Robert Rodriguez

We go, Hey, we're going to make a movie. We're going to make it for this budget so we can make it. And the story is going to be so character driven and cool. We're going to get big actors to be in it because they're going to want to be in it. So Danny Trejo, you asked me about Danny Trejo. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay. Danny Trejo. We're doing Desperado now. I'm casting all kinds of people.

Now I have this character that I want to have a bunch of knives. He opens up his vest and there's a bunch of knives. So bring me all the coolest looking, you know, Latin actors we can find. And before he even walked in, there's a picture of him. He already looked like the guy, but he was younger. He always just played prison inmates. It was a picture of him as an inmate in a prison.

Now I have this character that I want to have a bunch of knives. He opens up his vest and there's a bunch of knives. So bring me all the coolest looking, you know, Latin actors we can find. And before he even walked in, there's a picture of him. He already looked like the guy, but he was younger. He always just played prison inmates. It was a picture of him as an inmate in a prison.

Now I have this character that I want to have a bunch of knives. He opens up his vest and there's a bunch of knives. So bring me all the coolest looking, you know, Latin actors we can find. And before he even walked in, there's a picture of him. He already looked like the guy, but he was younger. He always just played prison inmates. It was a picture of him as an inmate in a prison.

I want to give him a cool role, you know, wherever this actor is. He walks in and I see him. It's Danny Trejo. He sits down. And I had the prop knife already made. And I say, you need to have this in your hand and look like you sleep with it. Like just practice flipping it around your hand. And I gave it to him. You got the role. Just start practicing with that. And he gets up and walks out.

I want to give him a cool role, you know, wherever this actor is. He walks in and I see him. It's Danny Trejo. He sits down. And I had the prop knife already made. And I say, you need to have this in your hand and look like you sleep with it. Like just practice flipping it around your hand. And I gave it to him. You got the role. Just start practicing with that. And he gets up and walks out.

I want to give him a cool role, you know, wherever this actor is. He walks in and I see him. It's Danny Trejo. He sits down. And I had the prop knife already made. And I say, you need to have this in your hand and look like you sleep with it. Like just practice flipping it around your hand. And I gave it to him. You got the role. Just start practicing with that. And he gets up and walks out.

He didn't have to say anything because there's no dialogue. Yeah. He walks out. We get to the set and he kept saying, put me in coach. Give me a line. Give me a line. It's like, no, no, you're such a nice guy. You're going to blow the whole mystique. I want this guy to feel like the most evil, scary guy of all. And you're such a nice guy. I didn't let him talk till dusk till dawn.

He didn't have to say anything because there's no dialogue. Yeah. He walks out. We get to the set and he kept saying, put me in coach. Give me a line. Give me a line. It's like, no, no, you're such a nice guy. You're going to blow the whole mystique. I want this guy to feel like the most evil, scary guy of all. And you're such a nice guy. I didn't let him talk till dusk till dawn.

He didn't have to say anything because there's no dialogue. Yeah. He walks out. We get to the set and he kept saying, put me in coach. Give me a line. Give me a line. It's like, no, no, you're such a nice guy. You're going to blow the whole mystique. I want this guy to feel like the most evil, scary guy of all. And you're such a nice guy. I didn't let him talk till dusk till dawn.

But one thing I noticed was that the town we're shot in the Mexican town, which is the same town I shot Mariachi. We went back there because I wanted to pay back the city. And so we had this big movie there and, um, They didn't really know Antonio because he was in European movies. Salma hadn't come to the set yet, but they saw Danny Trejo there in his vest looking like a Mexican icon.

But one thing I noticed was that the town we're shot in the Mexican town, which is the same town I shot Mariachi. We went back there because I wanted to pay back the city. And so we had this big movie there and, um, They didn't really know Antonio because he was in European movies. Salma hadn't come to the set yet, but they saw Danny Trejo there in his vest looking like a Mexican icon.

But one thing I noticed was that the town we're shot in the Mexican town, which is the same town I shot Mariachi. We went back there because I wanted to pay back the city. And so we had this big movie there and, um, They didn't really know Antonio because he was in European movies. Salma hadn't come to the set yet, but they saw Danny Trejo there in his vest looking like a Mexican icon.

They would go like this. Everyone thought he was the star. And I just know magnetism when I see it. And I went, this guy's got something. So I went to him and I said, I got a movie we're going to do someday. This was 94. We didn't make this movie for 15 years. Machete. You're going to be machete.

They would go like this. Everyone thought he was the star. And I just know magnetism when I see it. And I went, this guy's got something. So I went to him and I said, I got a movie we're going to do someday. This was 94. We didn't make this movie for 15 years. Machete. You're going to be machete.

They would go like this. Everyone thought he was the star. And I just know magnetism when I see it. And I went, this guy's got something. So I went to him and I said, I got a movie we're going to do someday. This was 94. We didn't make this movie for 15 years. Machete. You're going to be machete.

had i had an idea for machete then it wasn't the same story i had seen a story uh actually mariachi the guy from march sent me this funny story he said hey look at this story that the usda and fbi sometimes would hire a mexican federale to come do a job for 25 grand that they didn't want to get their own guys killed on i said that's machete the guy that they pay

had i had an idea for machete then it wasn't the same story i had seen a story uh actually mariachi the guy from march sent me this funny story he said hey look at this story that the usda and fbi sometimes would hire a mexican federale to come do a job for 25 grand that they didn't want to get their own guys killed on i said that's machete the guy that they pay

had i had an idea for machete then it wasn't the same story i had seen a story uh actually mariachi the guy from march sent me this funny story he said hey look at this story that the usda and fbi sometimes would hire a mexican federale to come do a job for 25 grand that they didn't want to get their own guys killed on i said that's machete the guy that they pay

But he's not doing it for the money. It turns out he has to get this guy that escaped Mexico, and that's the twist. So that was the original story I had. I said, we're going to do this someday. And we talked about it for years and never did it. Never got around to doing it.