Edward James Olmos
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.
Known For

The Simpsons

Dexter

Dexter

Blue Bloods

Office Romance

The West Wing

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Miami Vice
All Movies (101)
- American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez2026 · as Narrator – El Pachuco (voice)
- Office Romance2026 · as Captain Jack Cruz
- Mami Está Aquí2026 · as Mr. Jimenez
- One Fast Move2024 · as Abel
- Outlaw Posse2024 · as Ossie
- Chasing Wonders2021 · as Luis
- The Blade Runner Phenomenon2021 · as Self - Actor (Gaff)
- Walking with Herb2021 · as Joe Amable-Amo
- The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II2020 · as Self
- Space Songs: Through the Distance2020 · as Self
- Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage2019 · as Self
- Imprisoned2019 · as Hospicio
- The Devil Has a Name2019 · as Santiago
- Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire2019 · as Self
- Windows on the World2019 · as Balthazar
- A Dog's Way Home2019 · as Axel
- The Eyes of Martin Castillo2018 · as Martin Castillo (archive footage)
- Every Night's a Saturday Night2018 · as Self
- Coco2017 · as Chicharrón (voice)
- Blade Runner 20492017 · as Gaff
- Blade Runner: Black Out 20222017 · as Gaff (voice)
- LA 922017 · as Self (archive footage)
- L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later2017 · as Himself
- Monday Nights at Seven2016 · as Charlie
- Americano2016 · as Gayo (voice)
- Unity2015 · as Narrator (voice)
- Exile Nation: The Plastic People2014 · as Narrator (voice)
- The Journey of a Female Comic2014
- Agave is Life2014 · as Narrator (voice)
- Go for Sisters2013 · as Freddy Suárez
- 2 Guns2013 · as Papi Greco
- Filly Brown2013 · as Leandro
- A Bridge Apart2013 · as (Voice)
- America2011 · as Mr. Irving
- The Green Hornet2011 · as Michael Axford
- I'm Still Here2010 · as Edward James Olmos
- Battlestar Galactica: The Plan2009 · as Commander William Adama
- A Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story2009 · as Narrator
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua2008 · as Diablo (voice)
- Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner2007 · as Self
- Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard2007 · as Self
- Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling2007 · as Self
- Battlestar Galactica: Razor2007 · as Admiral William Adama
- Splinter2006 · as Captain garcia
- Walkout2006 · as Julian Nava
- Recycled Life2006 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- La Cerca2005 · as Narrator / Old Niño
- The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema2002
- In the Time of the Butterflies2001 · as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
- The Judge2001 · as Judge Armando Acosta
- The Princess and the Barrio Boy2000 · as Nestor Garcia
- Gossip2000 · as Detective Curtis
- The Road to El Dorado2000 · as Chief (voice)
- The Unfinished Journey1999 · as Narrator (voice)
- Zapatista1999 · as Narrator (voice)
- Bonanno: A Godfather's Story1999 · as Salvatore Maranzano
- The Wall1998 · as Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three1998 · as Det. Anthony Piscotti
- The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit1998 · as Vamanos
- Manu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest1997 · as Narrator
- 12 Angry Men1997 · as Juror 11
- Prophecies of the Millennium1997 · as Host
- Hollywood Confidential1997 · as Stan Navarro, Sr.
- Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika1997 · as Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
- Selena Remembered1997 · as Narrator (voice)
- Selena1997 · as Abraham Quintanilla
- Death in Granada1996 · as Roberto Lozano
- The Limbic Region1996 · as Lucca
- Caught1996 · as Joe
- Slave of Dreams1995 · as Potiphar
- Mirage1995 · as Matteo Juarez
- My Family1995 · as Paco
- The Burning Season1994 · as Wilson Pinheiro
- Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills1994 · as Jose Menendez
- A Million to Juan1994 · as The Angel
- Even Cowgirls Get the Blues1994 · as Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
- Lives in Hazard1994 · as self
- Learning Not To Hurt1993 · as Self
- Roosters1993 · as Gallo Morales
- American Me1992 · as Montoya Santana
- Talent for the Game1991 · as Virgil Sweet
- Maria's Story1991 · as José Serrano (voice)
- The Earth Day Special1990 · as Hospital Director
- Triumph of the Spirit1989 · as Gypsy
- Miami Vice: Freefall1989 · as Lt. Martin Castillo
- Stand and Deliver1988 · as Jaime A. Escalante
- Blue Collar & Buddha1986 · as Narrator
- Saving Grace1986 · as Ciolino
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez1983 · as Gregorio Cortez
- The Nightingale1983 · as Prime Minister
- Blade Runner1982 · as Gaff
- Seguin1982 · as Gen. Santa Anna
- Zoot Suit1981 · as El Pachuco
- Wolfen1981 · as Eddie Holt
- 300 Miles for Stephanie1981 · as Art Vela
- Virus1980 · as Captain Lopez
- Dead Angle1979
- Evening in Byzantium1978 · as Angelo
- Alambrista!1977 · as 1st Drunk
- Aloha Bobby and Rose1975 · as Chicano #1
- Blue Collar & Buddha—
All TV Shows (48)
- M.I.A.2026 · as Isaac Rojas
- La Californie !2023 · as Self - Actor
- 100 Years of Warner Bros.2023 · as Self
- Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur2023 · as Molecule Man (voice)
- Bless This Mess2019 · as Randy
- Mayans M.C.2018 · as Felipe Reyes
- The Real History of Science Fiction2014 · as Self
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.2013 · as Robert Gonzales
- Portlandia2011 · as Edward James Olmos
- Blue Bloods2010 · as Lorenzo Batista
- Dave Navarro's Spread2007
- Dexter2006 · as James Gellar
- Dexter2006 · as Prof. James Gellar
- Eureka2006 · as First sled dog
- Battlestar Galactica2004 · as Admiral William Adama
- Battlestar Galactica2004 · as Commander William Adama
- The Batman2004 · as Chief Rojas (voice)
- Battlestar Galactica2003 · as Commander Adama
- Greetings from Tucson2002 · as Priest
- George Lopez2002 · as Mr. Vega
- American Family2002 · as Jess Gonzalez
- The Judge2001 · as Judge Armando Acosti
- The West Wing1999 · as Roberto Mendoza
- Gun1997 · as Father Santos
- E! True Hollywood Story1996
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self
- Dead Man's Walk1996 · as Captain Salazar
- 500 Nations1995
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as Rey Emiliano (voice)
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as El Murcielago (voice)
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as Jimenez (voice)
- Touched by an Angel1994 · as Col. Victor Walls
- The Magic School Bus1994 · as Mr. Ramon (voice)
- The Simpsons1989 · as Pit Master (voice)
- The Fortunate Pilgrim1988 · as Frank Corbo
- Miami Vice1984 · as Martin Castillo
- Faerie Tale Theatre1982 · as Prime Minister
- Hill Street Blues1981
- Evening in Byzantium1978 · as Angelo
- CHiPs1977
- The Fitzpatricks1977 · as Don Vasquez
- Starsky & Hutch1975 · as Julio Gutierez
- The Blue Knight1975 · as Clemente (as Ed Olmos)
- Police Woman1974
- Kojak1973 · as Paco
- Police Story1973
- Cannon1971
- Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Dancer