Danny Trejo is best known for playing the villain in many popular Hollywood movies, but the actor just proved offscreen he’s a real-life superhero.
The Machete actor, 75, helped rescue a little boy from an overturned car in Los Angeles following a car accident on Wednesday, August 7. Trejo — who was not involved in the crash but saw it happen — and another woman worked together to get the child out of the vehicle while firemen assisted the boy’s grandmother, who was pinned in the car.
“He was panicked. I said, ‘OK we have to use our superpowers,’” Trejo explained to ABC7, noting that he held the boy facing away from the scene in order to keep him calm. “So he screamed, ‘Superpowers’ and we started yelling, ‘Superpowers.'”
The actor later told CNN affiliate KABC: “Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else. Everything.”
Trejo quickly became a trending topic on Twitter following the news of his heroic act. Social media users took the opportunity to praise the California native for not only his actions on Wednesday, but for the other positive work he does off movie screens.
“Danny Trejo is a f–king badass. Massive respect to him for not only this, but also for his years of volunteer work helping get drug addicts and incarcerated kids back on their feet,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another added: “We can be tough guys and compassionate…”
The official Twitter page for East LA Interchange, the 2015 documentary that Trejo narrated, also shared a sweet message in his honor.
“Our narrator Danny Trejo is a hero & an amazing human being! After saving a child from a car wreck yesterday, he said, ‘Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else. Everything.’ Thanks @officialDannyT, for all you do for others!” the post read.
