About Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles as Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), high school math teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), Montoya Santana in American Me (1992) (which he also directed), and William Adama in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009). 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 an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. He is also known for his roles as folk hero Gregorio Cortez in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film Selena, Felipe Reyes in Mayans M.C., the voice of Chief Tannabok in The Road to El Dorado, 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 Latinos in American media. His other notable direction, production, and starring roles for films, made-for-TV movies, and TV shows include Battlestar Galactica, Wolfen, Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, American Me, The Burning Season, My Family, Caught, 12 Angry Men, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, Walkout, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, American Family, and Dexter. Returning to film, Olmos became the first American-born Hispanic to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of real-life math teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver. Having won the California state batting championship 2 years in a row, he was collected by the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system, as a catcher, at age 13.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.