Edward James Olmos
Born: 1947-02-24 in Los Angeles, California, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), actor in and director of American Me (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), and Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982), and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017). In 2018, he played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC. For his work in Miami Vice, Olmos won the 1985 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. For his performance in Stand and Deliver, Olmos was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He is also known for his roles as patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit, and the voice of Chicharrón in Coco. Over the course of his career, Olmos has been a pioneer for more diversified roles and images of Hispanics in the U.S. media. His notable direction, production, and starring roles for films, made-for-TV movies, and TV shows include Wolfen, Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, American Me, The Burning Season, My Family/Mi Familia, Caught, 12 Angry Men, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, Walkout, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, American Family, and Dexter. Description above from the Wikipedia article Edward James Olmos, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- Office Romance as Captain Jack Cruz
- American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez as Narrator (voice)
2024
- One Fast Move as Abel
- Outlaw Posse as Ossie
- Say a Little Prayer ... (Executive Producer)
2023
- Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur as Molecule Man (voice)
- 100 Years of Warner Bros. as Self
- La Californie ! as Self - Actor
2021
- Walking with Herb as Joe Amable-Amo
- Chasing Wonders as Luis
- The Blade Runner Phenomenon as Self - Actor (Gaff)
2020
- The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II as Self
- Chaparreando ... (Creator)
- Space Songs: Through the Distance as Self
2019
- Bless This Mess as Randy
- A Dog's Way Home as Axel
- The Devil Has a Name as Santiago
- Imprisoned as Hospicio
- Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage as Self
- Windows on the World as Balthazar
- Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire as Self
2018
- Mayans M.C. as Felipe Reyes
- Every Night's a Saturday Night as Self
- The Eyes of Martin Castillo as Martin Castillo (archive footage)
2017
- Blade Runner 2049 as Gaff
- Coco as Chicharrón (voice)
- Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 as Gaff (voice)
- LA 92 as Self (archive footage)
- L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later as Himself
2016
- Americano as Gayo (voice)
- Monday Nights at Seven as Charlie
2015
- Unity as Narrator (voice)
2014
- The Real History of Science Fiction as Self
- The Journey of a Female Comic
- Agave is Life as Narrator (voice)
- Exile Nation: The Plastic People as Narrator (voice)
2013
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Robert Gonzales
- 2 Guns as Papi Greco
- Go for Sisters as Freddy Suárez
- Filly Brown as Leandro
- A Bridge Apart as (Voice)
2011
- Portlandia as Edward James Olmos
- The Green Hornet as Michael Axford
- America as Mr. Irving
2010
- Blue Bloods as Lorenzo Batista
- I'm Still Here as Edward James Olmos
2009
- Battlestar Galactica: The Plan as Commander William Adama
- A Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story as Narrator
2008
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua as Diablo (voice)
2007
- Battlestar Galactica: Razor as Admiral William Adama
- Dave Navarro's Spread
- Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner as Self
- Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard as Self
- Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling as Self
2006
- Dexter as James Gellar
- Eureka as First sled dog
- Walkout as Julian Nava
- Splinter as Captain garcia
- Recycled Life as Self - Narrator (voice)
2005
- La Cerca as Narrator / Old Niño
2004
- Battlestar Galactica as Admiral William Adama
- The Batman as Chief Rojas (voice)
2003
- Battlestar Galactica as Commander Adama
2002
- George Lopez as Mr. Vega
- American Family as Jess Gonzalez
- Greetings from Tucson as Priest
- The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2001
- The Judge as Judge Armando Acosti
- In the Time of the Butterflies as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
- The Judge as Judge Armando Acosta
2000
- The Road to El Dorado as Chief (voice)
- Gossip as Detective Curtis
- The Princess and the Barrio Boy as Nestor Garcia
1999
- The West Wing as Roberto Mendoza
- The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
- Bonanno: A Godfather's Story as Salvatore Maranzano
- Zapatista as Narrator (voice)
1998
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three as Det. Anthony Piscotti
- The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit as Vamanos
- The Wall as Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
1997
- 12 Angry Men as Juror 11
- Selena as Abraham Quintanilla
- Gun as Father Santos
- Hollywood Confidential as Stan Navarro, Sr.
- Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika as Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
- Prophecies of the Millennium as Host
- Selena Remembered as Narrator (voice)
- Manu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest as Narrator
1996
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self
- Dead Man's Walk as Captain Salazar
- The Limbic Region as Lucca
- E! True Hollywood Story
- Caught as Joe
- Death in Granada as Roberto Lozano
1995
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Rey Emiliano (voice)
- 500 Nations
- My Family as Paco
- Mirage as Matteo Juarez
- Slave of Dreams as Potiphar
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Col. Victor Walls
- The Magic School Bus as Mr. Ramon (voice)
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
- Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills as Jose Menendez
- The Burning Season as Wilson Pinheiro
- A Million to Juan as The Angel
- Lives in Hazard as self
1993
- Roosters as Gallo Morales
- Learning Not To Hurt as Self
1992
- American Me as Montoya Santana
1991
- Talent for the Game as Virgil Sweet
- Maria's Story as José Serrano (voice)
1990
- The Earth Day Special as Hospital Director
1989
- The Simpsons as Pit Master (voice)
- Triumph of the Spirit as Gypsy
- Miami Vice: Freefall as Lt. Martin Castillo
1988
- Stand and Deliver as Jaime A. Escalante
- The Fortunate Pilgrim as Frank Corbo
1986
- Saving Grace as Ciolino
- Blue Collar & Buddha as Narrator
1984
- Miami Vice as Martin Castillo
1983
- The Nightingale as Prime Minister
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez as Gregorio Cortez
1982
- Blade Runner as Gaff
- Faerie Tale Theatre as Prime Minister
- Seguin as Gen. Santa Anna
1981
- Hill Street Blues
- Wolfen as Eddie Holt
- Zoot Suit as El Pachuco
- 300 Miles for Stephanie as Art Vela
1980
- Virus as Captain Lopez
1979
1978
- Evening in Byzantium as Angelo
- Evening in Byzantium as Angelo
1977
- CHiPs
- The Fitzpatricks as Don Vasquez
- Alambrista! as 1st Drunk
1975
- Starsky & Hutch as Julio Gutierez
- The Blue Knight as Clemente (as Ed Olmos)
- Aloha Bobby and Rose as Chicano #1
1974
1973
- Kojak as Paco
- Police Story
1971
1968
- Hawaii Five-O as Dancer