Cast & creator
Edward James Olmos
Best known for The Simpsons, Dexter, Dexter
Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), actor in and director of American Me (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), and Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982), and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017). In 2018, he played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC. For his work in Miami Vice, Olmos won the 1985 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. For his performance in Stand and Deliver, Olmos was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He is also known for his roles as patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit, and the voice of Chicharrón in Coco. Over the course of his career, Olmos has been a pioneer for more diversified roles and images of Hispanics in the U.S. media. His notable direction, production, and starring roles for films, made-for-TV movies, and TV shows include Wolfen, Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, American Me, The Burning Season, My Family/Mi Familia, Caught, 12 Angry Men, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, Walkout, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, American Family, and Dexter. Description above from the Wikipedia article Edward James Olmos, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Also known as: ادوراد جیمز اولموس
113
film credits
57
television credits
153
1969–2026 · acting roles
6.7
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (170)
Showing 170 of 170 credits
The Simpsons
Pit Master (voice)
1989
Dexter
James Gellar
2006Dexter
Prof. James Gellar
2006
Blue Bloods
Lorenzo Batista
2010
The West Wing
Roberto Mendoza
1999
Hawaii Five-O
Dancer
1969
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Robert Gonzales
2013
Touched by an Angel
Col. Victor Walls
1994
American Playhouse
General Santa Anna
1982American Playhouse
Gregorio Cortez
1982American Playhouse
Jaime Escalante
1982American Playhouse
Associate Producer
1982American Playhouse
Original Music Composer
1982
Miami Vice
Martin Castillo
1984Miami Vice
Director
1984
Hill Street Blues
1981Hill Street Blues
Judge Cruz
1981
Blade Runner 2049
Gaff
2017
Cannon
1971
The Batman
Chief Rojas (voice)
2004
Battlestar Galactica
Admiral William Adama
2004Battlestar Galactica
Commander William Adama
2004Battlestar Galactica
Director
2004
Starsky & Hutch
Julio Gutierez
1975
Coco
Chicharrón (voice)
2017
Eureka
First sled dog
2006
Police Woman
1974
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Molecule Man (voice)
2023
Mayans M.C.
Felipe Reyes
2018
Kojak
Paco
1973
Portlandia
Edward James Olmos
2011
Blade Runner
Gaff
1982
Caught
Joe
1996
Police Story
1973
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Rey Emiliano (voice)
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Jimenez (voice)
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
El Murcielago (voice)
1995
The Magic School Bus
Mr. Ramon (voice)
1994
CHiPs
1977
Faerie Tale Theatre
Prime Minister
1982
Battlestar Galactica
Commander Adama
2003
M.I.A.
Isaac Rojas
2026
George Lopez
Mr. Vega
2002
The Road to El Dorado
Chief (voice)
2000
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Self
2023
Office Romance
Captain Jack Cruz
2026
Bless This Mess
Randy
2019
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996
The Green Hornet
Michael Axford
2011
Gun
Father Santos
1997
A Dog's Way Home
Axel
2019
2 Guns
Papi Greco
2013
American Family
Jess Gonzalez
2002
The Real History of Science Fiction
Self
2014
One Fast Move
Abel
2024
The Fitzpatricks
Don Vasquez
1977
12 Angry Men
Juror 11
1997
Greetings from Tucson
Priest
2002
500 Nations
1995
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Diablo (voice)
2008
Stand and Deliver
Jaime A. Escalante
1988
I'm Still Here
Edward James Olmos
2010Dave Navarro's Spread
2007
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Virus
Captain Lopez
1980
American Me
Montoya Santana
1992American Me
Director
1992American Me
Producer
1992
Dead Man's Walk
Captain Salazar
1996
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Commander William Adama
2009Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Director
2009
Battlestar Galactica: Razor
Admiral William Adama
2007
The Blue Knight
Clemente (as Ed Olmos)
1975
Wolfen
Eddie Holt
1981
Selena
Abraham Quintanilla
1997
Gossip
Detective Curtis
2000
The Fortunate Pilgrim
Frank Corbo
1988
My Family
Paco
1995
Evening in Byzantium
Angelo
1978
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
Self
2007
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Musician at Barbecue (uncredited)
1994
Americano
Gayo (voice)
2016
Triumph of the Spirit
Gypsy
1989
The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II
Self
2020
Splinter
Captain garcia
2006
The Earth Day Special
Hospital Director
1990
Unity
Narrator (voice)
2015
Bonanno: A Godfather's Story
Salvatore Maranzano
1999
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Gregorio Cortez
1983The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Original Music Composer
1983The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Associate Producer
1983
Talent for the Game
Virgil Sweet
1991
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
Gaff (voice)
2017
La Californie !
Self - Actor
2023
The Judge
Judge Armando Acosti
2001
The Devil Has a Name
Santiago
2019The Devil Has a Name
Director
2019The Devil Has a Name
Producer
2019
Chaparreando
Creator
2020
Walkout
Julian Nava
2006Walkout
Director
2006
Zoot Suit
El Pachuco
1981
Outlaw Posse
Ossie
2024
In the Time of the Butterflies
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
2001
Windows on the World
Balthazar
2019
Go for Sisters
Freddy Suárez
2013Go for Sisters
Producer
2013
Aloha Bobby and Rose
Chicano #1
1975
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Det. Anthony Piscotti
1998
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood
self
2026
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
Self
2019
A Million to Juan
The Angel
1994
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit
Vamanos
1998
Say a Little Prayer
Executive Producer
2024The Judge
Judge Armando Acosta
2001
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
Narrator – El Pachuco (voice)
2026Sunset Boulevard - 27 Meilen Amerika
Self - Actor, Director, Latino-Activist
1997Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling
Self
2007
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002
The Princess and the Barrio Boy
Nestor Garcia
2000
The Blade Runner Phenomenon
Self - Actor (Gaff)
2021
America
Mr. Irving
2011
Seguin
Gen. Santa Anna
1982
Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
Self
2007
Mirage
Matteo Juarez
1995
Saving Grace
Ciolino
1986
Selena Remembered
Narrator (voice)
1997Selena Remembered
Producer
1997
Chasing Wonders
Luis
2021
Death in Granada
Roberto Lozano
1996
The Burning Season
Wilson Pinheiro
1994
LA 92
Self (archive footage)
2017
The Limbic Region
Lucca
1996
Dead Angle
1979
Walking with Herb
Joe Amable-Amo
2021
The Journey of a Female Comic
2014
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
Jose Menendez
1994
Space Songs: Through the Distance
Self
2020
The Nightingale
Prime Minister
1983
Filly Brown
Leandro
2013Filly Brown
Executive Producer
2013
Imprisoned
Hospicio
2019
Mami Está Aquí
Mr. Jimenez
2026
Every Night's a Saturday Night
Self
2018
Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire
Self
2019La Cerca
Narrator / Old Niño
2005
L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later
Self
2017
The Unfinished Journey
Narrator (voice)
1999
300 Miles for Stephanie
Art Vela
1981
Monday Nights at Seven
Charlie
2016
Miami Vice: Freefall
Lt. Martin Castillo
1989
Hollywood Confidential
Stan Navarro, Sr.
1997
The Wall
Col. Holst (segment "The Pencil Holder")
1998Recycled Life
Self - Narrator (voice)
2006Prophecies of the Millennium
Host
1997
Manu: Peru's Hidden Rain Forest
Narrator
1997
Zapatista
Narrator (voice)
1999
Slave of Dreams
Potiphar
1995Learning Not to Hurt
Self
1993
Maria's Story
José Serrano (voice)
1991
Exile Nation: The Plastic People
Narrator (voice)
2014
The Eyes of Martin Castillo
Martin Castillo (archive footage)
2018
A Class Apart: A Mexican American Civil Rights Story
Narrator
2009
Alambrista!
1st Drunk
1977
Roosters
Gallo Morales
1993
Lives in Hazard
self
1994
Agave is Life
Narrator (voice)
2014
A Bridge Apart
(Voice)
2013Blue Collar & Buddha
Narrator
1986