“Danny Trejo Talks Tacos, Hollywood, & Redemption,” April 4

Tuesday, April 4, 7 p.m.

Presented Online by the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries

A gifted and familiar film presence famed for roles in such seminal cinematic works as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Heat, Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse, and the From Dusk Til Dawn series, the star of Machete takes part in the virtual presentation Danny Trejo Talks Tacos, Hollywood, & Redemption, an April 4 event offered by Illinois Libraries Present and co-hosted by the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries.

In his April 4 virtual engagement, actor, author, and restaurateur Trejo will discuss how he developed a prolific career in the entertainment industry with a hard-earned and atypical road to success. From years of imprisonment to helping troubled youth battle drug addictions, from acting to producing, and now on to restaurant ventures, Trejo’s name, face, and achievements are well-recognized in Hollywood and beyond. (He can currently be seen in Moline in the trailer for Regal Cinemas, playing the patron who shakes his soda and quotes from The Godfather; Part II.) But it is his continuous role as a devoted father of three and an intervention counselor that bring Trejo the most satisfaction

Trejo has starred in dozens of films including Con Air, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Reindeer Games, and Spy Kids, the latter a work by Trejo's frequent collaborator and second cousin Robert Rodriguez. On the television side, he’s had recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy, King of the Hill, Breaking Bad, and The Flash, and has also starred in and voiced various popular video games including Call of Duty, Fallout, and Grand Theft Auto, as well as voicing characters in the animated movies Storks, The Book of Life, Minions 2: The Rise of Gru, and Maya & the Three.

He shared his love of food with the world in the release of his first cookbook Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes & Stories from L.A., while the artist's fearlessly honest memoir Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, & Hollywood was released in July of 2021. Additionally, Trejo has made a number of cameo appearances in various music videos throughout his career, among them Kid Frost's “La Familia," Sepultura's “Attitude," Mobb Deep's “Got It Twisted”, Rehab's “Bartender Song (Sittin’ at a Bar)”, and Enrique Inglesias' “Loco."

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

The virtual program Danny Trejo Talks Tacos, Hollywood, & Redemption will be viewable on April 4, participation in the 7 p.m. program is free, and more information is available by calling (309)732-7323 and visiting RockIslandLibrary.org, and calling (309)524-2470 and visiting MolineLibrary.com.