by Fred Topel
We Americans are kind of soft. When we say “machete” it kind of sounds like “ma-shed-ee.” When Machete himself says it, it sounds as sharp as the blade itself: “Ma-chay-tay.” Danny Trejo really emphasizes the correct Mexican pronunciation of his latest character.
If there were Suicide Men, Danny Trejo might be their leader. Although, he wouldn’t have to worry about committing social suicide, because nobody’s going to mess with him. His rugged face, chest of tattoos, handlebar moustache and long man hair have gotten him cast as bad guys in movies for the past 25 years.
Machete is a hero though. A betrayed former federale, he now works as a day laborer. Instead of Home Depot jobs, Machete finds himself hired to kill an anti-immigration senator. It’s a setup though to make the senator a champion of border patrol. Well, Machete doesn’t go down like that so he takes out the bad guys with his trademark blade, in over-the-top gory Robert Rodriguez style.
In the movie, Trejo wears badass leather. In person, he wore a tan suit that hid his inked up chest. Trejo was discovered by Hollywood when he was in prison, when director Andrey Konchalovskiy cast him in Runaway Train. With the success he found, Trejo has always given back, counseling inmates and drug addicts on finding the right path. Still, based on his movies, most fans might be surprised to find Trejo smiling and giggling. Guess he saves all that badass stuff for the screen now!
Read our exclusive interview with Danny Trejo on SuicideGirls.com.
