Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos was born in Los Angeles, California, to Eleanor (Huizar) and Pedro Olmos, who was a mail carrier and Welder. His family was of Mexican descent. If Olmos had followed the first love of his life, he would have been a professional baseball player. But by age 13, another love entered his life: rock music. By age 15, he was already an experienced rock singer, forming and reforming several "garage bands" along the way. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he played the most famous clubs on Sunset Strip, including Gazzarri's and The Factory. But a friend suggested that, with his flair for the dramatic, he consider a career in acting.

Throughout the 1970s, he divided his time between rock music gigs, acting classes, bit parts in television, Off-off-off Broadway plays and his business of moving fine furniture (which kept body, soul and family together).

His first big break was a starring role in Luis Valdez's play, "Zoot Suit", in 1978. The play moved to Broadway and led to a Tony Award nomination and great critical acclaim. Perhaps best known for his role as Lt.

Turned down a regular role on Hill Street Blues (1981) (after several guest appearances) as well as major roles in Scarface (1983) and Firestarter (1984).

Has stated that Blade Runner: The Director's Cut (1982) and Battlestar Galactica (2004) are the two projects he's most proud to be a part of.

Martin Castillo in the NBC television series Miami Vice (1984) (1984-1989), Olmos has been seen in numerous film and television productions.

Was offered the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). He would have been contractually obligated to work exclusively on the series, and not do any other projects while under contract. He wanted the flexibility to be able to work on multiple projects, and declined the role on that basis. Patrick Stewart was eventually cast.

He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his starring role in Stand and Deliver (1988).

Most notable of his recent offerings is American Me (1992), which was also his directing debut. But acting, directing and screenwriting are only parts of what he does. Olmos contends he would much rather be known as an activist than an actor. He devotes much of his time to causes, particularly those focusing on the needs and rights of children. He makes, on average, some 150 personal appearances a year to places where he can reach kids at risk; juvenile halls, detention centers, boys/girls clubs, schools. Anywhere he can get across his message that "we all have a choice" about where life takes us. Olmos stresses the importance of education, the risks of gang life and tries to promote the notion of taking responsibility for one's own actions and one's own happiness in life. Using his own "disadvantaged background" as an example (he grew up in East Los Angeles, infamous for its gang problems), he tells the kids, "If I can do it, so can you". And he tries to point them in a positive direction. He has served as an ambassador for UNICEF and has received numerous accolades for his activism.

On 8/10/01 he was sentenced to 20 days in jail for trespassing in April 2000 on US Navy land on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. He and others were protesting the use of the island as a bombing test ground. President George W. Bush promised to end the testing in 2003.

In December 2002 he narrated the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT (Walt Disney World) during the Christmas seasons.

Agreed to the role of William Adama on the Battlestar Galactica (2004) remake only on the condition that the stories reflect as much realism and credibility as possible.

Declined an offer from director Michael Mann to reprise the role of Lt. Martin Castillo in the movie version of Miami Vice (2006). He was the only cast member from the original Miami Vice (1984) series who was approached to appear in the rebooted movie version of the series.

On March 3, 2008, he and Robert M. Young visited Madrid (Spain) to attend a show about their career.