Rodriguez movie fixture, an all-round tough guy, and, of course, a Baywatch guest star. But one thing he’s not as well known for is his vintage car passion. On the heels of the Blu-ray and DVD release of his new movie, Recoil, Trejo took us through his garage. Needless to say, we’d hang out with him over Jay Leno any day.
1952 Chevy Pick-Up Truck
“You know that guy in the 1952 Chevy that drives on the freeway and slows everybody down? That’s me. The ’52 Chevy pick-up truck, that was big in 1952. That was like the biggest seller ever.”
1936 Dodge Touring Sedan
“The 1936 Dodge touring sedan – you look at it and you think Al Capone is just going to jump out of it. It’s that kind of old car.”
“There’s a story behind that car. Henry Ford published an article about the problems of the world and he blamed them all on the Jews. And that’s on the history books. So when Dodge brought out their 1936 sedan, their emblem actually had a star of David in it. And nobody knows it! I parked the car, and this old man in Beverly Village came up and showed me the Star of David on it. I never even noticed it. So I love old man cars. Old little stories.”
1965 Buick Riviera Clamshell
“The ’65 Buick Riviera Clamshell was only made for one year. They made it in 1965, and that was it. So it’s a classic car, really hard to find.”
1976 Cadillac Seville
“The 1976 Cadillac Seville was the car that, in ’76, said you made it. ‘Cause the only people who had them were like doctors and lawyers.”
On Good-Looking Dudes
“Every so often there’s these guys who have this certain aura about them, like George Clooney, he just stands there and you look at him and you look up to heaven and go, ‘What, were you having a bad day?’ [Laughs] I did a movie with Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp [Once Upon a Time in Mexico] and they’d come and hang out. I would be like, ‘Get away from me! Both of you!’ Because they’re not only extremely good-looking; they’re nice guys. You know, if somebody was that good-looking and an ass, it would be like, ‘Okay, okay, I get it.’ But don’t be a nice guy too, because then I can’t hate you.”
Why Breaking Bad Owes Him a Head
Any Breaking Bad fan will remember Trejo’s character Tortuga’s memorable exit. And it seems he didn’t get a unique, promised souvenir. “Write down in your article that they owe me a head! Because they made two heads, they blew up one and were going to give me the other. They owe me the other head!”
On Machete 2
“On I think April 29th, we start filming…It’s going to be more over-the-top than the original. I’ll be hanging out the window [again] with somebody’s guts.”
On His Packed Schedule
Lesser men would snap under Trejo’s schedule: The actor tends to make over 10 movies a year. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. “One of the rules that I live by is, ‘A busy man has time to do everything,’ so I try to speak at schools, work on my old cars and stuff. I get everything done that I need to get done.”
On His Son’s Encounter with Robert De Niro
“When my son Gilbert met Robert De Niro on Heat — Gilbert was about nine years old and Robert said, ‘Hi Gilbert.’ My son looked at him and went, ‘You talkin’ to me? Are you talkin’ to me?’ He had heard on the comedy channels how they always imitate Robert De Niro. [Laughs] So he and Robert are really good friends.”
Why Sons of Anarchy Is a Game Changer
Thanks to a twist with his Sons of Anarchy character, Trejo is set to play a CIA collaborator in season five. Is it weird for him to be on the law enforcement side for once? “You know, my whole life, my whole career, I wanted just once to play the plaintiff! [Laughs] I’m always the defendant. I think it’s going to be great. I think it’s going to be fun. I think this might turn my career around. I’ll be like 007. Or 0012.” [Laughs]
Recoil is available on DVD and Blu-ray now! Danny Trejo can also be seen in Death Race 3, available early next year.