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This episode is no longer available. Please stay tuned for more information as we work to make our archives accessible. If you have any questions, you can reach us at hello [at] sporkful [dot] com.

Danny Trejo, From Lockup to Donut Shop (Reheat)

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Mar 06, 2026
Danny Trejo, From Lockup to Donut Shop (Reheat)

Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.

Danny Trejo is a Hollywood legend. He's been in nearly 400 films, often playing the kinds of characters you wouldn't want meet in a dark alley. When he was in his seventies, his career took a turn: The L.A. native became a successful restaurateur. This new chapter is especially surprising considering that 50 years ago, Danny was a drug addict who couldn't stay out of prison. In this show taped live in L.A., he traces his path from heroin dealer to drug counselor to beloved actor, and tells us how a decades-old joke with his mom led to an unplanned career in food.

This episode contains explicit language.

This episode originally aired on April 25, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Gianna Palmer, Jared O'Connell, and Kristen Torres. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and India Rice. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.

Interstitial music in this episode by Black Label Music:

  • "New Old" by JT Bates
  • "Saturn Returns" by Kenneth J. Brahmstedt
  • "Sun So Sunny" by Calvin Dashielle
  • "Summer Getaway" by Stephen Clinton Sullivan
  • "Summer Of Our Lives" by Stephen Clinton Sullivan
  • "Soul Good" by Lance Conrad

Photo courtesy of Trejo's Tacos.

Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

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