Danny Trejo has carved out his place in movie and TV history. From Machete to King of the Hill, audiences never forget his performances. They’ve also fallen in love with him as a public figure, from his books to the huge popularity of Trejo’s Tacos. In his HISTORY series Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo, viewers see a bit of both sides. Danny is playing himself, and he’s also making these obscure stories as exciting as they should be.
Before the Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2 premiere, Fangirlish interviewed Danny about what it’s like for him to play himself on television. He talked about his appreciation for history as a whole, and some of what’s coming in the new episodes. Plus, he reflected on some of his many roles, both scripted and unscripted.
Brittany Frederick: What interested you in hosting Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo? Where did your love of history come from originally?
Danny Trejo: History is the only thing I got a good grade on. I was not a good student, but I loved history. I love anything to do with the past, because [with] the past, you kind of look into the future. San Quentin prison used to be a ship out in San Francisco Bay—that’s history. And who discovered America, the Vikings… And so I absolutely accepted when they asked.
And I love William Shatner [who hosts HISTORY’s The UnXplained]. William Shatner, Star Trek, he’s been a hero of mine forever.
What did you love about coming back for Season 2? Did anything particularly stand out to you?
I came to the second season and I looked at it, and I loved it. They found Jackie Robinson’s bat, and sports I love. And then I went and checked all the bats I’ve got, to see if they belonged to anybody. [Laughs.]
They found a World War II tank on the set of a John Wayne movie, and John used the tank, and that was amazing. And then the last episode—they found a million dollars worth of gold coins hidden in the gas tank of a tank.
That kind of stuff reminds me of when I was young, and we’d go through abandoned houses and find all these old paintings and stuff, and didn’t even think twice. Just passed them up. And then somebody finds a Rembrandt buried in a wall or something. They found a Superman comic book buried in a wall, worth millions of dollars.
This isn’t the only hosting you’ve done. Fans saw you in a recent season of Bar Rescue guest-hosting as a fill-in for Jon Taffer. What is it like to play yourself on a show like that or Mysteries Unearthed, as opposed to playing a scripted character?
I always had a bit of myself as a character. That’s why they hired me. It was kind of like every time I tried to act, they [said] oh, no, Danny, be yourself. It’s like we’re doing an armed robbery in a movie, and you try to act like you think an actor would. No, Danny, be yourself. Oh, okay; I did a robbery. So I’ve been myself all the time. And right now I really get to be myself.
What do you get recognized for more these days? Is it just as Danny Trejo, or are there still specific roles that people key on first?
Machete. [Or] all of a sudden I’ll be in the airport, and kids will be screaming some cartoon character, because they recognize me from from the cartoons.
Like everyone thinks you voiced Octavio in King of the Hill since he looks like you, but you were actually the voice of Enrique.
When I saw Octavio the first time, I called [Mike] Judge and I said all right, you know what, either I’ve got a part on that show… because everybody thinks that Octavio’s me. And he goes, oh no, I got a part—so then all of a sudden, Enrique showed up. [Laughs.]
Is there anything you want to say to the audience as Mysteries Unearthed Season 2 premieres?
I’m just going to be so elated just to do it. Just to be in that genre. It’s a different genre than I’ve ever had. I’m an actor, I’m the bad guy, I’m Machete, and all of a sudden it’s like, I’m a narrator. And I think it’s a big step for me, and I’m just so proud.
I’ve always watched the HISTORY Channel. William Shatner is one of my heroes. That’s who I grew up with, and I think he’s 92 and he still goes to comic cons by himself. It’s unbelievable. I’m 81 and I’m going, but I take somebody with me. [Laughs.]
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY. Photo Credit: Carlos Jaramillo/Courtesy of HISTORY.
