Edward James Olmos
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 24, 1947
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
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
- Blue Collar & Buddha
Blue Collar & Buddha TBA
Actor
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez 2026
as Narrator – El Pachuco (voice)
Office Romance 2026
as Captain Jack Cruz
Mami Está Aquí 2026
as Mr. Jimenez
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood 2026
as self
Say a Little Prayer 2024
Executive Producer
One Fast Move 2024
as Abel
Outlaw Posse 2024
as Ossie
Chasing Wonders 2021
as Luis
The Blade Runner Phenomenon 2021
as Self - Actor (Gaff)
Walking with Herb 2021
as Joe Amable-Amo
The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II 2020
as Self
Space Songs: Through the Distance 2020
as Self
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage 2019
as Self
Imprisoned 2019
as Hospicio
The Devil Has a Name 2019
as Santiago, Director, Producer
Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire 2019
as Self
Windows on the World 2019
as Balthazar
A Dog's Way Home 2019
as Axel
The Eyes of Martin Castillo 2018
as Martin Castillo (archive footage)
Every Night's a Saturday Night 2018
as Self
Coco 2017
as Chicharrón (voice)
Blade Runner 2049 2017
as Gaff
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 2017
as Gaff (voice)
LA 92 2017
as Self (archive footage)
L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later 2017
as Self
Monday Nights at Seven 2016
as Charlie
Americano 2016
as Gayo (voice)
Unity 2015
as Narrator (voice)
Exile Nation: The Plastic People 2014
as Narrator (voice)
The Journey of a Female Comic 2014
Actor
Agave is Life 2014
as Narrator (voice)
Go for Sisters 2013
as Freddy Suárez, Producer
2 Guns 2013
as Papi Greco
Filly Brown 2013
as Leandro, Executive Producer
A Bridge Apart 2013
as (Voice)
America 2011
as Mr. Irving
The Green Hornet 2011
as Michael Axford
I'm Still Here 2010
as Edward James Olmos
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan 2009
as Commander William Adama, Director
A Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story 2009
as Narrator
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2008
as Diablo (voice)
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner 2007
as Self
- Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling
Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling 2007
as Self
Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard 2007
as Self
Battlestar Galactica: Razor 2007
as Admiral William Adama
Splinter 2006
as Captain garcia
Walkout 2006
as Julian Nava, Director
- Recycled Life
Recycled Life 2006
as Self - Narrator (voice)
- La Cerca
La Cerca 2005
as Narrator / Old Niño
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema 2002
Actor
In the Time of the Butterflies 2001
as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
The Judge 2001
as Judge Armando Acosta
The Princess and the Barrio Boy 2000
as Nestor Garcia
Gossip 2000
as Detective Curtis
The Road to El Dorado 2000
as Chief (voice)
The Unfinished Journey 1999
as Narrator (voice)
Zapatista 1999
as Narrator (voice)
Bonanno: A Godfather's Story 1999
as Salvatore Maranzano
The Wall 1998
as Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1998
as Det. Anthony Piscotti
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit 1998
as Vamanos
Manu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest 1997
as Narrator
12 Angry Men 1997
as Juror 11
- Prophecies of the Millennium
Prophecies of the Millennium 1997
as Host
- Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika
Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika 1997
as Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
Hollywood Confidential 1997
as Stan Navarro, Sr.
Selena Remembered 1997
as Narrator (voice), Producer
Selena 1997
as Abraham Quintanilla
Death in Granada 1996
as Roberto Lozano
The Limbic Region 1996
as Lucca
Caught 1996
as Joe
Slave of Dreams 1995
as Potiphar
Mirage 1995
as Matteo Juarez
My Family 1995
as Paco
The Burning Season 1994
as Wilson Pinheiro
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills 1994
as Jose Menendez
A Million to Juan 1994
as The Angel
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues 1994
as Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
Lives in Hazard 1994
as self
- Learning Not to Hurt
Learning Not to Hurt 1993
as Self
Roosters 1993
as Gallo Morales
American Me 1992
as Montoya Santana, Director, Producer
Talent for the Game 1991
as Virgil Sweet
Maria's Story 1991
as José Serrano (voice)
The Earth Day Special 1990
as Hospital Director
Triumph of the Spirit 1989
as Gypsy
Miami Vice: Freefall 1989
as Lt. Martin Castillo
Stand and Deliver 1988
as Jaime A. Escalante
- Blue Collar & Buddha
Blue Collar & Buddha 1986
as Narrator
Saving Grace 1986
as Ciolino
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez 1983
as Gregorio Cortez, Original Music Composer, Associate Producer
The Nightingale 1983
as Prime Minister
Blade Runner 1982
as Gaff
Seguin 1982
as Gen. Santa Anna
Zoot Suit 1981
as El Pachuco
Wolfen 1981
as Eddie Holt
300 Miles for Stephanie 1981
as Art Vela
Virus 1980
as Captain Lopez
Dead Angle 1979
Actor
Alambrista! 1977
as 1st Drunk
Aloha Bobby and Rose 1975
as Chicano #1
Credits from TMDB.