Salma Hayek’s breakthrough in Hollywood came with her role as Carolina in Desperado. In the film, Hayek worked with Danny Trejo for the first time, who had a surprisingly weird connection to the Frida actress. Trejo led a life of crime before entering the film industry and had spent time in jail. The Machete actor had a tattoo, from his time in prison, of a woman who bore a striking resemblance to the Black Mirror actress.
Even more surprising, the XXX actor once told Hayek that he was willing to go to prison again for her. As insane as it may sound, Hayek recalled this incident as one of the bizarre fan encounters involving a tattoo during one of her interviews.
Danny Trejo Would Have Robbed A Bank For Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek appeared on an episode of The Graham Norton Show, where the host and guests discussed fans tattooing their bodies with celebrities’ images. When Graham Norton asked Hayek if she had any strange experiences with such tattooed fans, the Grown Ups actress recounted her experience with Danny Trejo. The director of Desperado, Robert Rodriguez, was Trejo’s second cousin, which landed him the role of Navajas.
Rodriguez was also the one who rooted for casting Hayek after the studio wanted to cast Cameron Diaz. On set, when Trejo met the Eternals actress, he ran toward her, claiming he knew her and had dreamt about her. The Death Race 2 actor then went on to rip open his shirt and reveal her the tattoo of a woman whom he believed was Hayek. The Wild Wild West actress told Graham Norton:
“In prison, [Trejo] tattooed himself, a huge tattoo of a woman here. He learned how to act in prison and then when he got out of prison, he landed on my first movie that I did. They told me, ‘You’re gonna meet this prisoner that is now an actor’. I was a little bit afraid and when I saw him for the first time, he saw me and he ran towards me and ripped his shirt off and he said, ‘I knew you before I knew you. I dreamt you before I knew you.’”
Hayek confirmed that the woman in the tattoo looked exactly like her, joking that the tattoo might have given her a better body. She further added that Trejo was even willing to rob a bank and go back to prison if she had asked him to. The House of Gucci actress shared with Norton:
“And sure enough there was a picture of a woman that looks exactly like me, the body was a little bit better but let’s pretend, exactly like me in his chest. […] He said, ‘I just got out of jail and I’m happy. But for you, I’d rob another bank if you want me to.’”
It was highly unlikely that Trejo would have kept on that promise as he had cleaned up his life by the time he started working in movies.
Also Read: 10 Danny Trejo Facts To Make You A Fan Of The Machete Man
Danny Trejo Lived A Life Of Crime Until He Decided To Turn His Life Around
Trejo was introduced to drugs as early as the age of seven by his uncle Gilbert. He was first incarcerated at the age of 12 in a juvenile prison and since then spent time in and out of juvenile homes. During this period, The Big Empty actor overdosed on heroin multiple times. Between 1959 and 1969, Trejo served prison terms for serious crimes such as drug dealing and assault with a weapon.
While in prison, the Spy Kids actor learned boxing. A little later, he found faith and joined a 12-step program to overcome his addiction. Trejo also completed his high school diploma and even picked up some acting skills while in prison. Once released, the actor took on various day jobs, including labor foreman, gardener, salesman, and lawn care owner. He later transitioned to working in film productions, eventually landing roles in films.
Salma Hayek and Danny Trejo’s first project together, Desperado, is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
