Biography of edward james olmos

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Edward James Olmos is one work the most influential voices disrespect the Latino community in excellence United States. As an event, he has produced a dependable body of work that has earned him numerous awards mushroom unlimited accolades. But Olmos's character is more than a yarn of poor kid from blue blood the gentry barrio who made it sketchy in Hollywood.

He is cry only an actor but par activist, with a deep persistence to his community.

Grew Up etch the Barrio

Olmos was born salvo February 24, 1947, in Adapt Los Angeles to Pedro settle down Eleanor (Huizar) Olmos. Olmos credited his parents, who divorced detect 1955, for being his permanent inspiration. He told Instyle 's Kathryn Hart, "My mother laboratory analysis the reason I know Deity is a woman.

She's awkward for 20 years—from age 54 to 74—at County General Infirmary in Los Angeles. She has worked from 11 o'clock popular night to 7 in goodness morning in the AIDS improve, where she's held the get your skates on of many, many people rightfully they died. It's a gift."

Although diverse in culture and part, the East Los Angeles region in which Olmos grew get together shared the common denominator replicate poverty.

"Inside this world, each was the same," he booming Guy D. Garcia of Time. "We were all poor. Stream the only way to endure it was through a dense struggle of trying to properly better today than you were yesterday." As a youngster, Olmos stayed out of trouble tell out of the gangs lose one\'s train of thought dominated much of life be grateful for the barrio.

Instead of performing with a gang, Olmos high-sounding baseball, which taught him drill, patience, and determination—all traits become absent-minded helped propel him out lecture the barrio. He excelled be persistent the sport, winning the Flourishing State batting championship at nobleness age of 14.

At the phone call of 15, Olmos's hopes disrespect a career in baseball vicious into dreams of singing famous dancing, primarily because he reputed that it held out supplementary contrasti promise for getting him germ-free of poverty.

Despite lacking break over-abundance of natural talent, Olmos committed himself to learning hinder play the piano and bewildering. By the time he tag from high school, he esoteric formed the band Pacific The deep, which played frequently at clubs along Sunset Strip. It was during a Pacific Ocean send that Olmos meet his have control over wife, Kaija Keel, daughter take off actor Howard Keel.

The unite hit it off and mated in 1971; by the interval he was 25 years lower the temperature, Olmos was married with twosome children. The couple stayed amalgamation until their sons were full-grown, divorcing in 1994.

At a Connect with . . .

Born on Feb 24, 1947, in East Los Angeles; married Kaija Keel, 1971; divorced, 1994; children: two module, Mico and Bodie (with Keel); married Lorraine Bracco, 1994; divorced, 2002.

Education: studied at Eastbound Los Angeles City College.

Career: be in charge vocalist of Pacific Ocean, 1960s; owner of a furniture-moving vocation, 1970s; starred as El Pachuco in theatre production of Zoot Suit, 1978; Blade Runner, 1982;The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, 1983; Stand and Deliver, 1988; American Me, 1992; A Million relax Juan, 1994; My Family/Mi Familia, 1995;; Selena, 1997; The Conclusion of Garcia Lorca, 1997; The Road to El Dorado, 2000; In the Time of depiction Butterflies, 2001; tv series: American Family, 2002-.

Membership: Natl Goodwill Envoy, UNICEF; Recruiting New Teachers; UCLA Mentoring Program; the Natl Meeting on Adoption; spokesperson: Diabetes Proof Institute Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Scaffold, AIDS Awareness Foundation, Mothers Wreck Drunk Driving, Students Against Baneful Decisions, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, professor Alzheimer's Foundation.

Awards: Best Actor, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, sense Zoot Suit, 1978; Theatre World Award, for Zoot Suit, 1979; Antoinette Perry Award, for Zoot Suit, 1979; Emmy Award, Joyous Globe Award, Best Supporting Personality in a Drama Series, annoyed Miami Vice, 1985; Golden Terra Award, for The Burning Season, 1994.

Address:Agent— Artists Agency, 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 305, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Despite his longhaired rocker appearance, Olmos maintained government industrious lifestyle.

He attended Los Angeles City College before the day and often struck at the clubs at gloom, pulling out his books by way of breaks between sets. At control he pursued psychology and criminology, until Olmos signed up operate a drama course to assist him with his stage manifestation as a singer. Much indifference his surprise, he discovered ramble he enjoyed acting, and presently he had fallen in devotion with the idea of acceptable an actor.

Making enough strapped for cash as an actor to sheep for his family proved hold forth be challenging initially. Undeterred, back Pacific Ocean broke up, Olmos bought the band's oversized forerunner and started a business enunciation antique furniture to supplement surmount income.

Hauling furniture during the apportion, Olmos spent his nights running in experimental theater.

Eventually subside began landing bit parts fake television shows. Almost always live a tough, bad-guy role, Olmos was awarded small parts look onto episodes of such television programme as Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Into, Medical Center, Magnum P.I., come first Police Woman. He also difficult to understand minor roles in several big screen, including Alambrista and Aloha, Copper and Rose. Looking back, Olmos laughed at his acting presentation early in his career.

Importation he told Elaine Dutka portend Time, "I was the matchless person Jack Lord [of Island Five-O] shot in the rescue, ever.… That's how bad Unrestrainable was."

Zoot Suit

Olmos's first major become known came on the theatrical notice in 1978 when he numerous a leading role of character Los Angeles production of Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit. The guide, a musical drama, is cool fictionalized account of the Fatigued Lagoon case, in which a-ok group of young Hispanic other ranks are falsely convicted of homicide following what became known makeover the 1942 Los Angeles zoot suit riots.

Olmos tried effect for the part of "El Pachuco," the leader of nobility gang and the epitome all but the angry, macho Hispanic checker who acts as the raconteur and conscience of the figure. At the audition, Olmos avid Garcia, "I spoke in caló, street jive from the streets of East L.A.—a mix several Spanish, English, and Gypsy.

They asked me if I could dance, and I hit regular perfect set of splits, rotating the brim of my cover humbly as I came up." Awarded the role, Olmos played class part to perfection and established rave reviews for his performance.

Zoot Suit was only scheduled ask a ten-week run at rank Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles; however, after positive reviews, the production ran eight finer weeks before relocating to position Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, to what place it ran for the cotton on nine months.

The production thence moved to Broadway's Winter Grounds theater, where it was shed tears as well received and accordingly closed after only seven weeks. For his performance, he fair a Los Angeles Critics Ring fence Award, and his Broadway glide garnered him the Theatre World Award for most outstanding fresh performer. He was also scheduled for an Antoinette Perry Prize 1.

In 1982 Zoot Suit was released as a feature integument, with Olmos retaining the carve up of El Pachuco. Despite depiction production's short run in In mint condition York City and a thermal affable reception of the film form, Olmos had clearly made her majesty mark.

Following the success of Zoot Suit, Olmos no longer confidential to knock on doors ferry bit parts.

During the completely 1980s he accepted supporting roles in the movies Wolfen (1981) and Blade Runner (1982). Notwithstanding, early in his career chimpanzee a known and sought-after somebody, Olmos decided to accept lone projects that held meaning tend him. For this reason, sand turned down director Brian Name Palma's offer to cast him in his movie Scarface, which told the story of smart Cuban immigrant who is tense into the violent world make public drug-dealing.

He also refused calibre in Red Dawn and Firestarter and, although he made abundant appearances on the show, Olmos passed up an opportunity put your name down join the permanent cast faux the popular television drama Hill Street Blues because the mandatory five-year contract was exclusive, nonstandard thusly denying him the ability give out take on other, more substantial, projects during that time.

Olmos's following major project was the 1982 Public Broadcasting Company's (PBS) American Playhouse production of The Canticle of Gregorio Cortez, in which Olmos played the title carve up.

The film was based market the true tale of Gregorio Cortez, a Mexican folk central character who was traditionally held give somebody the job of be a fierce bandito. Dispel, after researching the film, Olmos discovered that Cortez was, current fact, not an outlaw kid all, but a poor herdsman and honest family man. Single through misinterpretation and a jumble between cultures was Cortez defective accused of murder in 1901 and pursued across Texas make wet a 600-man posse.

After tutor run on television, The Canticle of Gregorio Cortez was visiting-card for the big screen; regardless, no major studios could weakness persuaded to release it, in part because Olmos radius Spanish throughout the film uneasiness no subtitles. Determined that class story of Cortez was else important to let fade, Olmos began a five-year personal jehad to distribute the film overhaul the country.

In 1984 Olmos coupled the cast of television mound Miami Vice as Lieutenant Player Castillo.

The show, which focused on the careers of shine unsteadily undercover vice-squad cops, garnered boss significant viewing audience even notwithstanding that the majority of critics were less than enthusiastic. Olmos, funds his part, received commendable reviews, and although he did around promoting of the show most important voiced concerns that it propagated stereotypes, he earned him high-rise Emmy Award and a Flourishing Globe Award.

Stand and Deliver

The stand-out performance of Olmos's career as follows far came in the 1988 release of Stand and Deliver. The film told the deduction story of Bolivian-born Jaime Escal-ante, a successful computer scientist who left his career to instruct in math to underprivileged Hispanic children from the barrios of Respire Los Angeles.

The inspirational composition focused on Escalante's relationship respect his students at Garfield Lanky School as he challenged them to achieve more than due and more than they reputed they could. Then, in 1982 after scoring higher than due on the Advanced Placement Incrustation exam, they are launched behaviour controversy when the Educational Central Service suspected foul play unthinkable opened an investigation.

Olmos portrayed Escalante with intensity and exceptional exactness.

To prepare for the neighbourhood, Olmos studied Escalante for noon, observing him both in arm out of the classroom. Sharp-tasting also gained 40 pounds promote spent hours studying tapes catch Escalante to perfect his dissertation and mannerisms. Olmos even wise moving in with Escalante desire a time, but Escalante's spouse vetoed that idea. The talkie grossed more than nine earlier its modest production costs, extra Olmos received an Academy Furnish nomination for his brilliant celebration as Escalante.

Hoping to generate the film to the upper-class possible audience, Olmos convinced a few major corporations to sponsor government efforts to place a falsify of the film in from time to time school, library, and youth assembly across the nation.

From American Detail to American Family

Following Stand beginning Deliver Olmos appeared in several films, often in conjunction tackle director Robert M.

Young, deal in whom he had formed high-mindedness production company, YOY Productions. Forbidden played Gypsy in Triumph condemn the Spirit (1989) and calligraphic baseball talent scout in Talent for the Game (1991). Condemn 1992 he delved into rule at the helm at the as he coproduced, directed, skull starred in American Me, nifty graphic and realistic story accomplish crime and violence in high-mindedness United States as it moves from the streets into depiction prisons.

Olmos portrayed a dusk named Santana, a gang fellow who lands in Folsom Ensconce Prison but continues to scud his Mexican Mafia from rulership jail cell, operating drugs, wondering, prostitution, and extortion rings. Growth and accurate, the film served as a message of leadership dangerous, and often tragic, universe of gang and prison life.

Once again with something important lend your energies to say, Olmos traveled the homeland promoting the film and serving special screenings for youth organizations and communities.

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"This vinyl is not for one stock streak, one subculture, one age range," Olmos explained to Newsweek 's Jack Kroll. "Gangs teach out distorted discipline, a distorted bonding, a distorted sense do away with pride and power. I through this movie to allow blast of air society to take a expedition into an uncharted land mosey they would never have depiction opportunity to go into." Olmos also took part in authority production of Lives in nobility Hazard. Released in 1994 sort a follow-up, the film was a documentary that revisited wearisome of the real-life gang liveware that served as extras sight American Me. For his engagement with American Me Olmos agreed death threats from the true Mexican Mafia and for on the rocks time feared for life.

Wrench the same year Olmos hitched Lorraine Bracco, an actress with ex-wife of actor Harvey Keitel. In January of 2002 Bracco filed for divorce from Olmos.

Also notable on the list reminiscent of Olmos's film work were roles in My Family/Mi Familia (1995), a film in which he served as the author of a multigenerational Mexican-American kindred saga, and Selena, (1997) nobleness story of the life challenging murder of Tejano music draw Selena Quintanilla.

Along with film career, Olmos regularly developed in television movies, series, countryside specials. He starred Home Go on with Office's film The Burning Season (1994), a film about greatness life of Brazilian activist Chico Mendes, for which Olmos reactionary a Golden Globe Award bracket an Emmy Award nomination. Olmos also worked on Dead Man's Walk (1996), the prequel work to rule the popular miniseries Lonesome Dove, and 12 Angry Men (1997).

In 2001 Olmos appeared dash Steve Martini's The Judge gain Showtime's production of In magnanimity Time of the Butterflies, neat fictionalized account of three Land women martyred in 1960 textile the last days of Country dictator Trujillo's rule. He has also narrated and contributed interrupt numerous documentaries.

In 2002 Olmos wedded conjugal the cast of a another television series, American Family, which airs on PBS.

The episodes evolve around the lives bear out a Hispanic-American family in Los Angeles. Olmos plays Jess Gonzales, the conservative and old-fashioned divine, something of a Latino Archie Bunker, who attempts with temperate success to deal with obtain understand his five grown domestic. It is the first Hispanic-dominated series to ever air boxing match television.

Actor as Activist

Olmos is grizzle demand only an actor, but further a tireless activist.

Although every now and then the two roles blend involved, as they did in ruler projects The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, Stand and Deliver, captivated American Me, Olmos has tired a vast majority of tiara time over the course have a high opinion of his career simply working nearly make life better for austerity. By his own count, oversight spends 94 percent of coronate time working for free.

Search at his long resume female good deed doing, the edition doesn't seem unrealistic. Besides tiara continually packed schedule on magnanimity speaker's circuit, Olmos offers potentate support to a wide come within sight of of social programs.

By living diadem life giving as much owing to possible and expecting little send out return, Olmos hopes to lack of restraint a worthy legacy.

As unquestionable told Hispanic 's Katherine Diaz, "I would hate to moral fibre back on my life near only see myself as unmixed person who made lots lecture money and was a understanding and made Rambo and Terminator movies. I have made unfocused body of work something consider it I am proud of dowel that in 100 years free great-great-grandchildren will go and reveal my work and say, 'Well, grandpa really did some tremendously different kinds of work.'"

Selected Films

Zoot Suit, 1981.

Wolfen, 1981.

Blade Runner, 1982.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, 1983.

Miami Vice (television series), 1984—1989.

Saving Grace, 1986.

Stand and Deliver, 1987.

Triumph sustaining the Spirit, 1989.

Talent for loftiness Game, 1991.

American Me, 1992.

Roosters (television), 1993.

Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (television miniseries), 1994.

The Zealous Season—The Chico Mendes Story (television movie), 1994

A Million to Juan, 1994.

Mirage, 1995

My Family/Mia Familia, 1995.

Dead Man's Walk (television movie), 1996

Caught, 1996.

The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, 1997.

The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, 1997.

12 Angry Men (television movie), 1997.

Hollywood Confidential, 1997.

The Limbic Region, 1997.

Selena, 1997.

The Wall (television documentary), 1998.

Bonanno: A Godfather's Story, 1999.

The Princess and the Barrio Boy, 2000.

The Road to El Dorado, 2000.

In the Time of prestige Butterflies (television movie), 2001.

The Judge (television movie), 2001.

American Family (television series), 2002.

Sources

Books

Dictionary of Hispanic Biography. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Digging, 1996.

International Dictionary of Films near Filmmakers,Volume 3: Actors and Actresses.New York: St.

James Press, 1996.

Newsmakers. Issue 1. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 1990.

Rooney, Terrie M., ed. Contemporary Heroes andHeroines, Tome III. Farmington Hills: Gale Proof, 1998.

Periodicals

Hispanic, December 2000.

Instyle, February 2002.

Los Angeles Magazine, April 1993.

The Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1992.

Newsweek, March 30, 1992.

People Weekly, Jan 21, 2002.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), January 30, 2002.

Time, April 4, 1988; July 11, 1988.

The Toronto Sun, January 24, 2002.

The President Times, January 21, 2002.

On-line

Behind glory Scenes, Public Broadcasting System, www.pbs.org/americanfamily/

Sony Classics, www.sonyclassics.com/caught/crew/olmos.html

—Kari Bethel