Edward James Olmos plays the character of Michael Axford in the 2011 film The Green Hornet.
Biography[]
Edward James "Eddie" Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt. Martin Castillo in Miami Vice, teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver, patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, Detective Gaff in Blade Runner, and narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit.
Social Activism[]
Edward Olmos has often been involved in social activism, especially that affecting the Latino community. During the 1992 Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles, when many people left the city, Olmos went out with a broom and worked to get communities cleaned up and rebuilt. In 1997, Olmos co-founded the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival with Marlene Dermer, George Hernandez and Kirk Whisler. That same year, he co-founded with Kirk Whisler the non-profit organization Latino Literacy Now that has produced Latino Book & Festivals around the USA, attended by over 700,000 people. In 1998, he founded Latino Public Broadcasting and currently serves as its Chairman. Latino Public Broadcasting funds public television programming that focuses on issues affecting Latinos and advocates for diverse perspectives in public television. That same year, he starred in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, a comedy that sought to break Latino stereotypes and transcend the normal stigmas of most Latino-oriented movies. In 1999, Olmos was one of the driving forces that created Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S., a book project featuring over 30 award winning photographers, later turned into a Smithsonia traveling exhibition, music CD and HBO special. He also makes frequent appearances at juvenile halls and detention centers to speak to at-risk teenagers. He has also been an international ambassador for UNICEF. In 2001, he was arrested and spent 20 days in jail for taking part in the Navy-Vieques protests against United States Navy target practice bombings of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Edward James Olmos narrated for the 1999 film Zapatista, a documentary in support of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a revolutionary group that has abstained from using their weapons since 1994. On January 5, 2007, he appeared on Puerto Rican Television to blame the Puerto Rican and United States Governments for not cleaning the Island of Vieques after the United States Navy stopped using the island for bombing practice. He also gave $2,300 to New Mexico governor Bill Richardson for his presidential campaign (the maximum amount for the primaries)
Filmography[]
- Aloha Bobby and Rose (1975) - Chicano #1 (as Eddie Olmos)
- Alambrista! (1977) - Drunk Yelling at Workers
- Evening in Byzantium (1978)
- Angelo Fukkatsu no hi (1979) - Capt. Lopez
- Three Hundred Miles for Stephanie (1981)
- Art Vela Wolfen (1981) - Eddie Holt
- Zoot Suit (1981) - El Pachuco
- Blade Runner (1982) - Gaff
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1983) - Gregorio Cortez
- Saving Grace (1985) - Ciolino
- Stand and Deliver (1988) - Jaime Escalante
- The Fortunate Pilgrim (1989) - Frank Corbo
- Triumph of the Spirit (1989) - Gypsy
- Talent for the Game (1991) - Virgil Sweet
- American Me (1992) - Montoya Santana
- Roosters (1993) - Gallo
- Morales Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994) - Jose Menendez
- A Million to Juan (1994) - Angel
- The Burning Season (1994) - Wilson Pinheiro
- Mirage (1995) - Matteo Juarez
- My Family/Mi Familia (1995) - Paco
- Dead Man's Walk (1996) - Capt. Salazar
- The Limbic Region (1996) - Jon Lucca
- Caught (1996) - Joe
- 12 Angry Men (1997) - Juror #11
- Selena (1997) - Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.
- The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1997) - Roberto Lozano
- The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998) - Vamanos
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1998) - Det. Anthony Piscotti
- Bonanno: A Godfather's Story (1999) - Salvatore Maranzano
- The Road to El Dorado (2000) (voice) - Chief Tannabok
- Gossip (2000) - Detective Curtis
- The Judge (2001) - Judge Armando
- In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) Rafael Trujillo
- Jack and Marilyn (2002) - Pasquel
- Cerca, La (2005) - Nino
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (2005) - Voice of Mito
- Splinter (2006) - Capt. Garcia
- Walkout (2006) - Julian Nava
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) (voice) - Diablo
- I'm Still Here (2010) (actor) - himself
- The Green Hornet (2011) - Michael Axford