Edward James Olmos
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Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Detective
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in ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
'' (1982) and its sequel ''
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'' (2017), Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'' (1984–1989), high school math teacher Jaime Escalante in '' Stand and Deliver'' (1988), Montoya Santana in '' American Me'' (1992) (which he also directed),
William Adama William "Bill" Adama (callsign "Husker") is a fictional character in the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series produced and aired by the SyFy cable network. He is one of the main characters in the series and is portrayed by Ed ...
in the reimagined ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' (2004–2009), and the voice of Mito in the 2005 English dub of '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind''. For his work in ''Miami Vice'', Olmos won the 1985
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or ...
, as well as the
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outst ...
. For his performance in ''Stand and Deliver'', Olmos was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
and a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. Previously, there was a single awa ...
. He is also known for his roles as folk hero Gregorio Cortez in '' The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez'', patriarch
Abraham Quintanilla Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. (born February 22, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the father of Tejano singer Selena and was her manager throughout her life. Quintanilla was born to a Mexican-American family in ...
in the film ''
Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...
'', Felipe Reyes in ''
Mayans M.C. ''Mayans M.C.'' (also known simply as ''Mayans'') is an American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, that premiered on September 4, 2018, on FX. The show takes place in the same fictional universe as ''Sons o ...
'', the voice of Chief Tannabok in ''
The Road to El Dorado ''The Road to El Dorado'' is a 2000 American animated musical adventure comedy film directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Don Paul, from a screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, as well as additional sequences directed by Will Finn and ...
'', narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
versions of ''Zoot Suit'', and the voice of Chicharrón in ''
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''. Over the course of his career, Olmos has been a pioneer for more diversified roles and images of Latinos in American media. His other 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'', ''
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'', '' 12 Angry Men'', ''
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'', ''
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'', '' The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit'', '' American Family'', and ''
Dexter Dexter may refer to: People * Dexter (given name) * Dexter (surname) * Dexter (singer), Brazilian rapper Marcos Fernandes de Omena (born 1973) * Famous Dex, also known as Dexter, American rapper Dexter Tiewon Gore Jr. (born 1993) Places United ...
''.


Early life

Olmos was born and raised in
East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, the son of Eleanor (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Huizar) and Pedro Olmos, who was a welder and mail carrier. His father was a Mexican immigrant who moved to California in 1945 and his mother was an American of Mexican descent. His parents divorced when he was seven years old, and he was primarily raised by his great-grandparents as his parents worked. He grew up wanting to be a professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player, and at age 13 joined the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
'
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, as a
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
. He left baseball at age 15 to join a
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
band, which caused a rift with his father, who was hurt by the decision. He graduated from Montebello High School in 1964. While there he lost a race for Student Body President to future California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres. In his teen years, he was the lead singer for a psychedelic/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
band he named Pacific Ocean, so called because it was to be "the biggest thing on the West Coast".Cast:William Adama
, scifi.com, accessed 2 December 2006
At the same time, he attended classes at East Los Angeles College, including courses in acting. For several years, Pacific Ocean (later renamed Eddie James and The Pacific Ocean) performed at various clubs in and around Los Angeles, and released the album ''Purgatory'' via VMC Records in late 1968. The album was promoted with two singles, "I Can't Stand It"/"I Wanna Testify," and "My Shrink"/"16 Tons," and was followed by a nation-wide tour in early 1969. While setting up for a Pacific Ocean show one night, Olmos slipped on stage and landed on a nail that went through his knee. Another time during a concert, Olmos jumped from the top of an organ across the stage into the drum set, getting knocked unconscious and dislocating the drummer's shoulder.


Career


Theater

In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Olmos branched out from music into acting, appearing in many small productions, until his big break portraying the narrator, called "El Pachuco", in the play '' Zoot Suit'', which dramatized the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
-era rioting in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
brought about by the tensions between Mexican-Americans and local police, called the
Zoot Suit riots The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots that took place June 3–8, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, United States, involving United States Armed Forces, American servicemen stationed in Southern California and young Latino and Mexican ...
. The play moved to Broadway, and Olmos earned a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination. He subsequently took the role to the filmed version in 1981, and appeared in many other films including '' Wolfen'', ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
'' and '' The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez''. Olmos has been a frequent guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
, narrating the nativity story.


Film and television

In 1980, Olmos was cast in the post-apocalyptic science fiction film ''
Virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...
'' (復活の日 ''Fukkatsu no Hi''), directed by
Kinji Fukasaku was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...
and based on a novel written by Sakyo Komatsu. His role required him to play a piano while singing a Spanish ballad during the later part of the film. Although not a box office success, ''Virus'' was notable for being the most expensive Japanese film made at the time. From 1984 to 1989, he starred in his biggest role up to that date as the taciturn police Lieutenant Martin Castillo in the television series ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'', opposite
Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...
and Philip Michael Thomas, for which he was awarded a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
in 1985. At this time, Olmos also starred in a short training video for the
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entitled ''Was it Worth It?'', a video about theft in the workplace. He was contacted about playing the captain of the on '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' when it was in pre-production in 1986, but declined. Returning to film, Olmos became the first American-born Hispanic to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of real-life math teacher Jaime Escalante in '' Stand and Deliver''. He directed and starred in the controversial crime film '' American Me'' in 1992, and also starred in '' My Family'', a multi-generational story of a
Chicano Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...
family. He had a slight appearance in the video of the American rock band Toto, "
I Will Remember "I Will Remember" is a 1995 song performed by Toto from their album '' Tambu''. The song reached number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. Personnel * Steve Lukather – guitars, lead and backing vocals, piano and synthesizer *David Paich – piano, b ...
" (1995), where he can be seen with actor
Miguel Ferrer Miguel José Ferrer (February 7, 1955 – January 19, 2017) was an American actor. His breakthrough role was as Bob Morton in the 1987 film ''RoboCop''. Other film roles include Harbinger in '' Hot Shots! Part Deux'' (1993), Quigley in '' Blank ...
. In 1997, he starred alongside
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
in the film ''
Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...
''. Olmos played
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
dictator
Rafael Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( ; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (; "the boss"), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until Rafael Trujillo#Assassination, ...
in the 2001 film ''
In the Time of the Butterflies ''In the Time of the Butterflies'' is a historical fiction novel by Julia Alvarez, relating a fictionalized account of the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. The book is written in the ...
''. He had a recurring role as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roberto Mendoza in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
drama ''
The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...
''. From 2002 to 2004, he starred as a recently widowed father of a Hispanic family in the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
drama '' American Family: Journey of Dreams''. From 2003 to 2009, he starred as Commander
William Adama William "Bill" Adama (callsign "Husker") is a fictional character in the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series produced and aired by the SyFy cable network. He is one of the main characters in the series and is portrayed by Ed ...
in the Sci-Fi Channel's reimagined ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
''
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
, and in the
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
that followed. He directed four episodes of the show, " Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" (1.9), " Taking a Break from All Your Worries" (3.13), "
Escape Velocity In celestial mechanics, escape velocity or escape speed is the minimum speed needed for an object to escape from contact with or orbit of a primary body, assuming: * Ballistic trajectory – no other forces are acting on the object, such as ...
" (4.4), and " Islanded in a Stream of Stars" (4.18). He directed a television film based upon the show, '' The Plan''. Regarding his work on the show, he told
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, "I'm very grateful for the work that I've been able to do in my life, but I can honestly tell you, this is the best usage of television I've ever been a part of to date." In 2006, he co-produced, directed, and played the bit part of
Julian Nava Julian Nava (June 19, 1927 – July 29, 2022) was an American educator and diplomat. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Nava served as the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1980 to 1981. Life Julian Nava ...
in the
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film about the 1968 Chicano Blowouts, ''
Walkout In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...
''. He appeared in
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
's music video " Vato". In the series finale of the ABC sitcom '' George Lopez'', titled "George Decides to Sta-Local Where It's Familia"; he guest-starred as the plant's new multi-millionaire owner. He has been a spokesperson for Farmers Insurance Group, starring in their Spanish language commercials. Olmos joined the cast of the television series ''
Dexter Dexter may refer to: People * Dexter (given name) * Dexter (surname) * Dexter (singer), Brazilian rapper Marcos Fernandes de Omena (born 1973) * Famous Dex, also known as Dexter, American rapper Dexter Tiewon Gore Jr. (born 1993) Places United ...
'' for its sixth season, as a "brilliant, charismatic professor of religious studies". Olmos starred in the second season of '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as Robert Gonzales, the leader of a rival faction of S.H.I.E.L.D., for five episodes.


Music

In 1967, Olmos – as Eddie James (vocals, keyboards) – formed the bluesy psyche rock band that would become ''Pacific Ocean'', who the following year released their self-titled, only LP. In 1972, he contributed backing vocals to the final song on
Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...
's ''
Something/Anything? ''Something/Anything?'' is the third album by American musician Todd Rundgren, released in February 1972. It was Rundgren's first album released under his own name, following two records credited to the quasi-group project Runt, and was also his ...
'' album.


Social and political activism

Olmos has often been involved in social activism, especially that affecting the U.S. Hispanic community. During the 1992 Los Angeles riot in Los Angeles, Olmos went out with a broom and worked to get communities cleaned up and rebuilt. He also attended an episode of ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
'' relating to the L.A. riots as an audience member. In 1997, he co-founded the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival with Marlene Dermer, George Hernandez and Kirk Whisler. That same year, he co-founded with Kirk Whisler the non-profit organization, Latino Literacy Now, that has produced Latino Book & Festivals around the US, attended by over 700,000 people. In 1998, he founded Latino Public Broadcasting and serves as its chairman. Latino Public Broadcasting funds public television programming that focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and advocates for diverse perspectives in public television. That same year, he starred in '' The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit''. In 1999, Olmos was one of the driving forces that created ''Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S.,'' a book project featuring over 30 award-winning photographers, later turned into a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, music CD and
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
special. He also makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to at-risk teenagers. He has also been an international ambassador for
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in jail for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
target practice bombings of the island of
Vieques, Puerto Rico Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island, Culebra barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico, and together with Culebra, Puerto Rico, Culebra, it is geographically part of the Spanish Virgin ...
. On January 5, 2007, he blamed the United States government for not cleaning Vieques after the U.S. Navy stopped using the island for bombing practice. Olmos narrated the 1999 documentary film ''Zapatista'', in support of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a revolutionary group that has abstained from using weapons since 1994. He gave $2,300 to New Mexico governor
Bill Richardson William Blaine Richardson III (November 15, 1947 – September 1, 2023) was an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the List of governors of New Mexico, 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was U.S. ambassador to ...
for his presidential campaign (the maximum amount for the primaries). In 2020, he supported
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
for President. Olmos has also vocally supported various animal rights causes over the years. In 2015 Olmos contributed his voice to the Unity (film), which calls for a transformation in humanity's treatment of animals and the natural world. Since 2015, Olmos has been a vegan. He has worked with
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
on a number of campaigns (such as in radio and TV ads calling for humans to keep their pets indoors during fireworks, and voicing the Coyote in their "Council of Animals" sculpture) and in September 2023 was awarded a Humanitarian Award by the organization. He is a supporter of SENS Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to treating and curing diseases of aging by repairing the underlying damage caused by aging. He narrated a series of animations explaining the concept of SENS.


Personal life

From 1979 to 1987, Olmos lived in
West New York, New Jersey West New York is a Town (New Jersey), town in the North Hudson, New Jersey, northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census ...
. In 1971, he married Kaija Keel, the daughter of actor
Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
. They had two children, Bodie and Mico, before divorcing in 1992. Olmos has four adopted children: Daniela, Michael, Brandon, and Tamiko. He married actress
Lorraine Bracco Lorraine Bracco (born October 2, 1954) is an American actress best known for her performance as psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi on the HBO crime drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007) and for her breakthrough role portraying Karen Friedman Hil ...
in 1994. She filed for divorce in January 2002 after five years of separation. Olmos had a long-term relationship with actress Lymari Nadal. They married in 2002, and separated in 2013. In 1993, Olmos was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree from
Whittier College Whittier College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic-serving institution, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of spring 2024, had 815 ...
. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from California State University, Fresno. In 2007, after a seven-year process, he obtained Mexican nationality.
Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
5608 Olmos is named in his honor. In 2022, Olmos was diagnosed with throat cancer and immediately went into chemotherapy for treatment. By the end of the year, the cancer went into remission. This was not made public until May 2023.


Sexual assault accusations

In 1992, a teenage girl accused Olmos of twice touching her in a sexual manner while they watched TV and flirted together. Olmos paid the family a cash settlement of $150,000 in response to the allegations, but denied that they were true. He claimed that the settlement was in fact meant to protect his son, Bodie Olmos, not him. In 1997, a woman accused Olmos of sexually assaulting her in a South Carolina hotel room.


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Olmos, Edward James 1947 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American film directors of Mexican descent American male actors of Mexican descent American television directors Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners California State University, Los Angeles alumni California State University, Sacramento alumni Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead winners Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Film directors from California Hispanic and Latino American male actors East Los Angeles College alumni Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Entertainers from Montebello, California