Beyond being an actor, Edward James Olmos has thrived as a director and producer in a career that spans over five decades. A versatile entertainer with notable performances in theater, film, and television, Olmos paved the way for Latinos to get more diversified representation in Hollywood. He began his acting career on stage and got his breakthrough with the portrayal of El Pachuco in Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit. The role earned Olmos a Tony Award nomination when the play moved to Broadway, heralding the beginning of his illustrious television and film career.
The talented actor is probably best known for playing Colonial Fleet officer Commander William “Bill” Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004 – 2009). Before this, he played Detective Gaff in Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi film, Blade Runner (1982), and Lieutenant Marty Castillo in Anthony Yerkovich’s crime drama series, Miami Vice (1984 – 1989). His other notable roles are in Stand and Deliver (1988) and American Me (1992). While the latter is a crime drama film he produced and directed, the former had him portray renowned Bolivian-American educator, Jaime Escalante. The role earned him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
1. Edward James Olmos Is an American of Mexican Descent
Although the famous actor was born and brought up in East Los Angeles, California, he has a robust Mexican heritage. His father, a welder and mail carrier named Pedro Olmos was a Mexican who immigrated to the United States and settled in California sometime in 1945. More so, Edward’s mother Eleanor Huizar was an American of Mexican descent. His mother reportedly met his father while visiting Mexico City. The actor has kept in touch with his Mexican root through social and political activisms that revolves around the U.S. Hispanic community. For instance, he founded Latino Public Broadcasting, a non-profit organization committed to addressing issues culturally relevant to America’s Latino population.
2. The Battlestar Galactica Actor Began His Entertainment Career as a Singer
Given his significant television and movie roles, it might be hard to imagine that Edward James Olmos began his entertainment career as a singer. The famous actor grew up with the dream of playing professional baseball which saw him join the Los Angeles Dodgers’ feeder club at age 13. Two years later, he abandoned baseball for a rock and roll band he named Pacific Ocean. He was the lead singer of the band which performed in various venues across Los Angeles and eventually released a record titled Purgatory in 1968. Before he left music to focus on acting, Olmos contributed backing vocals to a song on Something/Anything?, the third album of American Musician Todd Rundgren.
3. Edward James Olmos Has Been Twice Accused of Sexual Assault
The Miami Vice actor was accused of sexual assault in the late 90s during Lorraine Bracco’s lengthy child custody battle with actor Harvey Keitel. Bracco had left Keitel for Olmos with custody of the daughter (Stella Keitel) they had in their 12-year relationship. At some point in the custody battle, the court ruled that Olmos shouldn’t be alone in a room with his stepdaughter, Stella, who was 12 years old at the time. This was after Keitel informed the court that Olmos had been accused of fondling Stella’s babysitter who was 14 years old. While the actor denied the teenage girl’s allegations, he reportedly paid $150,000 to her family to avoid facing prosecution.
However, Edward would later claim he made the payment on behalf of his son, Bodie Olmos. Around the same time, a 38-year-old woman accused the Emmy-winning actor of sexual assault. She claimed the incident happened at a motel in South Carolina after Olmos gave a lecture at Winthrop University. Olmos insisted the woman was a stalker coercing a financial settlement he wouldn’t grant. The case was resolved without a court hearing as the actor and the unidentified woman reached a settlement. They issued a joint statement describing the incident as a misunderstanding between two adults.
4. The American Actor Has Been Married to Three Women
Edward James Olmos’ first marriage was to Kaija Keel, the daughter of late American actor and singer, Howard Keel. Olmos and Keel got married in 1971 and their union lasted for two decades as they divorced in 1992. The former couple had two sons together, Mico Olmos (born July 18, 1972) and Bodie Olmos (born August 27, 1975).
In 1994, roughly two years after his divorce from Keel, the Blade Runner actor got married to his second wife, Lorraine Bracco. They separated in 1997 and Bracco filed for divorce in January 2002 which legally ended their marriage. Olmos’ third wife is Puerto Rican actress Lymari Nadal. They dated for a while before they got married in 2002. Olmos and Nadal parted ways in 2013 but are yet to file for divorce.
5. Edward James Olmos Has Four Adopted Children
The famous actor has six children altogether, four of whom were adopted. In addition to the two biological sons he had with his first wife, Edward James Olmos adopted two sons named Michael D. Olmos and Brandon Olmos. He also adopted two daughters named Daniela Olmos and Tamiko Olmos. Some of his children are notable figures in the entertainment industry. While Bodie is an actor, his older brother Mico is an actor and assistant director. Their adopted brother Michael is a director and producer known for works like Filly Brown (2012), Windows of the World (2019), and Green Ghost and the Master of the Stone (2021).
Follow Us
