Edward James Olmos Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

Actor, director and activist Edward James Olmos was born 24 February 1947 in East Los Angeles, California. His early dream was to play professional baseball, but instead he led a successful local rock band called Pacific Ocean, then tried acting, playing many bit parts for tv series and in "aloha, bobby and rose" [1975]. His breakthrough role as 'El Pachuco' in the 1978 Luis Valdez play "Zoot Suit" ran for a year and a half in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway, where Olmos was nominated for the Tony Award; the play was filmed in 1981.

After "Zoot Suit", Olmos no longer had to fight for minor 'bad guy' roles, and better jobs soon followed: "Blade Runner" [1982], the title role in "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez" (1982), and then the tv series "Miami Vice" (1984-90) made him a household name. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for "Stand and Deliver" [1988]. He directed "American Me" [1992], and "Jack and Marilyn" [2002]. His Latino-themed tv series "American Family" [2002] lasted only one season, but is available on DVD. And in December of 2003, the SciFi Channel re-launched "Battlestar Galactica", starring Edward James Olmos as Commander Adama {info below}.

He married Kaija Keel in 1971, and had two sons, Mico and Bodie; his 1994 marriage to actress Lorraine Bracco also ended in divorce. In 2002 he married Puerto Rican actress Lymari Nadal. While acting and directing, he continues to maintain a busy schedule as a speaker and activist – stressing the importance of education – and he co-produces several Latino film and book festivals.

"Hollywood Confidential" [Paramount TV April 1997]

Several ex-cops run an agency in Hollywood that investigates and tries to prevent scandals or embarrassment involving entertainment stars, and then to quash the scandal quickly when things get out of hand. Directed by Reynaldo Villalobos; written by Anthony Yerkovich; starring Edward James Olmos, Rick Aiello, Angela Alvarado, Christine Harnos, Richard T. Jones, Brendan Kelly, Charlize Theron, Thomas Jane, Evelina Fernández & Amanda Pays
Paramount color DVD [4/2000] for $17.99
Paramount color VHS [7/99] out of prodn/many used
full credits from IMDb

"12 Angry Men" TV movie [M.G.M./Showtime Aug 1997]

A multi-racial, all-male jury meets to decide the fate of a youth accused of murdering his father with a knife; they start out with eleven ready for a quick conviction and one juror holding out for acquittal.
Directed by William Friedkin; re-written by Reginald Rose, from his 1950s teleplay; starring Courtney B. Vance, Ossie Davis, George C. Scott {won Emmy}, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Dorian Harewood, James Gandolfini, Tony Danza, Jack Lemmon, Hume Cronyn, Mykelti Williamson, Edward James Olmos & William Petersen
Orion Home Video color VHS [4/98] out of prodn/used
Region 1 DVD/Blu-ray not available (2017) • full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" [Touchstone Jan 1998]

Barrio con-man Gomez convinces four strangers to pool $20 each to buy a luminescent vanilla ice-cream-colored suit; he intends to split for El Paso, well-dressed. The first night, each gets the suit for an hour, and each is trans-formed: Dominguez with his guitar & voice charms women who dance in a parade through the plaza; Martinez's turn gets his lovely neighbor's attention; street poet Villanazul captures a crowd with his political and economic vision. The suit makes Gomez a better man, so he may not bolt; but then, what do they do with the last partner, the filthy ¡Vamanos!, whose juicy-taco-eating, wine-drinking habits could ruin the suit? • Directed by Stuart Gordon; script by Ray Bradbury [1920-2012], based on his story & stageplay; starring Edward James Olmos, Joe Mantegna, Esai Morales, Clifton Collins Jr. & Gregory Sierra
Walt Disney Video color DVD [8/99] for $43.99
Walt Disney Video color DVD [8/99] for $54.99
Touchstone color VHS [8/99] for $10.49
Bantam pb playscript [1972] out of print/used
full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"The Youngest Godfather"
aka "Bonanno: A Godfather's Story" [Hallmark/Showtime tv miniseries July 1999]

The 'true story' of Joseph Bonnano [1905-2002], who became boss of New York City's Maranzano crime family at age 26 • Directed by Michel Poulette; teleplay by Thomas Michael Donnelly; starring Bruce Ramsay, Tony Nardi & Martin Landau (each as Bonanno at different ages), Guido Grasso Jr., Costas Mandylor, Edward James Olmos, Vince Corazza, Robert Loggia, Zachary Bennett & Philip Bosco
Platinum Disc color DVD [2/2005] for $6.99
Live/Artisan color VHS [8/2000] out of prodn/used
full credits from IMDb

"American Family: Journey of Dreams" P.B.S. TV series
[KCET/El Norte Jan 2002 to July 2004]

Directed by Gregory Nava; starring Edward James Olmos as Jess, Sonia Braga as Berta, Constance Marie as Nina, Esai Morales as Esteban, Raquel Welch as Aunt Dora, A.J. Lamas as Cisco & Rachel Ticotin as Vangie; the 13-episode second season was not filmed
all 22 episodes: Fox widescreen DVD [4/2003] 6 disks - out of prodn/used
series credits from IMDb • official series website • series entry at Wikipedia

"Walkout" TV movie [H.B.O. March 2006]

The true story of a high school student who in 1968 organized 10,000 others at five East Los Angeles high schools to stage a walkout in protest of educational conditions and anti-Mexican educational bias. Produced by Moctesuma Esparza; co-produced & directed by Edward James Olmos; starring Alexa Vega, Michael Peña, Yancey Arias, Laura Harring, Efren Ramirez, David Warshofsky, Holmes Osborne, Tim DeKay, Tonantzin Esparza & Bodie Olmos; nominated for DGA Award
H.B.O. widescreen color DVD [3/2007] for $19.99
full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"The Chrystal Frontier" [in development?]
Announced 2011: based on the 1995 'novel in nine stories' written by Carlos Fuentes;
starring Edward James Olmos • no longer listed on IMDb (2012)

"America" [Puerto Rico 2011] /tt1670931/
Directed by Sonia Fritz; starring Lymari Nadal {title role}, Yancey Arias, Yareli Arizmendi,
Edward James Olmos, Frank Perozo, Tony Plana & Rachel Ticotin

"Filly Brown" [Cima/Indomina April 2013]

2012 poster for Filly Brown movie - walking

poster for Filly Brown 2013 movie - face

Poet and hip-hop artist Maria José ('Majo') gets a chance to record a demo, albeit by a small-time hustler; soon a major record label and its aggressive top exec want her to sign a contract. The money would certainly help her family out of poverty, but would she be selling out her community?
Co-produced by Edward James Olmos, Michael D. Olmos, Mico Olmos & others; written & co-directed by Youssef Delara; co-directed by Michael D. Olmos; starring Gina Rodriguez {title role}, Jenni Rivera, Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos
Indomina widescreen color Blu-ray [7/2013] for $15.99
Indomina widescreen color DVD [7/2013] for $12.33
full credits at IMDb

"Go For Sisters" [D Street/Variance Nov 2013]

Two girls who grew up as friends took different paths in life: twenty years later, recovering addict Fontayne is assigned to parole officer Bernice; when Bernice's son goes missing on the Mexican border, she turns for help to her old friend; they enlist the help of a wily but nearly-blind ex-cop (Olmos) and plunge into the dim underbelly of Tijuana and its web of smugglers, human traffickers, and corrupt police. • Co-produced by & starring Edward James Olmos; written & directed by John Sayles; also starring LisaGay Hamilton, Yolonda Ross, Hector Elizondo, Isaiah Washington, Hilary Barraford, Mahershala Ali, Harold Perrineau, Michael Piznarski, Mary Portser, Don Harvey, Brent Jennings & Michael Laskin
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site

"Mayans MC" [Fox 21/FX Network for 2017?]

Announced 2/2017: Edward James Olmos has signed on to star in the 'Sons of Anarchy' spinoff TV series "Mayans MC",
about a Hispanic motorcycle club • latest info at IMDb

first wife Kaija Keel Olmos - married in 1971, divorced 1992 /nm1867803/
son 'Mico' Olmos [b. 1972]
son Bodie James Olmos [b. 1975] /nm0647453/

adopted son Michael Darnell Olmos [b. 1971] /nm0201524/
adopted son Brandon Olmos
adopted daughter Tamiko Olmos

second wife actress Lorraine Bracco Guerard Keitel Olmos /nm0000966/
married January 1994, separated 1997, divorced March 2002

	"Battlestar Galactica 2003" [SciFi Channel miniseries Dec 2003] Directed by Michael Rymer; written by Ronald D. Moore; starring Edward James Olmos, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, Mary McDonnell, James Callis, Tricia Helfer & Grace Park Universal widescreen color DVD [12/2004] for $17.49 2003 series official website; SciFi Channel 2003 series site cast member page for Edward James Olmos 2003 series credits from IMDb
	"Battlestar Galactica" [SkyOne/N.B.C. 52-episode TV series Jan 2005] Starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Grace Park, Tricia Helfer, Katee Sackhoff, Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, Tahmoh Penikett & Kandyse McClure • series credits from IMDb Season One Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [9/2005] 5 disks for $17.99 Season 2.0 Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [12/2005] 3 disks for $17.49 Season 2.5 Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [8/2006] 3 disks for $20.99 Season Three Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [3/2008] 6 disks for $21.99 Season 4.0 Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [1/2009] 4 disks for $17.99 Season 4.5 Box Set: Universal widescreen color DVD [7/2009] 4 disks for $24.99
	"Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series" [2009] includes all six sets above plus the "Razor" TV movie Universal widescreen color Blu-ray [7/2009] 20 disks for $194.99 Universal widescreen color DVD [7/2009] 25 disks for $140.49

Magic Lantern Video & Book StoreEdward James Olmos

Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
Edward James Olmos