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One of the most respected actors in HollyWood, Edward James Olmos is also a distinguished humanitarian who spends a great amount of his time helping and supporting various charitable organizations. He has become an actor with a profound social conscience. A man who works tirelessly with disadvantaged youth. He is an icon to many, and a voice for the Latino community of America. |
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Biography |
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Edward James Olmos was born on Feb 24, 1947, in East Los Angeles, California. Growing up in a culturally diverse area, Olmos learnt to welcome this diversity among people. Referring to the area in which he grew up, Olmos states ''On our small lane we had a Hispanic family with thirteen kids, Native Americans, Koreans, Chinese, Mexicans, Russians. It was a fantastic environment." When he was eight his parents divorced, this was a traumatic time for Olmos, but he would find a passion for baseball, one which kept him from dwelling on his own problems. |
His dedication to the sport would allow him to become the Golden State batting champion. It would be this love of baseball that would also teach him self-discipline, something that has remained with him his whole life. Although his father thought Olmos would play baseball at a professional level, it would soon be singing that would take hold of Olmos' passion. At age fifteen he joined a band called Pacific Ocean, Olmos would be the lead singer and dancer, "I sang terrible,but I could scream real good and I could dance. So I'd dance for five minutes, then come back and sing a couple more screams, then dance again." |
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In an effort to improve his singing, Olmos turned to acting classes, but it wasn't long before he got hooked. At the age of 25 having to support his then wife Kaija Keels, and their two son's Mico and Bodie, Olmos would deliver antique furniture during the day, but at night he would perform with theater groups. Soon Olmos was getting noticed and was hired for bit-part's in television shows like 'CHiP's and 'Starsky and Hutch', but in 1978 Olmos was cast in the role that would change his life, playing El Pachuco in Zoot Suit. |
At first he played the role in the sellout play, but he then would go on play the role in a feature film. Major role's in films began being offered to him, but aware that he could become stereotyped into Hispanic roles, Olmos choose his acting jobs carefully. One of the major roles, was that of Gaff in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. The character of Gaff would become a cult icon, one which has a large following among Blade Runner Fans. |
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The role of the elusive, puzzling figure Castillo caught people's imagination. Olmos won an Emmy for his role, but reflecting on Miami Vice he says 'Sometimes you gotta do things that you don't really want to do. But you don't do them for money. I was the highest-paid actor-per word in the history of television!" It was a role which left a bitter taste for Olmos, although he enjoyed the role, he felt the show had weak storylines and portrayed too many stereotypes. |
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Throughout the years, Olmos has created an impressive, unique, distinct and personnel body of work. He continues to impress and inspire, an actor and activist, a man who's not afraid to embrace his cultural heritage or voice his opinion. |
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