Anyone who has seen a movie in the last few decades has heard of Danny Trejo. He’s one of Hollywood’s most sought-after character actors, having played bad guys in everything from Con Air to Breaking Bad.

He’s also the star of the Machete franchise, as well as the much more family-friendly Spy Kids films.

While he is usually the bad guy on screen, he was given the opportunity to be a hero in real life in 2019.

In the summer of 2019, the 78-year-old actor was driving through Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood on his way to have his car serviced.

However, on the way, he witnessed a woman run a red light and collide with an oncoming car, according to KABC. Trejo claims that the car flipped over and that other vehicles drove around the accident.

But he didn’t waste any time in offering to assist.

Inside the car were two passengers: a young special needs boy and his grandmother.

Another bystander was able to crawl in and unbuckle the boy from the car. Then it was up to Trejo, who reportedly has experience with special needs children, to get him out, using his imagination to calm his nerves during the terrifying ordeal.

«I told them we had to use our superpowers. So he yelled’superpowers,’ and we started yelling’superpowers,'» Trejo explained to KABC. «I told you to do it with the muscles. ‘Muscles,’ he said.»

«We formed a bond.» I kept turning away from the accident and facing him.»

Firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to free the grandmother from the vehicle. They were brought to the hospital, and amazingly there were no serious injuries. Trejo implored other drivers to pay more attention to the road.

“The only thing that saved that little kid was his car seat, honest to God,” he told KABC.

It’s a story straight out of a movie, but Trejo says he went without hesitation because he knows you get what you give.

«Everything good has happened to me as a direct result of helping someone else,» he told an ABC 7 reporter. “Everything.”

After all, this famous tough guy has a big heart! If you know anything about the man and the roles he plays, you will have nothing but admiration for him. Danny exemplifies how a troubled past can be overcome.

After years of being in and out of jail and attending numerous 12-step meetings, the Machete franchise’s star decided to become sober at the age of 24. Before becoming a drug counselor, he immersed himself completely in the recovery community.