By Judy Shields
Photos The Hollywood Times and Morgan Pierre
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 03/15/2023 “It is so cool, I have History, and land in Cabo!” Actor and Restaurateur Danny Trejo told The Hollywood Times last night at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
The Hollywood Times just loves being invited to cover these types of events of their programming at PBS and KCET, even in the rain! We always try to make it out and this event was a wonderful one at a great intimate venue. We were able to visit the museum at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, which is highly recommended. The current exhibitions are:
THE LEGACY OF CACAO AT LA PLAZA COCINA | NOVEMBER 5, 2022 – APRIL 30, 2023
ARTE PARA LA GENTE, THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MARGARET GARCIA | JULY 22, 2022-JUNE 11, 2023
and
HOSTILE TERRAIN ‘94: THE UNDOCUMENTED MIGRATION PROJECT | SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 – JULY 9, 2023
Here are some photos take by Morgan Pierre of attendees at the museum:
Mixing cutting-edge DNA research and old-school genealogical sleuthing, FINDING YOUR ROOTS uncovers long-buried secrets, hidden identities and lost ancestors. Today’s most compelling personalities discover the surprising stories in their own family trees.
In the episode being screened, host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family tree of Trejo to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when his family immigrated to America. For the first time, Trejo hears the story of his great grandparents’ and their four children’s grueling journey by foot from Mexico to the U.S. shortly after World War I. Also featured in the episode are pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actress Jamie Chung.
Here is a preview of Season 9:
https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/finding-your-roots/preview/season-9-official-preview
We all had a great sampling of Trejo’s Tacos, which were a big hit and delicious! They had carne asada and Jack Fruit, not sure what that is, but let me tell you it was delicious. Mexican rice and black beans were so good too! Homemade salsa, Guacamole and chips to make it a meal. There was even Trejo’s Margaritas and Strawberry Lemon Aqua Fresca.
Here are some photos take by Morgan Pierre of Finding Your Roots Screening attendees:
An informative Q&A, the screening of “Finding Your Roots” featuring Danny Trejo and after the screening was the best part…DONUTS! Let me tell you, they are delicious.
There was a Q&A before the screening. The moderator was Yolanda Machado, digital editor for Entertainment Weekly, who asked Danny some great questions. Here is some of that recording:
Here are some great photos of Danny Trejo and screening attendees on the red carpet taking a photo with him:
The Hollywood Times had the opportunity to speak with Danny Trejo. He is really a cool dude and it was great to see him wanting to meet the attendees and fans of his and take a photo with them. Don’t forget to check out Finding Your Roots‘ episode featuring Danny Trejo, which is currently streaming on the PBS Passport app and PBS SoCal. This show is really a great one and will have you looking into your roots as well!
Here is the interview:
Danny Trejo has 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, but it is his continuous role as a devoted father of three and an intervention counselor that bring him the most satisfaction.
Trejo has starred in dozens of films including “Desperado,” “Heat,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Con Air” and “Machete.”
On the television side, Trejo reunited with Robert Rodriguez for Miramax’ From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. He also had recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy, King of the Hill, Breaking Bad, and The Flash, and has been featured in episodes of Blue Bloods, WHAT We Do in the Shadows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Kidding, among others. Danny has recently wrapped the 3rd season of AMERICAN GODS, where he will be playing the character of MR. WORLD.
Additionally, Trejo has voiced characters in the animated films STORKS and THE BOOK OF LIFE, along with the series American Dad!, Rick and Morty, Puss in Boots, Young Justice and Family Guy. He also voices the character of Boots in DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD, which released in August 2019. More recently, Trejo has lent his voice to Cartoon Network’s Victor and Valentino, Disney Channel’s Big City Greens, and Universal Pictures’ MINIONS 2: The Rise of Gru. Comedian Pete Davidson recently performed an original rap song titled “Danny Trejo”on Saturday Night Live as a tribute to Mr. Trejo.
If you didn’t think Trejo was busy enough, he recently expanded his Trejo’s Tacos empire to include 8 locations in the Los Angeles area, including two new locations at the Original Farmer’s Market and in the Colony in West LA. Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts has also proven to be just as successful and will continue to expand in the near future.
Despite Danny’s impressive list of credits, it is his continuous role as a devoted father of three and an intervention counselor that brings him the most satisfaction. Danny is excited to share his love of food with the world with the release of his first cookbook Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes and Stories from LA, released in April, 2020. Danny’s colorful life and prolific career are chronicled in the new bio-documentary Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo released July 2020.
The evening included a special appearance by Danny Trejo and remarks from PBS SoCal’s Senior VP of Member Engagement and Strategy Maura Daly Phinney as well as LA Plaza’s Chief Executive Officer Leticia Rhi Buckley.
For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.