You can’t talk about actors with prison records without mentioning Danny Trejo. This guy’s face is the prison stereotype. He actually served 11 years in various California prisons for armed robbery and drug offenses.
Here’s the crazy part: he got into acting because of his prison look. A director saw him on a movie set as an extra and hired him on the spot. He’s now a cult icon in action films.
Famous Actors That Are In Jail at Marina Williams blog
He’s also a huge advocate for recovering addicts. He’ll tell you straight up: “Prison saved my life.” And you believe him, because he has the scars—literally—to prove it.
Mark Wahlberg: The Teenage Menace
Okay, Marky Mark. Before he was a rapper, actor, and producer, he was a violent teenager. At 16, he was charged with attempted murder for a hate crime and assault. He served 45 days in a Massachusetts jail.
He’s been very open about how stupid and reckless he was. He even asked for a pardon years later, though it didn’t go through. But let’s be real: the guy went from “The Funky Bunch” to The Departed.
It’s a huge leap from jail to the Oscars. He’s said he uses that anger and guilt in his acting now. Works for me!
