Danny Trejo Is 'Having a Blast' Being an 'Adventures of Puss in Boots' Bad Guy

Danny Trejo is one of Hollywood's most prolific actors, having appeared in literally hundreds of projects since his career began in the early 1980s. The frequent Robert Rodriguez collaborator is often known for playing tough-as-nails badasses and grizzled villains, but that doesn't mean he shies away from the kid-friendly stuff.

One example is the Netflix's original animated series, "The Adventures of Puss in Boots," which follows the heroic moves of the swashbuckling feline we all know and love from "Shrek" and "Puss in Boots." OK, Trejo still plays the villain in this one. But this time he's a cartoon named "El Moco" -- and if you're not familiar with the Spanish language, the translation for El Moco is mucus. Yup, his character is pretty much named "booger."

New episodes of "The Adventures of Puss in Boots" start streaming May 8, so we got the chance to catch up with with Danny about his latest endeavors (and there are many.) We asked the legendary performer about being El Moco, his experience on the upcoming Adam Sandler Netflix comedy, "The Ridiculous 6," that now-viral "Brady Bunch" Snickers ad, and if we're ever going to get that "Machete Kills... In Space" movie. And if you thought he was busy with the dozens of film and TV projects on his plate, you should also know he's opening a taco restaurant this summer. He really does do it all, doesn't he?

Moviefone: Tell us a little bit about working on "The Adventures in Puss in Boots." What drew you to an animated project like this and to this character?

Danny Trejo: I've been having a blast playing a "booger." When my agent called me and told me I'd be playing a character called El Moco I just started laughing. I don't think anybody else has played a "booger" before.

Tell us a little bit more about El Moco and his relationship with Puss.

He's a very, very mean character. He's the perfect advisory for Puss in Boots. Puss in Boots has got to be super tough. And anybody who's got to be super tough has to have a super tough villain. That's why they called me!

What can we expect in this half of the season? How will El Moco get involved?

I can't give it all away, but basically he goes after Puss in Boots. And he goes after him in a very violent way. And you have to remember, anytime you do a cartoon, you have a fan for life. I did "Spy Kids" 14 years ago, and the kids who watched "Spy Kids" are now grown up and watching my R-rated movies.

You just finished filming another Netflix project -- Adam Sandler's comedy, "The Ridiculous 6."

It was so much fun. Adam Sandler (the film's writer) is just such a wonderful man, and so caring. He's on set and knows everyone's names and it's l'm thinking, wow! He'll never forget you.

What can you tell us your role and your experience filming? The movie has such a crazy cast.

First of all, I love westerns. And I play the leader of this really evil crew, like 15 bad guys. i'm just a bad, bad guy. I've got these gold teeth and this long hair and I ride this gorgeous horse. We're pillaging and running amuck and everything. Adam Sandler was great. Frank Coraci was the director, and he's such a wonderful guy. They love what they're doing. And I love to work with people who love what they're doing and haven't lost the passion.

One role I'm sure you thought you would never play is Marcia Brady in a Snickers commercial. How did that happen and are you a "Brady Bunch" fan?

They called me and said, "Danny, we've got a Super Bowl commercial." And I have to say it, that's bigger than the Oscars. More people watch the Super Bowl, except maybe the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight... That's the holy grail for an actor in a lot of ways. They said there's one catch: you have to play Marcia Brady. And I was like, "what?" Then I found out what they were going to pay me and I was like, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! I'll be Marcia Brady!" And then I found out one of my best friends, Steve Buscemi, was in it. It was a riot. That thing is it's still playing! I've gotten calls from all the over the world about it. Everybody grew up with "The Brady Bunch" and my kids used to watch it all the time.

What can you reveal about the next "Machete" movie? Are we going to get to see "Machete Kills... In Space" soon?

Yes! Robert (Rodriguez) is making the moves on it right now. And every time we have an idea about it we just call each other up and say, "what do you think of this?" and then go, "yeah! put that in there." And Robert just gets all these ideas and puts it all together to the movie.

What other projects are you working on?

I'm doing "From Dusk till Dawn: The Series" with Robert Rodriguez. Talk about something great. I'm working with some of my old friends, Wilmer Valderrama and Eiza González. We've been having a lot of fun doing that in Austin. And I'm getting ready to open a restaurant. A taco restaurant, Trejo's Tacos, right in Los Angeles on La Brea between Pico and Olympic. We've got every kind of taco. We've even got gluten free and vegetarian!

You have taken on so many roles throughout your career. Is there anything you haven't done that you would love to do?

You take what you get. I say I'm like a house painter. That's my job. I don't care what house I paint. I'll paint it the color you want. People say "I want to do this" or "I want to do that," but I'm working and working. And I love it.

"The Adventures of Puss in Boots" Season 1.5 is available for streaming on Netflix starting May 8. Check out an exclusive clip, below.

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