Danny Trejo’s son says actor is ‘handcuffed’ to Ben Shapiro film

Danny Trejo’s son says the veteran actor is stuck in a Ben Shapiro-backed movie that has drawn heavy criticism, claiming his father had never heard of the conservative commentator when he took the role.

Gilbert Trejo said in a statement shared on social media that his 82-year-old father was pitched the project as a story in which a hardworking Mexican shop owner is the one good guy. The family learned of Mr. Shapiro’s involvement about two weeks into shooting, he said, and he had to explain to his father who the commentator is. Gilbert Trejo said the actor is “handcuffed to this stupid project” because walking away or criticizing the film could bring a breach-of-contract lawsuit.

The contract claim and the timeline have not been independently confirmed.

Danny Trejo, who plays the owner of the title pawn shop in “Pawn Shop,” has already tried to distance himself from the film’s politics. He told TMZ he is “not pro ice,” calling himself a supporter of his community and saying his job as an actor is to tell a story. His representatives told the outlet they had no comment beyond that statement.

The film, produced by Mr. Shapiro’s Daily Wire and Dallas Sonnier’s Bonfire Legend, follows a federal immigration agent who takes refuge in a pawn shop with a Hispanic veteran and the man’s college-age grandson during unrest in Minneapolis. Footage obtained by TMZ appears to show filmmakers recreating the January shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, according to the outlet. Harvey Keitel and Henry Thomas also star.

Production ran into trouble in Livingston, Montana, where the film was shot. The city commission voted unanimously Oct. 3 to suspend the filming permit temporarily after residents and businesses complained about road closures, blank gunfire, pyrotechnics and armed security. A local food bank said the disruptions made it harder for clients to get groceries.

The commission reinstated the permit Oct. 5 with new conditions, including keeping the food bank accessible and limiting private security’s role on public streets. Filming resumed Oct. 6, and production was scheduled to wrap Oct. 10. Mr. Shapiro accused officials of political censorship and a First Amendment violation. The city attorney said the decision was meant to focus on whether the production had violated its permit.