Published: March 24, 2009 10:05 am      

Making movies

Local youth takes on gofer duty for Trejo film

San Marcos — Danny Trejo doesn’t smile much in most of his movie roles. But the actor best known for portraying dark characters in movies like Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, From Dust to Dawn, Con Air and Grindhouse can light up with a huge grin when the occasion merits.

And it did last week, when local resident Lewis Bowden posed with 64-year-old Trejo on the Blanco Street set of a movie in production in and around San Marcos.

Lewis actually recognized Trejo from one of his few smiling roles in Spy Kids, says Lewis’ mother Shannon Fitzpatrick, when he wandered over to the set to check out the action.

“Lewis hung out on the set to watch and learn and occasionally help out if needed, and one of the production managers asked him to come back” the next day and be a “gofer,” she said.

“Besides the fun of meeting Trejo, it is interesting to know that besides being second cousin to director Robert Rodriguez, he is also, of course, second cousin to Robert’s brother David, who is a graduate of Texas State and former president of the Associated Student Government here — and a great alumnus,” she said. “So I told Mr. Trejo that we love having their family around San Marcos – they make good things happen here.”

She described the actor as “exceptionally nice” and prolific, making up to 10 movies a year.

Fitzpatrick said after the crew wrapped their Blanco Street scenes, they filmed in Wimberley, and have said they’ll be needing Lewis to help out some more.

She said the movie, a comedy, is called “Pastor Shepherd” and that scenes were also filmed at Wimberley’s Deer Creek Nursing Home and Cypress Creek Cottages.

In addition to Trejo, the film stars Don Worley and Diane Hruska.