Edward James Olmos
Known for: Acting
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
Series
The Simpsons
Pit Master (voice)
1989
Film
Coco
Chicharrón (voice)
2017
Series
Dexter
James Gellar
2006
Series
Dexter
Prof. James Gellar
2006
Series
Blue Bloods
Lorenzo Batista
2010
Series
The West Wing
Roberto Mendoza
1999
Series
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Robert Gonzales
2013
Series
Hawaii Five-O
Dancer
1969
Series
Hill Street Blues
1981
Series
Hill Street Blues
Judge Cruz
1981
Series
Miami Vice
Martin Castillo
1984
Series
Battlestar Galactica
Admiral William Adama
2004
Series
Battlestar Galactica
Commander William Adama
2004
Series
Touched by an Angel
Col. Victor Walls
1994
Series
American Playhouse
General Santa Anna
1982
Series
American Playhouse
Gregorio Cortez
1982
Series
American Playhouse
Jaime Escalante
1982
Film
Blade Runner 2049
Gaff
2017
Series
Cannon
1971
Series
Eureka
First sled dog
2006
Series
Starsky & Hutch
Julio Gutierez
1975
Series
Mayans M.C.
Felipe Reyes
2018
Series
The Batman
Chief Rojas (voice)
2004
Series
Police Woman
1974
Series
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Molecule Man (voice)
2023
Series
Portlandia
Edward James Olmos
2011
Film
Stand and Deliver
Jaime A. Escalante
1988
Series
Kojak
Paco
1973
Film
Blade Runner
Gaff
1982
Series
Faerie Tale Theatre
Prime Minister
1982
Series
Police Story
1973
Series
The Magic School Bus
Mr. Ramon (voice)
1994
Series
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Rey Emiliano (voice)
1995
Series
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
El Murcielago (voice)
1995
Series
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Jimenez (voice)
1995
Series
CHiPs
1977
Series
M.I.A.
Isaac Rojas
2026
Film
The Road to El Dorado
Chief (voice)
2000
Series
George Lopez
Mr. Vega
2002
Series
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Self
2023
Series
Battlestar Galactica
Commander Adama
2003
Series
Bless This Mess
Randy
2019
Series
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996
Film
Office Romance
Captain Jack Cruz
2026
Series
American Family
Jess Gonzalez
2002
Film
2 Guns
Papi Greco
2013
Film
The Green Hornet
Michael Axford
2011
Film
Virus
Captain Lopez
1980
Series
The Real History of Science Fiction
Self
2014
Film
A Dog's Way Home
Axel
2019
Series
Gun
Father Santos
1997
Series
Greetings from Tucson
Priest
2002
Series
The Fitzpatricks
Don Vasquez
1977
Series
500 Nations
1995
Dave Navarro's Spread
2007
Film
12 Angry Men
Juror 11
1997
Series
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Series
Dead Man's Walk
Captain Salazar
1996
Film
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Diablo (voice)
2008
Film
I'm Still Here
Edward James Olmos
2010
Series
The Fortunate Pilgrim
Frank Corbo
1988
Film
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Commander William Adama
2009
Film
American Me
Montoya Santana
1992
Series
The Blue Knight
Clemente (as Ed Olmos)
1975
Film
Selena
Abraham Quintanilla
1997
Film
Battlestar Galactica: Razor
Admiral William Adama
2007
Film
One Fast Move
Abel
2024
Film
Gossip
Detective Curtis
2000
Film
Caught
Joe
1996
Series
Evening in Byzantium
Angelo
1978
Film
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
1994
Film
Wolfen
Eddie Holt
1981
Series
La Californie !
Self - Actor
2023
Film
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
Gaff (voice)
2017
Series
The Judge
Judge Armando Acosti
2001
Film
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
Self
2007
Film
Unity
Narrator (voice)
2015
Film
Americano
Gayo (voice)
2016
Film
The Earth Day Special
Hospital Director
1990
Film
The Devil Has a Name
Santiago
2019
Film
Splinter
Captain garcia
2006
Film
Seguin
Gen. Santa Anna
1982
Film
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Gregorio Cortez
1983
Film
My Family
Paco
1995
Film
Triumph of the Spirit
Gypsy
1989
Film
Mirage
Matteo Juarez
1995
Film
In the Time of the Butterflies
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
2001
Film
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Det. Anthony Piscotti
1998
Film
Talent for the Game
Virgil Sweet
1991
Film
The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II
Self
2020
Film
Bonanno: A Godfather's Story
Salvatore Maranzano
1999
Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika
Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
1997
Film
America
Mr. Irving
2011
Film
A Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story
Narrator
2009
Film
L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later
Self
2017
Film
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
Narrator – El Pachuco (voice)
2026
Film
A Million to Juan
The Angel
1994
Film
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
Self
2019
Film
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit
Vamanos
1998
Film
The Blade Runner Phenomenon
Self - Actor (Gaff)
2021
Film
Selena Remembered
Narrator (voice)
1997
Film
Aloha Bobby and Rose
Chicano #1
1975
Film
The Burning Season
Wilson Pinheiro
1994
Film
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
Jose Menendez
1994
Film
Saving Grace
Ciolino
1986
Film
LA 92
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Walkout
Julian Nava
2006
Film
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
Nestor Garcia
2000
Film
Zoot Suit
El Pachuco
1981
Film
Miami Vice: Freefall
Lt. Martin Castillo
1989
Film
Death in Granada
Roberto Lozano
1996
Film
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002
Film
Dead Angle
1979
Film
Go for Sisters
Freddy Suárez
2013
Film
The Judge
Judge Armando Acosta
2001
Film
Filly Brown
Leandro
2013
Film
The Wall
Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
1998
Film
Windows on the World
Balthazar
2019
Film
Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire
Self
2019
Film
Maria's Story
José Serrano (voice)
1991
Film
300 Miles for Stephanie
Art Vela
1981
Film
The Nightingale
Prime Minister
1983
Film
Imprisoned
Hospicio
2019
Film
Outlaw Posse
Ossie
2024
Film
Alambrista!
1st Drunk
1977
Film
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood
self
2026
Film
Walking with Herb
Joe Amable-Amo
2021
Recycled Life
Self - Narrator (voice)
2006
Film
The Limbic Region
Lucca
1996
Film
Hollywood Confidential
Stan Navarro, Sr.
1997
Film
Roosters
Gallo Morales
1993
Film
Every Night's a Saturday Night
Self
2018
Film
Zapatista
Narrator (voice)
1999
Film
The Journey of a Female Comic
2014
Film
Manu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest
Narrator
1997
Film
Chasing Wonders
Luis
2021
Film
Space Songs: Through the Distance
Self
2020
Film
Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
Self
2007
Film
Monday Nights at Seven
Charlie
2016
Film
Slave of Dreams
Potiphar
1995
Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling
Self
2007
Film
The Unfinished Journey
Narrator (voice)
1999
Film
Exile Nation: The Plastic People
Narrator (voice)
2014
Learning Not to Hurt
Self
1993
Prophecies of the Millennium
Host
1997
La Cerca
Narrator / Old Niño
2005
Film
Mami Está Aquí
Mr. Jimenez
2026
Blue Collar & Buddha
Narrator
1986
Film
Agave is Life
Narrator (voice)
2014
Film
The Eyes of Martin Castillo
Martin Castillo (archive footage)
2018
Film
Lives in Hazard
self
1994
Film
A Bridge Apart
(Voice)
2013
Blue Collar & Buddha