ZOOT SUIT (1978 &1981) After a number of years playing bit-parts in TV shows like 'Hawaii Five-O', 'Starsky and Hutch' and 'CHiPs', it would be the role of El Pachuco in the play, then film version that would launch Olmos into the media spotlight and really introduce the world to his talent. Zoot Suit first opened in 1978 at the Mark Taper theater, it was directed by Luis Valdez.. The play is set in the barrios of Los Angeles in the early 1940s against the backdrop of the Zoot Suit Riots and World War II. The show was expected to have a run of ten weeks, but proved so popular, it would continue it's sellout production for a full year before being moved to Broadway. Olmos won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award, a Theater World award, and received a Tony Award nomination for his performance. In 1981 Olmos reprised his role as El Pachuco in the film version, again Luis Valdez would direct the project. The film would reunite many of the original cast members from the play. It was later nominated for a Golden Globe in the 1982 category of Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical.

BLADE RUNNER (1982) Ridley Scott's dark and disturbing vision of the future. Los Angeles 2019, Blade Runner Deckard (Harrison Ford) is pulled out of retirement to track down escaped replicants. Olmos was cast as the enigmatic Gaff, a character which was almost nonexistent in the original script. As Olmos explains in ''Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner - Paul M. Sammon, ''We were flying by the seat of our pants on that one. Gaff was so undefined, I was making hin up as I went along. So the backstory I came up with was that Gaff was primarily Mexican-Japanese, Gaff was also a terrific linguist. He could speak ten languages, fluently''. Olmos continues ''Gaff's morally interesting too, he begins as an ambitious, slighty shifty character, but by the time the film's over, he's gone through a total character arc. You see he's capable of sympathy for Deckard and the Replicants.'' Although the film had a troubled production, it went on to become an iconic piece of filmaking, one which redefined the sci-fi genre, and one who's influence is still felt today. TRAILER

MIAMI VICE (1984-1989) One of the biggest shows of the 80's, it would be the role of Lt. Martin Castillo that would put Olmos firmly on the map. Miami Vice was set in a world of stylish cops, pastel-coloured cityscapes, fast car's, contemporary music, this was the TV cop show for the MTV generation! Under the creative input of Michael Mann, Miami Vice proved to be a stunning hit, influencing cops shows which came long after it. Although Olmos had creative control over his somber and mysterious character, he later remarked ''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!" His distinct role in Miami Vice would let Olmos pick and choose later roles, but the fame from the show would also allow him to reach out, communicate and work with more community services and charitable organizations.

STAND AND DELIVER (1988) The tagline for the movie read's 'In 1982, a new troublemaker hit Garfield High. He was tough. He was wild. He was willing to fight. He was the new math teacher.' The He in the tagline refers to Jaime Escalante, a dedicated high school mathematics teacher, who was determined that his class from various disadvantaged backgrounds, would pass the math's exam. To play Jamie Escalante, Olmos would gain 30 pounds of weight and thin his hair for the role, a role which would earn Olmos an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film co-starred Lou Diamond Phillips and a young Bodie Olmos as Fernando Escalante. The film has proved inspiring for many people, and was ranked 86 in AFI's 100 Years. (America's Most Inspiring Movies) TRAILER

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