One of the biggest names in Hollywood, Danny Trejo has starred in numerous, unforgettable titles including Spy Kids, The Devil's Rejects, and the cult classic From Dusk Till Dawn. He is typically cast as the tough guy, given the deep timbre of voice and his signature tatted look, but in his latest project, Shadow of the Cat, Trejo's character is more than what meets the eye.
The movie, directed by Jose Maria Cicala and written by Cicala, Griselda Sanchez and Gustavo Lencina, follows Gato and his teenage daughter Emma and their life on a remote farm. The young girl finds a cell phone and is contacted by someone claiming to know her estranged mother. While Emma embarks on a trip to connect with the woman, her worried father and his friend Sombra (Trejo) race to rescue her from her dark, supernatural fate. Shadow of the Cat tells a nightmarish story about family and love, and effortlessly connects to the Gen Z experience of digital media and the desire for belongingness, despite its classic horror feel. Game ZXC had the opportunity to chat with Danny Trejo about what drew him to this movie, his character Sombra, and his acting career.
Game ZXC: How do you feel about the DVD and digital release of Shadow of the Cat?
Danny Trejo: It feels awesome. People are gonna love it. It's one of those movies with a lot of twists and turns. It makes me think of The Omen, the first scary, really scary, movie that came out without a monster.
GR: What drew you to the movie?
Trejo: When I first read it, it was in Spanish and I thought, "Yeah, that's cool. Let's do this." I also liked the fact that you don't know the type of character Sombra is. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy?
GR: You mentioned that you read the script, and you thought back to The Omen and all of these other non-monster horror movies. What are some of the inspirations that you used for your character?
Trejo: Maybe Indiana Jones. He's a quiet, one-syllable kind of guy. This character is just so strong, and he goes all the way from being this bad-looking guy to singing at the fireside with the bunch. I like the arc.
GR: The movie features a wonderful father-daughter relationship, and also this thrilling adventure. What are you most excited for viewers to see?
Trejo: Definitely Guillermo Zapata. He's amazing actor—he plays the loving father and also a totally drugged guy, he did it all. And then Maite [Lanata], the young lady that plays Emma, she plays a fun, loving daughter and all of a sudden, wham, she's crazy.
GR: What is the most important message that the movie delivers?
Trejo: Family. The family stuck together and it was awesome. I'm a big family guy and I praise single parents. I was at a graduation recently and it was so heartwarming. This young lady graduated and she had two children, and she said, "First of all, I want to apologize to my kids, for me not tucking them in because I had a paper to finish by 11 that night and I want to thank them for going to bed." It was amazing. I had to talk after this young lady and I was like, "I need a minute" It was so beautiful.
GR: What are some lessons you learned while working on this project and playing Sombra?
Trejo: From the project, first of all, how important family is, secondly, that anything is possible. Anything is possible. I mean, I was in Argentina, and I thought, "Wow, I'm down here and people are wonderful. And anything is possible with God on your side." It's that simple.
GR: You came to this movie with such an impressive resume. Do you take something away from every project that you work on? Do you ever find yourself challenged in a new way?
Trejo: I don't think movies are challenging. To me, there are just so much fun. I love to be with people that love what they're doing. It's almost like a gift from God. This is a gift. I see people that can't do this. Some people think it's easy. I remember working on this one film called Death Wish 4, one of my first movies, and this young lady wanted a line. So, I said, "Okay, when you come up and hand me a drink, say 'Will there be anything else?'" And she came up and handed me the drink, and everybody waited for a minute, and then she just gave me the drink and walked away. I understand, you know, it's simple to say you can do it, until there are 80 million people watching you.
Shadow of the Cat had its DVD and Digital HD Release on June 14, 2022.