Olmos, Edward James (1947—)

Guy D. Garcia wrote in Time (1988) that Edward James Olmos is not only "possibly the best Hispanic-American actor of his generation, but one of the best performers working today." Edward James Olmos, however, did not have Hollywood success and greatness served to him on a platter. He was born and raised by in the poor, working-class Boyle Heights section of East Los Angeles. Fortunately, at a young age Olmos avoided drugs and gangs by throwing himself into baseball; it was only at baseball games that he saw his father. By his late teens, however, it wasn't baseball that beckoned, but rock 'n' roll. After graduating from Montebello High School, a longhaired Olmos not only attended junior college, but was the lead vocalist for the band Pacific Ocean. Although Olmos eventually transferred to California State University, Los Angeles, and pursued a degree in sociology, his interest in drama led him to drop out and try his hand at acting. He appeared in several small productions around Los Angeles and eventually landed bit parts on Kojak and Hawaii Five-O. Soon after Olmos made $89 playing a nonspeaking role in the low-budget Aloha, Bobby and Rose (1975), he starred in the successful independent Chicano feature Alambrista! (1977). Thanks to much hard work and a Tony Award nomination for his role as el pachuco in the Broadway production of Luis Valdez's musical Zoot Suit, doors began to open. In 1982 he appeared as the Mexican-Asian detective in Ridley Scott's blockbuster Blade Runner, and in 1984 he became known to television audiences as Lieutenant Martin Castillo of Miami Vice —a role that won him an Emmy. In 1987 Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jaime Escalante, the East Los Angeles barrio math teacher in the widely acclaimed Stand and Deliver (1987). He also received critical praise for his acting in Mi Familia (1995), Selena (1997), and The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1997). Among his peers Olmos is respected for his talent, as well as his dedication to perfecting his roles. For example, he studied the tape-recorded speech patterns of the real-life Jaime Escalante for hours and gained over 40 pounds to resemble him.

While Olmos is a working actor willing to play anyone from a Greek to an American Indian steelworker, he is actively committed to portray characters in stories about Chicano lives, culture, and history. He formed the production company YOY to produce such films as The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)—the true story of a Tejano farmer (played by Olmos) brutally victimized by the Texas Rangers in the early part of the twentieth century. Olmos not only produced but directed and starred in American Me (1992)—a powerful cautionary tale of Chicano gang life. Finally, Olmos's commitment to the Chicano community extends beyond his work in film. Understanding the importance of promoting positive Chicano male role models, he regularly visits and gives lectures on crime and education at public schools, hospitals, Indian reservations, libraries, prisons, and colleges across the country. After the Rodney King riots in April 1992, Olmos was out with a broom helping to clean up the streets. Actor and activist, Edward James Olmos has offered disenfranchised members of society a vision of life's possibilities.

—Frederick Luis Aldama

Further Reading:

Martinez, Elizabeth Coonrod. Edward James Olmos: Mexican American Actor. Connecticut, Millbrook Press, 1997.