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Born Feb. 24, 1947, in East Los Angeles, CA, to Mexican parents, Edward James Olmos is an actor with a profound social conscience. Having performed in memorable roles on stage, television and in films, Olmos is most dedicated to doing what he can to encourage disadvantaged youth to work at improving their lot in life. Each year Olmos makes time to give more than one hundred speeches to groups of disadvantaged kids. He encourages them to pursue an education and to take control of their own destinies. Citing his own background, he often tells them, "If I can do it, anybody can."
After having bit parts in television series, Olmos got his acting break starring in Zoot Suit, a musical drama which began its run in Los Angeles and, after rave reviews, moved to Broadway, where Olmos was nominated for a Tony and won a Drama Critics Circle award for his performance.
On the screen, Olmos was featured in movies such as Blade Runner, Stand and Deliver (for which he won an Oscar nomination), and Selena. He received both an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Series and a Golden Globe award for his role as Lt. Martin Castillo, in Miami Vice. Other memorable TV performances include Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills, The Burning Season, Twelve Angry Men, and The West Wing. Since 2003, he had a starring role in Battlestar Gallactica as Amiral William Adama. Olmos co-founded a film production company called YOY, in 1982, dedicated to making socially conscious films, the first one being, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. He made his directorial debut with the movie, American Me. He has been married three times: to Kaija Keel (1971-1992), to actress Lorraine Bracco (1994-2002) and to Lymari Nadal (2002-present).
Last updated: January 05, 2009.
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