Early life

Olmos was born in Los Angeles, California, where he was raised, the son of Eleanor (née Huizar) and Pedro Olmos, who was a welder and mail carrier. His father was a Mexican immigrant and his mother was American. He grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player, and became the Golden State batting champion.

He graduated from Montebello High School in 1964. While at Montebello High School, he lost a race for Student Body President to future California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres. In his teen years, he turned to rock and roll, and became the lead singer for a band he named Pacific Ocean, so called because it was to be "the biggest thing on the West Coast". For several years, Pacific Ocean performed at various clubs in and around Los Angeles, and released their only record, Purgatory, in 1968. At the same time, he attended classes at East Los Angeles College, including courses in acting.

Career

Theater

In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Olmos branched out from music into acting, appearing in many small productions, until his big break portraying the narrator, called "El Pachuco," in the play Zoot Suit, which dramatized the World War II-era rioting in California brought about by the tensions between Mexican-Americans and local police. (See Zoot Suit Riots.) The play moved to Broadway, and Olmos earned a Tony Award nomination. He subsequently took the role to the filmed version in 1981, and appeared in many other films including Wolfen, Blade Runner and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.

Film and television

In 1980, Olmos was cast in the post-apocalyptic science fiction film (now a Japanese cult classic) Virus (復活の日 Fukkatsu no Hi), directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on a novel written by Sakyo Komatsu. His role required him to play a piano while singing a Spanish ballad during the later part of the film. Although not a box office success, Virus was notable for being the most expensive Japanese film ever made at the time.

From 1984 to 1989, he starred in his biggest role up to that date as the taciturn police Lieutenant Martin Castillo in the television series Miami Vice, opposite Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, for which he was awarded a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1985. At this time, Olmos also starred in a short training video for the United States Postal Service entitled Was it Worth It?, a video about theft in the workplace. He was contacted about playing the captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) on Star Trek: The Next Generation when it was in pre-production in 1986, but declined.

Returning to film, Olmos became the first American-born Hispanic to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in Stand and Deliver, for his portrayal of real-life math teacher, Jaime Escalante. He directed and starred in American Me in 1992, and also starred in My Family/Mi Familia, a multigenerational story of a Chicano family. In 1997, he starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the film Selena. Olmos played Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in the 2001 movie In the Time of the Butterflies. He also had a recurring role as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roberto Mendoza in the NBC drama The West Wing. From 2002 to 2004, he starred as a recently widowed father of a Hispanic L.A.-family in the PBS drama American Family: Journey of Dreams.

From 2003 to 2009, he starred as Commander (later Admiral) William Adama in the Sci-Fi Channel's reimagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries, and in the television series that followed. He directed four episodes of the show, "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" (1.9), "Taking a Break from All Your Worries" (3.13), "Escape Velocity" (4.4), and "Islanded in a Stream of Stars" (4.18). He also directed a television movie based upon the show, The Plan. Regarding his work on the show, he told CraveOnline, "I'm very grateful for the work that I've been able to do in my life, but I can honestly tell you, this is the best usage of television I've ever been a part of to date."

In 2006, he co-produced, directed, and played the bit part of Julian Nava in the HBO movie about the 1968 Chicano Blowouts, Walkout. He also appeared in Snoop Dogg's music video "Vato", featuring B-Real from Cypress Hill. In the series finale of the ABC sitcom George Lopez, titled "George Decides to Sta-Local Where It's Familia"; he guest-starred as the plant's new multi-millionaire owner. More recently, he has been a spokesperson for Farmers Insurance Group, starring in their Spanish language commercials.

Olmos joined the cast of the television series Dexter for its sixth season, as a "brilliant, charismatic professor of religious studies".

Olmos starred in the second season of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Robert Gonzales, the leader of a rival faction of S.H.I.E.L.D., for five episodes.

Social activism

Olmos has often been involved in social activism, especially that affecting the U.S. Hispanic community. During the 1992 Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles, Olmos went out with a broom and worked to get communities cleaned up and rebuilt. He also attended an Oprah episode relating to the L.A. riots as an audience member. In 1997, he 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 Hispanics 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 Hispanic stereotypes and transcend the normal stigmas of most Hispanic-oriented movies. In 1999, Olmos was one of the driving forces that created Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S.1, a book project featuring over 30 award winning photographers, later turned into a Smithsonian 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. On January 5, 2007, he appeared on Puerto Rican television to blame the Puerto Rican and United States governments for not cleaning Vieques after the U.S. Navy stopped using the island for bombing practice.

Olmos narrated 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. He also gave $2,300 to New Mexico governor Bill Richardson for his presidential campaign (the maximum amount for the primaries).

Personal life

From 1979 to 1987, Olmos lived in West New York, New Jersey. In 1971, he married Katija Keel, the daughter of actor Howard Keel. They had two children, Bodie and Mico, before divorcing in 1992. Olmos has four adopted children: Daniela, Michael, Brandon, and Tamiko. He married actress Lorraine Bracco in 1994. She filed for divorce in January 2002 after five years of separation. That year he married Puerto Rican actress Lymari Nadal.

In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from California State University, Fresno. In 2007, after a seven-year process, he obtained Mexican nationality. Asteroid 5608 Olmos is named in his honor.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1975	Aloha Bobby and Rose	Chicano #1	Credited as Eddie Olmos
1977	Alambrista!	Drunk
1979	Fukkatsu no hi	Capt. Lopez
1981	Wolfen	Eddie Holt
1981	Zoot Suit	El Pachuco
1982	Blade Runner	Gaff
1983	The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez	Gregorio Cortez
1985	Saving Grace	Ciolino
1988	Stand and Deliver	Jaime Escalante
1989	The Fortunate Pilgrim	Frank Corbo
1989	Triumph of the Spirit	Gypsy
1991	Talent for the Game	Virgil Sweet
1992	American Me	Montoya Santana
1993	Roosters	Gallo Morales
1994	A Million to Juan	Angel
1995	Mirage	Matteo Juarez
1995	My Family	Paco
1996	Dead Man's Walk	Capt. Salazar
1996	Caught	Joe
1997	Selena	Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.
1997	The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca	Roberto Lozano
1997	Hollywood Confidential	Stan Navarro, Sr.
1998	The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit	Vamanos
2000	The Road to El Dorado	Chief Tannabok	Voice only
2000	Gossip	Detective Curtis
2002	Jack and Marilyn	Pasquel
2005	Cerca, La	Nino
2005	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind	Mito	English dub; Voice only
2006	Splinter	Capt. Garcia
2008	Beverly Hills Chihuahua	Diablo	Voice
2010	I'm Still Here	Himself
2011	The Green Hornet	Michael Axford
2011	America	Mr. Irving
2012	Filly Brown	Leandro	Producer
2013	Go for Sisters	Freddy Suarez
2013	2 Guns	Papa Greco
2014	Unity	Narrator	Documentary
2014	The Book of Life	El Chu	Voice
2016	El Americano: The Movie	Gayo "El Jefe"	Voice Producer

Television

Year	Series	Role	Episode
1977	Hawaii Five-O	Dancer	Ready aim
1977	Starsky & Hutch	Julio Guiterez	Episode: "The Psychic"
1978	CHiPs	Henry	Episode: "Flashback"
1978	Evening in Byzantium	Angelo	Television film
1981	Three Hundred Miles for Stephanie	Art Vela	Television film
1982	Hill Street Blues	Joe Bustamonte	2 episodes
1984	Hill Street Blues	Judge Cruz	Episode: "Parting Is Such a Sweet Sorrow"
1984-1990	Miami Vice	Lt. Martin Castillo	106 episodes
1988	The Fortunate Pilgrim	Frank Corbo
1990	The Earth Day Special	Hospital Director
1994	Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills	Jose Menendez	Television film
1994	The Burning Season	Wilson Pinheiro	Television film
1995	The Magic School Bus	Mr. Ramon	Episode: "Going Batty"
1996	The Limbic Region	Jon Lucca	Television film
1997	12 Angry Men	Juror #11	Television film
1998	Touched By An Angel	Col. Victor Walls	Episode: "God and Country"
1998	The Taking of Pelham One Two Three	Det. Anthony Piscotti	Television film
1999	Bonanno: A Godfather's Story	Salvatore Maranzano	Television film
1999-2000	The West Wing	Associate Justice Roberto Mendoza	2 episodes
2000	The Princess & the Barrio Boy	Nestor Garcia	Television film
2001	The Judge	Judge Armando	Television film
2001	In the Time of the Butterflies	Rafael Trujillo	Television film
2002-2004	American Family	Jess Gonzalez	17 episodes
2003-2009	Battlestar Galactica	William Adama	73 episodes
2006	Walkout	Julian Nava	Television film; also director
2007	George Lopez	Mr. Vega	Episode: "George Decides to Sta-Local Where It's Familia"
2010	CSI: NY	Luther Devarro	Episode: "Sangre Por Sangre"
2011	Dexter	Professor Gellar	10 episodes
2011	Eureka	Rudy	Episode: "Do You See What I See?"
2012	Portlandia	Himself	Episode: "One Moore Episode"
2015	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	Robert Gonzales	5 episodes
2015	The Simpsons	Pit Master	Voice; Episode: "Cue Detective"
2016	Urban Cowboy	Al Robles	Series regular

Awards and nominations

Year	Nominated work	Award	Results
1985	Miami Vice	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Won
1985	Miami Vice	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Won
1986	Miami Vice	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Nominated
1988	Stand and Deliver	Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead	Won
1988	Stand and Deliver	Academy Award for Best Actor	Nominated
1988	Stand and Deliver	Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama	Nominated
1994	The Burning Season	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Won
1994	The Burning Season	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Nominated
1997	Selena	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film	Won
1997	Hollywood Confidential	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film	Nominated
2001	The Judge	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film	Nominated
2003	Battlestar Galactica	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series	Won
2005	Battlestar Galactica	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Won
2006	Battlestar Galactica	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor - Television Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie	Won
2007	Battlestar Galactica	Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television	Nominated
2008	Battlestar Galactica	Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television	Won
2009	Battlestar Galactica	ALMA Award for Best Actor on Television	Nominated
2011	Dexter	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Nominated
2011	Dexter	Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]