Acting · Los Angeles, California, USA · Born February 24, 1947
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.
MovieAmerican Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
2026
as Narrator – El Pachuco (voice)
MovieOffice Romance
2026
as Captain Jack Cruz
MovieMami Está Aquí
2026
as Mr. Jimenez
TVM.I.A.
2026
as Isaac Rojas
MovieOne Fast Move
2024
as Abel
MovieOutlaw Posse
2024
as Ossie
TVLa Californie !
2023
as Self - Actor
TV100 Years of Warner Bros.
2023
as Self
TVMarvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
2023
as Molecule Man (voice)
MovieChasing Wonders
2021
as Luis
MovieThe Blade Runner Phenomenon
2021
as Self - Actor (Gaff)
MovieWalking with Herb
2021
as Joe Amable-Amo
MovieThe Disney Family Singalong - Volume II
2020
as Self
MovieSpace Songs: Through the Distance
2020
as Self
MovieRaúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
2019
as Self
MovieImprisoned
2019
as Hospicio
MovieThe Devil Has a Name
2019
as Santiago
MovieCarlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire
2019
as Self
MovieWindows on the World
2019
as Balthazar
TVBless This Mess
2019
as Randy
MovieA Dog's Way Home
2019
as Axel
TVMayans M.C.
2018
as Felipe Reyes
MovieThe Eyes of Martin Castillo
2018
as Martin Castillo (archive footage)
MovieEvery Night's a Saturday Night
2018
as Self
MovieCoco
2017
as Chicharrón (voice)
MovieBlade Runner 2049
2017
as Gaff
MovieBlade Runner: Black Out 2022
2017
as Gaff (voice)
MovieLA 92
2017
as Self (archive footage)
MovieL.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later
2017
as Self
MovieMonday Nights at Seven
2016
as Charlie
MovieAmericano
2016
as Gayo (voice)
MovieUnity
2015
as Narrator (voice)
MovieExile Nation: The Plastic People
2014
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Journey of a Female Comic
2014
TVThe Real History of Science Fiction
2014
as Self
MovieAgave is Life
2014
as Narrator (voice)
MovieGo for Sisters
2013
as Freddy Suárez
TVMarvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2013
as Robert Gonzales
Movie2 Guns
2013
as Papi Greco
MovieFilly Brown
2013
as Leandro
MovieA Bridge Apart
2013
as (Voice)
MovieAmerica
2011
as Mr. Irving
TVPortlandia
2011
as Edward James Olmos
MovieThe Green Hornet
2011
as Michael Axford
TVBlue Bloods
2010
as Lorenzo Batista
MovieI'm Still Here
2010
as Edward James Olmos
MovieBattlestar Galactica: The Plan
2009
as Commander William Adama
MovieA Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story
2009
as Narrator
MovieBeverly Hills Chihuahua
2008
as Diablo (voice)
MovieDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
2007
as Self
MovieDeck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
2007
as Self
Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling
2007
as Self
MovieBattlestar Galactica: Razor
2007
as Admiral William Adama
Dave Navarro's Spread
2007
TVDexter
2006
as James Gellar
MovieSplinter
2006
as Captain garcia
TVEureka
2006
as First sled dog
MovieWalkout
2006
as Julian Nava
Recycled Life
2006
as Self - Narrator (voice)
La Cerca
2005
as Narrator / Old Niño
TVBattlestar Galactica
2004
as Admiral William Adama
TVThe Batman
2004
as Chief Rojas (voice)
TVBattlestar Galactica
2003
as Commander Adama
TVGreetings from Tucson
2002
as Priest
MovieThe Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002
TVGeorge Lopez
2002
as Mr. Vega
TVAmerican Family
2002
as Jess Gonzalez
MovieIn the Time of the Butterflies
2001
as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
MovieThe Judge
2001
as Judge Armando Acosta
TVThe Judge
2001
as Judge Armando Acosti
MovieThe Princess and the Barrio Boy
2000
as Nestor Garcia
MovieGossip
2000
as Detective Curtis
MovieThe Road to El Dorado
2000
as Chief (voice)
MovieThe Unfinished Journey
1999
as Narrator (voice)
MovieZapatista
1999
as Narrator (voice)
TVThe West Wing
1999
as Roberto Mendoza
MovieBonanno: A Godfather's Story
1999
as Salvatore Maranzano
MovieThe Wall
1998
as Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
MovieThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1998
as Det. Anthony Piscotti
MovieThe Wonderful Ice Cream Suit
1998
as Vamanos
MovieManu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest
1997
as Narrator
Movie12 Angry Men
1997
as Juror 11
Prophecies of the Millennium
1997
as Host
MovieHollywood Confidential
1997
as Stan Navarro, Sr.
Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika
1997
as Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
TVGun
1997
as Father Santos
MovieSelena Remembered
1997
as Narrator (voice)
MovieSelena
1997
as Abraham Quintanilla
MovieDeath in Granada
1996
as Roberto Lozano
TVE! True Hollywood Story
1996
MovieThe Limbic Region
1996
as Lucca
TVThe Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996
as Self
TVDead Man's Walk
1996
as Captain Salazar
MovieCaught
1996
as Joe
MovieSlave of Dreams
1995
as Potiphar
MovieMirage
1995
as Matteo Juarez
MovieMy Family
1995
as Paco
TV500 Nations
1995
TVHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as Rey Emiliano (voice)
TVTouched by an Angel
1994
as Col. Victor Walls
MovieThe Burning Season
1994
as Wilson Pinheiro
TVThe Magic School Bus
1994
as Mr. Ramon (voice)
MovieMenendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
1994
as Jose Menendez
MovieA Million to Juan
1994
as The Angel
MovieEven Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
as Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
MovieLives in Hazard
1994
as self
Learning Not to Hurt
1993
as Self
MovieRoosters
1993
as Gallo Morales
MovieAmerican Me
1992
as Montoya Santana
MovieTalent for the Game
1991
as Virgil Sweet
MovieMaria's Story
1991
as José Serrano (voice)
MovieThe Earth Day Special
1990
as Hospital Director
TVThe Simpsons
1989
as Pit Master (voice)
MovieTriumph of the Spirit
1989
as Gypsy
MovieMiami Vice: Freefall
1989
as Lt. Martin Castillo
TVThe Fortunate Pilgrim
1988
as Frank Corbo
MovieStand and Deliver
1988
as Jaime A. Escalante
Blue Collar & Buddha
1986
as Narrator
MovieSaving Grace
1986
as Ciolino
TVMiami Vice
1984
as Martin Castillo
MovieThe Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
1983
as Gregorio Cortez
MovieThe Nightingale
1983
as Prime Minister
TVFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Prime Minister
MovieBlade Runner
1982
as Gaff
MovieSeguin
1982
as Gen. Santa Anna
TVAmerican Playhouse
1982
as General Santa Anna
MovieZoot Suit
1981
as El Pachuco
MovieWolfen
1981
as Eddie Holt
TVHill Street Blues
1981
Movie300 Miles for Stephanie
1981
as Art Vela
MovieVirus
1980
as Captain Lopez
MovieDead Angle
1979
MovieEvening in Byzantium
1978
as Angelo
TVEvening in Byzantium
1978
as Angelo
MovieAlambrista!
1977
as 1st Drunk
TVCHiPs
1977
TVThe Fitzpatricks
1977
as Don Vasquez
TVStarsky & Hutch
1975
as Julio Gutierez
TVThe Blue Knight
1975
as Clemente (as Ed Olmos)
MovieAloha Bobby and Rose
1975
as Chicano #1
TVPolice Woman
1974
TVKojak
1973
as Paco
TVPolice Story
1973
TVCannon
1971
TVHawaii Five-O
1968
as Dancer
Blue Collar & Buddha
