User blog:ARTaylor/Danny Trejo Turns 75

Today is the seventy-fifth birthday of Danny Trejo. The actor was born on this day in Echo Park, California to Alice Rivera and Dionsio Trejo. Danny had a tough early life, doing his early work in construction. He spent numerous years in and out of various prisons. While serving time in San Quentin he became a champion boxer. Eventually he entered a twelve-step program, sobered up, and set his life right.

While working as a youth drug counselor a screenwriter noticed his tattoo, recognizing him as a boxer, and asked him to help on a project. He eventually started appearing as an extra in various films. Then, on the set of Desperado he realized he was the second cousin of director Robert Rodriguez. The two collaborated on numerous other films until Rodriguez created the character of Uncle Machete for his Spy Kids series, eventually creating a spin-off series for Trejo. Due to his unique appearance and tough guy persona, he has often gotten cast as villains and antiheroes.

Comic book fans would recognize him as Breacher, the interdimensional bounty hunter and father of Cisco Ramone's love interest on The Flash. Marvel fans would know him as the original voice of Ox on The Spectacular Spider-Man.