- Born
- Nicknames
- EJO
- Ed
- Eddie
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Born February 24, 1947, in East Los Angeles, at The First Japanese Hospital to Pedro Olmos and Eleanor Huizar. Raised on Cheesebrough's Lane, he attended Greenwood Elementary and Montebello Junior High. He then graduated from Montebello High School in 1964. After which he received an Associative Arts Degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice at East Los Angeles College in 1966. Olmos since then has gone on to receive many accolades from the City of Montebello, including the Alumni of The Year from Montebello High School in 2014, and Man of the Year Award from The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 2015.
He has achieved extraordinary success as an actor, producer and humanitarian. The Tony, Emmy and Academy Award® Nominated actor, is probably best known to young audiences for his work on the SYFY television series "Battlestar Galatica" as Admiral William Adama. Although the series kept the actor busy during its run from 2003 through 2009, it didn't stop him from directing the HBO movie "Walkout" in 2007, for which he earned a DGA Nomination in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television category.
Olmos' career in entertainment spans over 30 years. In that time he created a signature style and aesthetic that he applies to every artist endeavor, often grounding his characters in reality and gravitas. His dedication to his craft has brought him attention across the industry, and with audiences worldwide.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival Official Site Bio
- SpousesLymari Nadal(2002 - present)Lorraine Bracco(January 28, 1994 - March 4, 2002) (divorced)Kaija Keel(December 29, 1971 - 1992) (divorced, 2 children)
- ChildrenDaniela OlmosTamiko Olmos
- ParentsPedro OlmosEleanor Huizar
- RelativesPeter Olmos(Sibling)Eleanor Olmos(Sibling)
- Frequently plays men of authority and/or power who inspire and enlighten those beneath him
- Deep gravelly voice
- Rough facial features
- Was offered the role of Captain 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. Sir Patrick Stewart was eventually cast.
- 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.
- Has stated that Blade Runner (1982) and Battlestar Galactica (2004) are the two projects he's most proud to be a part of.
- Says that he is of Aztec and Spanish ancestry. His father was a Mexican immigrant and his mother was American-born of Mexican descent.
- 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.
- Sometimes you gotta do things that you don't really want to do. But you don't do them for money.
- On Miami Vice (1984) and Battlestar Galactica (2004): "Miami", although it took place among policemen, wasn't about reality. It exploited reality to entertain. "Battlestar" is another thing. Despite it being set in space, it deals with real stuff.
- [on his role as "Lt. Castillo" in Miami Vice (1984)] I was the highest-paid actor-- per word-- in the history of television!
- [in 2000, on an ideal day getting away from it all] I would drive to Joshua Tree [National Park] and spend the night there in my sleeping bag. The desert--it's spiritual and Joshua Tree has some wonderful flatlands and rock formations. There are places to stay, too, little hotels. But sleeping outside is what's wonderful. It's so darkly clear, and there's no light from the city so the stars are very impressive.
- [in 2000] I love to drive. It's one of the most pleasurable things to me. I have a 1986 Porsche--it's got over 100,000 miles on it. Most people don't drive their Porsches at all, but I drive mine like most people drive their Volkswagen.
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