FCC Speakers Forum Presents Danny Trejo
(Tue) January 27, 2026, 11:00am — 12:00pm
The Fresno City College Speakers Forum welcomes iconic actor Danny Trejo to campus on Tuesday, January 27 at 11am in the OAB Auditorium. Mr. Trejo will discuss his prolific career as well as his history of incarceration, addiction, and sobriety.
Admission is free and a livestream via Zoom will be available.
About Danny Trejo
A proud native of Los Angeles, Danny Trejo has become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors. His acting career spans over 40 years and includes such classic films as Blood in, Blood Out, Desperado, Heat, From Dusk till Dawn, Con Air, Reindeer Games, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Bubble Boy, Muppets Most Wanted, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and Zootopia 2. He is probably most widely known for playing the first Chicano action star—Isador "Machete" Cortez in the Spy Kids franchise as well as in Grindhouse and two Machete movies—2010’s Machete and 2013’s Machete Kills. His films has grossed nearly $4 billion and he has the distinction of being the most-killed actor on film.
Notable television appearances include Baywatch, Monk, Desperate Housewives, Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, Sons of Anarchy, and The Book of Boba Fett. He also serves as host of Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo.
Trejo spent much of his youth and young adult life battling addiction and in and out of incarceration including juvenile correctional facilities. He served time in Soledad, Vacaville, and San Quentin Prisons. While in prison, Trejo became a championship boxer. After an incident in 1968 landed him in solitary confinement, he found faith and overcame his addiction. He was released from prison in 1969 and has remained sober ever since.
Trejo went on to become a substance abuse counselor and helped establish several treatment facilities in the San Fernando Valley.
Late one night in 1985, Trejo received a phone call from a young man looking for sobriety help. When he arrived at the address the client had provided, it turned out to be the set of the film Runaway Train. While there, he was offered a job as an extra on the film, then as Eric Roberts’ boxing coach, and finally a small acting role as Roberts’ opponent. While maintaining a busy acting schedule with over 500 credits, Trejo remains a dedicated substance abuse counselor who has helped countless individuals achieve the freedom of sobriety.
Trejo has also opened a chain of successful restaurants including Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Cantina, and Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts with locations throughout Los Angeles as well as in Detroit and London. He published two cookbooks: Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A. and Trejo's Cantina: Cocktails, Snacks & Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood. A documentary about his life, Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo was released in 2020. His critically-acclaimed biography, Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood was published in 2021 and debuted at number four on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.
Despite Trejo’s impressive list of credits, it is his continuous role as a devoted father of three and an intervention counselor that bring him the most satisfaction.
