Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood

This was one heck of a ride. I stumbled upon this gem through the Celebrity Memoir Book Club podcast, and I highly recommend checking out their episode on it. I hadn’t expected Trejo's story to be so incredibly unique and gripping, but I was pleasantly surprised. Trejo's recounting of his childhood is vivid and raw, making it impossible not to empathize with his journey. But what sets this memoir apart is the sheer amount of growth, reflection, and grace woven throughout. Trejo doesn’t sugarcoat his past. He owns up to his mistakes and lays bare the motivations behind his actions, all while exploring how his relationship with himself and his faith have shaped his understanding and growth. His discussions about his daughter and how show more she transformed his perspective on women hit me immediately. Recovery and faith are central themes here, but they're seamlessly integrated into the narrative without feeling preachy. Honestly, I finished this book feeling like a better person. Trejo's reminders about gratitude and positivity hit home in a way that's hard to put into words without sounding cheesy. This memoir is action-packed with a powerful message, and I’m buying every bit of it. It’s a must-read that left me inspired and grateful for the journey. show less

In Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood, Danny Trejo and his collaborator, Donal Logue, present an unflinching account of Trejo’s life from childhood through the present day. He never shies away from his mistakes, but honestly describes how he made and later learned from them. At the same time, Trejo offers a beacon of hope in a world that seems all-too-bleak from the past half-decade. He describes a way of living honestly and with love that could make the world a better place. At the very least, he provided this reader with the uplifting story they needed amid the feelings of chaos and uncertainty from the past couple years. I highly recommend this not just for fans of Danny Trejo’s films, but also those looking for show more something to read that will leave them feeling better and looking to apply his philosophy after every chapter. show less

A Hell Of A Life. Danny Trejo didn't start acting - professionally - until he was almost 40 years old. Mostly because a large part of the rest of that time, he was high and/ or in prison, including some of California's most notorious. Today, Trejo is known as one of the more prolific and high profile actors out there, with over 400 acting credits to his name his line of Trejo's Tacos restaurants.

Here, we see at least pieces of pretty much all of his 70 years, from his early childhood as the only male in a house full of women and girls to his first time using various substances to his first robbery and the time he was worried he was about to face capital charges after a prison riot. Much of the front half of the story in particular show more focuses on his times in and around prisons during the first 2-3 decades of his life, and we see how he gained his "tough guy" persona. He lived it. It was either be tough or be dead.

Which actually makes the discussions of his confrontations with none other than (then *recent*) Oscar nominee Edward James Olmos over the movie American Me even more epic.

And yes, the back quarter ish is primarily about Trejo's life in Hollywood and how that impacted him and his family. It is here that we see some of the things that will cause many of us to go "I remember that movie!" and "Oh Trejo was [insert opinion here] in that one!".

In between, we get to see what Trejo was doing in between - which aside from a lot of personal mistakes, was saving a lot of lives and helping a lot of people recover from drug addiction - a passion he pursues to this day.

Serious yet hilarious throughout, this book doesn't pull any punches. Trejo, an ex-con, openly admits to many things in this book that many would probably try to hide, including things that weren't known world wide before now (at least to casual observers). And yet we also get to see behind the scenes of just how much good Trejo has been able to accomplish throughout his life.

Truly a remarkable man, and a memoir well written and told. Very much recommended. show less

I was really captivated by this book and kept finding reasons to get back in my seat to keep reading. And I so rarely enjoy memoirs. Why this one? I'd like to say it's character parts from the 90s and knowing he loves dogs driving my interest, but I think it's also because this collaboration doesn't land heavily in the structure tropes of memoir. This is pretty good story-telling for a memoir.

Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood is an insightful look into the life of an actor whose face many people recognize without knowing the life behind it. Told with the help of friend and fellow actor, Donal Logue, Trejo discusses the early days of his life and family when he started using drugs (marijuana at 7 and heroin at 12) to becoming an actor. He honestly shares his life as both a family man who struggled with fidelity in marriage to his fight to becoming clean and sober. He details both his life in prison and his desire to help those who suffer from addiction. All the while, he is honest about his weaknesses and the major part faith has played in the ladder half of his life. Trejo's life story is told in show more semi-chronological order with flashbacks that pertain to certain events that affected him later in life. Pictures of the people in the book are placed in the middle that help to put faces with names. Overall, Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood is an extremely engaging story about the life of a man who has lived several lifetimes all in one. It is well worth the read and could easily be made into a story for the big screen. show less

I really enjoyed this look into the life of the well known character actor. He could have gotten a narrator would have been fine with me... I already respected for his characters as Machete and similar parts but this gave me much respect for him as a person. While impressed with his successful gangster and enforcer life before films, I was much more impressed with his pre-fame choice to disavow drugs and alcohol and go beyond that to be a counsellor and sponsor to many through enterprises like Project Rebound. While Trejo has lots of stories to tell about filming, it was his history with "Mr. Blue" Edward Bunker that I found most interesting since I knew so little about Bunker beforehand. There is a great afterword from Donal Logue show more which has tow great Trejo stories being a Good Samaritan on two different wrecks and may be unique to the audiobook edition. A review of his life as a con includes sharing a prison with Charles Manson. show less

A very recognizable face. This book shows that there is so much more to Mr. Trejo's life than we thought. It comes across as honest and sincere. Something tells me that Danny does not know how to be anything other than honest and sincere. From his childhood leading to prison time, meeting one of the most famous criminals of the 20th century to his family life and out reach programs to help others. This book is candid and at times brings a tear to the unsuspecting eye of the reader.