While his character may have met a sad demise, Heat actor Danny Trejo reveals the heartwarming reason behind his character's name. Trejo starred in Michael Mann's iconic crime drama as Gilbert Trejo, a member of Robert De Niro's crew of thieves engaging in a variety of high-stakes heists in Los Angeles. Trejo separates from the crew near the halfway point of the film, dropping out just prior to the major heist due to LAPD keeping a close eye on him, and is found mortally wounded by De Niro's McCauley, who learns of the double cross by money launderer Roger Van Zant and former crew member Waingro and is put out of his misery by is team leader.
In honor of Hulu's The Binge 2: It's A Wonderful Binge, Danny Trejo caught up with GQ to reflect on some of his most iconic characters. While discussing Heat, the actor recalled the heartwarming story behind his character's name, with writer/director Michael Mann frequently confusing Trejo with a member of his family with whom he worked prior and paying tribute to the late relative. See what Trejo shared below and check out his recollection beginning at the 30-second mark in the video:
Michael Mann did a film in Folsom Prison, it was called The Jericho Mile, and he made friends with my uncle, my Uncle Gilbert. He won’t admit it, but he paid my Uncle Gilbert SAG wages for the three weeks they were in Folsom, and Gilbert kept everybody in line. When I showed up on the set of Heat, it was funny, he saw me and he went, “Hey, Gilbert!” And I’m like, “No, it’s me, Danny.” But, he kept mistaking me for Gilbert, and he changed the script three times, he gave me three different names, and every time he changed the names, he changed the whole script, so a lot of trees went down. Finally, he came up to me and said, “You know what, Danny, every time I look at you, I think of your Uncle Gilbert, is it okay if I just call you Gilbert Trejo in the movie?” I was like, “Yeah!” My whole family cried, because Gilbert had died, he had OD’d before then, so to know my name is Gilbert Trejo in the movie.
How Heat Was Important For Trejo's Career
Though he had appeared in a variety of films and TV shows prior to its release, Heat marked a major chapter in Trejo's career as it was not only one of his biggest roles at that time, but also came as his star profile began to grow in Hollywood. The same year Mann's crime thriller was released, Trejo would also appear in Robert Rodriguez's Desperado, the second installment in the filmmaker's El Mariachi trilogy and his first collaboration with the actor. Trejo and Rodriguez have since worked together on nearly a dozen other projects, including the From Dusk Till Dawn Trilogy, which the latter co-created with Quentin Tarantino, the Spy Kids franchise and the loose spin-off Machete movies.
Audiences may quicker remember the heated dynamic between De Niro and Al Pacino in the original Heat, as well as another lauded supporting performance from Val Kilmer fresh off of Tombstone, but Trejo's turn in the film proved a promising early outing from the actor. In addition to showing off the intimidation he would later be known for in his various Rodriguez collaborations, viewers would also get a glimpse at his ability to tap into sadder material with the death of his character late in the film. Even while covered with fake blood and prosthetics, Trejo was praised by many for helping to sell the heartbreak of having seen his wife killed and not wanting to be left for dead by his mentor.
What's Next For The Heat Franchise
Despite being seen as a beloved standalone story for decades, Michael Mann surprised fans of Heat with the reveal he was working with Meg Gardiner on a follow-up novel that would serve as both a prequel and sequel to his 1995 film. Mann also confirmed he intends to adapt Heat 2 into a film, and has indicated the original roles may be recast for the prequel setting, though no timeline has been given on when this may come to be. While audiences await new details on the follow-up, they can revisit the original Heat streaming on Starz now.
Source: GQ