IFH 483: Exploring the Actor’s Process – Inside His Greatest Roles with Edward James Olmos

Alex Ferrari 0:51
I'd like to welcome the show Edward James Olmos. How you doing, Eddie?

Edward James Olmos 3:06
Very, very good man just sitting here. Thankfully, we get to do this together. Yeah, know long term coming.

Alex Ferrari 3:23
Yes, my friend. I appreciate you being on the show. You know, I, we've our paths have crossed many times, especially over at the leaf. I have had a few films play there. And we have a few mutual friends. And it's just been a you know, I've just been a fan of yours, man since since back in the day when I was coming up. But we'll get into all of that. But first, how did you get into the business? How did you get into this crazy business?

Edward James Olmos 3:49
This one was a process that started when I was a little kid. Being I was born and raised in East LA. And I started to learn about discipline, and determination, perseverance and patience. And I started learning that those those values while playing the game of baseball, as a little kid, and I learned how to do something that I love to do. And I learn how to do it every day, seven days a week. And so by from five to about 14 I played ball every day, seven days a week I would either you know read about it, catch, play, catch it, play do it, or I would watch other people do it and talk about it. But I was always inside of the craft sport. And so when I was about 14, I switched. I had started to listen to rock and roll music by 1955 56 when it's hard to hit on the radio You. And it was really amazing that from the stuff that I was listening to, started to influence me, and I got into dancing, and movement. And because it was a rock and roll period, and everybody's dancing, I'm crazy. And so, in 1960, I quit playing baseball on really good people time, while they were grooming me to play professional ball. But I got into a rock and roll man. And they started singing rock and roll. And I started singing rock and roll, like, I played baseball, you know, seven days a week. And, you know, people say, Well, you know, what do you mean seven days like it? Yeah, I would judge the craft every single day in some form. And always, on my mind, always doing it, always exploring. And what I learned was that the 10,000 hour concept, you do something for 10,000 hours, and pretty soon you become as good as you're gonna, you could be after doing it for 10,000 doesn't mean you're better than anybody else. It just means that you're able to, to be the best that you can be inside of that. Craft anything that you didn't think you'd spend time doing that long, that much and consistently, you know, so, in when I got into music, I was 14 by Tim, I graduated from high school at 17. I went to selling Community College, and I took an acting class. And so the acting started would help me out of performance on the stage, as I was singing, and I learned to to encompass both theatre and music and movement, and do 17 All the way up to 31. That was all combined. And then I hit with doing theater. I did Zoot Suit. Yeah, that was a very amazing experience in theater, as well as in film. And that really was the launching pad. Before that I had done I had gotten I got into acting. When I was in 1972, by way of a friend of mine told me that they were looking for some extras, and I went in for a job as an extra. And I got into the job. And then that job, the guy, the director needed some someone to do a certain something for him in front of camera, and he chose me. And it was hundreds of guys there and he chose me. And so I got up and I did it with him and more before and and get that got me my sag card, got Taft Hartley and inside got into it in from there 72 All the way to 78 I was still doing theater and playing rock music. So I was performing all the time every day I was performing on stage or sometimes both both same time. And that's what happened when I sued sued. I didn't at all I sang I dance. I do comedy I did drama. You know, I was it was a live performance. And it was quite an experience. So you asked me how did I get into it? It was a process. That process took me from a five year old of learning that I could discipline myself to do the things I love to do when I didn't feel like doing it into music, into theater, and finally into to film and television and work in front of camera.

Alex Ferrari 8:45
And what I love about your story that the story you just told is that so many people coming up so many young filmmakers, young screenwriters, young actors, all think it's gonna happen for them overnight. And it's like, oh, any any moment, any moment someone's gonna discover my genius. And give me the opportunities that I obviously rightfully deserve and what use and like you were literally doing six years, seven years preparing for Zoot Suit, even though you didn't know that you were preparing for Zoot Suit, but all those skills, all those skills, were there waiting for you.

Edward James Olmos 9:18
Luck comes into play. Okay, and luck. It means the different definition of luck for me, and for a lot of people is when preparedness meets opportunity. That's luck. And you have to have luck. You have to have luck. You cannot make it in anything. You cannot really move into an understanding of yourself without luck, meaning that you have to be prepared for the opportunity when the opportunity arises. I was prepared to do that, but I was prepared to do that role like it gave me something that I did I'm so grateful. It took me so long because there was a lot of my friends who were you know, they were working at age, 1920 years old, 21 years old, still working film, television, and theater and doing everything. And I was working, and I was very happy to be performing live as a singer. And in a rock and roll band, I worked in the Czar's from 1964 through 1968, seven days a week. And I'll go to college, you know,

Alex Ferrari 10:37
And it's and I didn't know that you sang, and you were you are in the Rock and Roll scene, because now that makes your performance and Selena so much more riveting, because you actually, I mean, there was something inside of you were just walking into a character you you might have might as well have been that character in many ways. That experience.

Edward James Olmos 10:55
Yeah, it was a good experience. That was a hard film. I will tell you that. That was the hardest film.

Alex Ferrari 11:02
Why it made any specific reason?

Edward James Olmos 11:05
But yeah, yeah, the the timing, timing of that film was really, really difficult because she had been killed about 13 months before we started filming. Right? Yeah, that's that wasn't enough time. We didn't want to film that the father didn't want to film the family didn't want to make the film right away. They wanted time to pass. But the world wanted to jump. They jumped on, she really, you know, she was anybody can make a movie on her. You know, they didn't need to, you know, all they had to do just get an article, they could do the film on the article. So it was really so they were they were working on five documentaries, like around six or seven books on her life, and they were making the people were starting ready to gear up to make a movie about them. And this was only 7 12 months afterwards. You know,

Alex Ferrari 12:00
I remember. Yeah.

Edward James Olmos 12:04
So, you know, Abraham, your father, got in touch with myself. You got in touch with Gregory Nava. And with Moctezuma Esparza, and we the two, all of us got together, we helped produce it. You know, Greg directed and wrote it, with Barbara Martinez, and they did a wonderful job. That was wonderful. But it was so hard, man. Because every time we do a suit, every government inducing get a look. Every time we did see, the only person who came to watch every single scene that was shot, every single moment of film was the Father. And the kids, none of the brothers sisters, Chris, none of the band, nobody got involved unless they were in the movie. They were in the band and played with us in the movie. And but every time we do a scene, like anyone pick any scene, you remember, and imagine when they holler cut, whether it be you know, playing drums and falling over or driving the bus or boost the caca or all great scenes that we're doing on their life, the humor, the fun after when they were Howard cut. I turned in, I'd see father Abraham, about 1015 20 feet away with his back towards us in heaving sobs. TV, Amy's just destroyed as he's watching the life story of his his daughter, who had just been killed. And it was really very, very ugly. Difficult to make this film. And it was the hardest film I've ever made. Because of emotional being and because you'd be happy. You'd be like having a good time doing all the stuff in the 60s when they will Yeah, teaching them played bass. I don't want to play bass. I know you don't play bass, or you're a drummer, you'll play drums, you play drum, drums, girls don't bleed, you know, all that stuff, you know, and all this stuff about you know, it's tough to be a Mexican American you got to be more Mexican or Mexican or American or American. You got to be able to, you know, all that stuff, all those scenes after scenes of wonderful moments and the one scene that we were able to do that. I mean, the only thing that really just like he only allowed us to shoot at one time was the the scene in the hospital. He didn't want it. He didn't want it in the movie. And Greg said you got we got to put it in. I mean, that paint that paint has to be understood. Two ways around it. I'm sorry. But you know, this movie is about that. That's what this movie is about. It's about you and your family and everything you guys had to go through, and felt at that moment in time along with the rest of the world. That movie holds up pretty well. And I think it's formance Jennifer Lopez,

Alex Ferrari 15:15
And I remember seeing you I remember you on some interview saying, when I saw her get up on stage, I said, Oh, she's got it. Oh, she she, she just got a taste of it. Watch out. She's going to explode or something along those lines. You said, and you were not wrong. She's done. JLo has been quite good. First off. She's, she's done. All right. She's done. All right. Yeah. Very. Now, have you noticed? No, she's, she's, she's, she's wonderful. She's absolutely wonderful. Now, one of my favorite performances of yours is one of your earlier ones, which is in that wonderful sci fi film Blade Runner.

Mike Debbie 15:54
Oh, yeah.

Alex Ferrari 15:55
How I mean, they're, you can't I can't even think of anybody else playing that part. Just like you were built for that part. How did you get involved with that? And what was that experience like on that set? Because I mean, from what I've seen, I mean, I've seen every documentary on that film ever made. So I saw the craziness of like they took over Warren was Warner Brothers right, Warner Brothers backlot and built that entire thing. Like, what was that like? And how did you get involved with with that project?

Edward James Olmos 16:22
Came to me, they asked me to meet with Ridley Scott. And they told me a little bit about the character. And that went in I met him. Remember, I had just finished doing a work been working on Broadway had been doing as it sue for few years, maybe three or four years, and had been had worked on on Wolfen with that.

Alex Ferrari 16:50
Oh, god. What? Not walking? No, um, I just had I just had the ride around the show. Yes, yes. overfitting. I just had the writer on the show. Yes.

Edward James Olmos 17:02
Albert, myself and Gregory Hines. Yes. Rachel are a beautiful, beautiful experience that movie, very dense, very, very advanced. And so when they asked me to go meet with Ridley, I understood the theme and understood the situation. Yeah, it was a very minor role.

Alex Ferrari 17:31
But, but it has an impact. But it has an impact that role.

Edward James Olmos 17:36
It has an impact. But what the one of the great things about working with people who are secure, people who are secure, allow growth around them. And that's really the I've been very fortunate to be working, I've worked with people who are very secure. They allow the expression, they allow ideas, and I had I had, by 1978, when I did due to I gained artistic control and my characters. And that was one of the things that I asked for whatever I worked, I don't mind. You know, collaborating, communicating, collaborating, but let me develop the character. You know, and hopefully, it's what you had in mind. And most of the time, and I'd say about 98 to 99% of time, they had none of this in mind. They just ended up overwhelmed by what they were experiencing at the same time that they were filming, because they didn't know what I was going to do. You know, I'll never forget, I walked in to really the very first time and I said, I love to work with you on this very important piece of work. And I said, this is the future, you're talking about 2019 We were speaking together in 98. And I said, this can be 2019 40 years from today. It's going to be a little different. It's going to be you know, diversity, character, culture will be beaming California and Los Angeles. And, you know, of course, the environment one gotten to a point of it being difficult and everything came true. Everything through the all the cultural dynamics of the city, the the, you know, whether environmental change in warming is happening as everything's changed, and we knew it then TV, oh, discussing the film. And so I asked him if I can speak languages. That said, I'd like to speak languages that good. And he said, What do you mean? I said, well point get home If that was that, I said, I don't know, just tone doesn't just don't but, but you know, just different. It could be anything could be Hungarian with French, and you know, whatever. But that's what it would sound like. And he said, Oh, interesting. And so I gave him a character breakdown off the top of my head and improvised breakdown, a war, my great, great great grandfather came. And while my great great great grandmother came from when they got together, and how they got together and respects and then they had children, those children were born here and Aaron, and they got married here and here. And by the time they got to me, there were 10 different cultural dynamics toward directed different cultures. And so he thought it was because I like it. So he let me go. But then I took off with the script, they had written and I went to Berlitz. And I started to get the different languages that I would use inside of the piece. And, and I was seeing the words that they had written. But I was seeing him in different languages. And so when I got to work, nobody knew what I was saying.

Of course, it was city speak, I had invented city speech. That's amazing. And then with the advent of it being Asian influenced, strong Asian influence. I started doing I remember sitting in the scene, and and I did my first little origami, which was chicken. And I made a very bad chicken, and put it down and then squabbled like a chicken when it was put down, and I was in the scene, but I was waiting the back. And so he was curious to what I was doing back there. And that's what it was all about. It was about being in the scene without being in the scene. And making sure that the realities that I was doing were realities that that had something to do with what we were doing there. And it wasn't just me sitting there wasting my time, or just drawing attention by the fact that I'm sitting there like a tree, just not moving on. If I started to move, I would draw attention myself, which is even worse. So I had to be doing something. And so what I was doing was I found this little piece of paper, it was pyramid, the spearmint gum wrapping and it's white on one side and aluminum on the other side. It was the rapper was inside of a ashtray standing right to my left me as I looked down, because I didn't know what I was going to do. So I looked down, I picked it up. So while the scenes happening, I'm working on a piece of paper. And this little piece of paper ended up being looking like a chicken. And I kept on the whole time the scene was going on with between Decker and the captain in the police station, when they do that thing, that thing there. So I flew in, I finished a course on the scene finished I put the thing down because he didn't want to go do that. He didn't want to because he was retired when he came in I was you're dead. And now I'm still retired. So he was like a chicken, you know, and so and so I put I put the thing down and I and that's good squawk at the end when he said cut. I put it down but and he came over and he looked at what I was doing and he looked at me and he said bring a camera and they got a guy to to make the chicken. So many made the real origami chicken, my chicken one was good. But it wasn't as good as the one that this guy me. And that one a prop guys. And so he made the birthday there and I put it down and that was it. Then we went to another scene where we went to Leon's apartment, and then Leon's apartment. He's walking around do stuff now I had nothing to do while he was doing out exploring, and you know, looking for things and, and what you know, who was he was looking for the replicants and you know, you know, so he's doing all of his research. And it's all about him. So I was back to but I again, I didn't want to cause any, you know what, I wasn't looking for applicants. Okay, I was there to dry. I was like a driver for him. Okay. All right, same time. You find out this happened. As the story evolved, my character then grew with with a certain kind of dynamic to the story. And so I while I was there waiting for him to do his thing. I still Over inside, and I found a match stick. And so I worked on the match stick. And then I gave him a little hard on the little matchstick I put so you could stand up a little guy with a heart on so that was out doing him doing deca, you know, coming to see Leah. So I put it down and of course they filmed it. They filmed it. So now I had to have them on to origami pieces and script. Little did I know until later on when I went to see the the rough cut screening of it. That the last origami was the unicorn. I didn't make the unicorn, I didn't think about it. Okay, I had nothing to do with that unicorn, but really had taken that whole understanding of my character, what I was doing there and how he worked it through and how it worked out what I was doing, that he ended up making it so that the unicorn was found in the elevator right before he went steps in the elevator on the ground. He looks at it and this is past. It's his a dream, a reoccurring dream that he saw at that moment in time. And I thought it was genius man really sparked he made Deckard a replicant. But he didn't know it, but he did not. So isn't it? That's amazing. That was amazing. And so as he did, it was such purity of of understanding how, and that's what I mean, he never confirmed, you know, for years for years. Never confirmed. Good till finally, I guess around maybe 10 years ago, maybe 3030. About 30 years after he finally did confirm it. Yeah. And yeah, Decker was a replicant.

Alex Ferrari 26:59
And the thing that's brilliant about that story is, and you said something, so, so important for young filmmakers to hear is when you work with someone who's confident, who's comfortable, secure, thank you secure in their own skin, as a director, you allow the other artists that you're working with, to bring you all this wonderful stuff that you can do. Because if you try to control it, that's insecurity, when you have someone who's so insecure that they have to control everything, nobody can work properly, and not an artistic standpoint, at least

Edward James Olmos 27:30
No no, it's a community communicated art form in which everybody's touching is artistically involved. You know, everyone, I don't care if you're, you know, makeup by you know, it can be property can be location, you can be, you know, anything wardrobe, all of those divisions, and, you know, they all have an artistic impact on and of course, the director can, you know, sit there and pick every single piece of materials put on on the cloud as you can, every single, artistic, you know, production value could be all his and camera courses, all his and, and he can be working with the best camera people in the world. But he feels that he's, you know, he knows his vision. So we'll put the camera here and won't be open to the suggestion. You know, that because, you know, really, he's really good.

Alex Ferrari 28:32
He's, again, he's done okay, for himself. He's done. Okay, from some

Edward James Olmos 28:36
Really brilliant, brilliant filmmaker, and the gifts that I've been people I've been able to work with through the years. Yeah, extremely good. And so I've been very fortunate that they have all been secure enough to work with me, to allow me to create. And so I've created you know, nobody wrote Lieutenant Casteel Miami Vice, nobody wrote gas. Nobody wrote ELPA Chico they wrote in vector the words that come out of my mouth. And but as far as the physical and the dimension of the psychological and the emotional, and you know, everything, especially the physical. Those are creations by the artists, the actor, unless you are working with someone like Alfred Hitchcock to take 10 steps, turn around, say the line. Okay, 12456789 10 Hi. Hey, that's it. And that until there's very little, you can still use the hi UoK you know, and hi. Hi, how you scratch your face or whether you have your hands in pockets, don't have pockets did the choices that the actor makes to create a reality for the moment but I mean, I will say that you're right security secure working with secure people. It's a really wonderful virtue.

Alex Ferrari 30:13
Now, when you were working on Miami Vice, I mean, I grew up with Miami Vice. And when you showed up, you brought such a authority. And I think it I think it's fair to say that many of your characters, you as a general human being, just there's an authority to you automatically for whatever. And there's people like that they just walk in the room that like, there's respect there. You don't have to say a word. And I think with Castillo, he was one of those characters that you just looked at you at that time in your life, and you're like, do not want to mess with this guy. I remember there was an I still as a kid. I wasn't. I don't want to tell you all that was but I remember watching there was like a, like a character arc for you where you went off like, because you were always the quiet sikita You were the rock. You were the one that was silent, said very few words and just everyone just respected you. I remember there was a character arc in Miami Vice where you were on a revenge kick. Or there was something that you were doing you were off character and you were like, oh my god, Castillo's lost his mind. Oh my god. And that's what was the most fun when the quiet character who's super powerful is like, oh, no, we're gonna see what he's really about now. And you went off for like, I think an episode or two I remember I was just so enthralled is still affected me to this day. I remember that. I'm like, Oh my god. Castillo's losing his mind. This is gonna be amazing. Let's watch this. And but how did you I mean, I know there was another actor. And you and I spoke about this a little bit when we, when we when we spoke earlier, years ago, but there was another actor and then you were you came in to play this part. And then you kind of just went on that? Because you weren't there originally? No, no. Gregory Sierra, at RISD. Fantastic, fantastic actor.

Edward James Olmos 31:58
He passed away just recently, well, this last year. But when when Michael Mann asked me to, to join up with them, he called me on a Wednesday and the film started, we, I needed to be there by Thursday morning, at seven o'clock, to be in character and jump in and start playing this character. And I said that, you know, when he called me the first time, I said, I can't do that. I wish I could, but I can't. And he was very disappointed. And he had offered me a really, more money than my father had made in his entire lifetime, was the first offer. So they knew he knew what he was doing. And he knew that what he wanted. And he came straight to me as a one on one call telephone calls just between me and him. And I said, I wish I could, and, you know, tell him, I said, this couple of things. Why can't I would love, let me tell you something, I would love nothing more than to be on the show. Okay. But I can't sign an exclusive contract with NBC. I can't I wish I could, but I really can't. And, you know, it was pretty young, about 37 36 37 and 1984. And, and I said, you know, I can't I can't send an exclusive contract, and I have creative control on my character. You know, and, you know, by this time I had since 78, again, that, that understanding in that light, I didn't want to work on pieces of that creative control that stopped me from being able to do the work, because people found that there's, you know, he wants creative controls, that wouldn't even call me. So I lost so I'm sure I lost a lot of work, but the people who did call me and allow me to work with them, you know, Selena, me for me, American, and Stan and deliver that device. And the list goes on. They did get something for giving me that opportunity. And so Michael said, you didn't say anything I said, that's the reason I can't thank you very much for calling on the phone. 10 minutes later call back and double the money. I couldn't even believe I couldn't quite grasp what he was saying because I was going to do 20 shows. And those 20 shows whether I worked in them or not. I would get paid. And that's amazing, amazing. And I said listen, Mike, what are you gonna be doing this time next year? And he says, Wow, I'm gonna be doing Miami biocides. Yeah, but what else you're gonna do, as well. I'll be doing man hunter because I've been prepping them for quite a while. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get started next year. So great. So you're going to be doing Manhattan Manhunter while you're still doing Miami buys, but I'm getting paid for it. But you get to go off and make your movie. And, you know, I'm working on at that moment, I was working on the ballot of Gregorio Cortez I was walking around distributing. And so I said, I'm distributing my movie, and I won't be able to do that. And I won't be able to work on the films that I've been trying to develop and moving forward on. So I tell you, I'm sorry. I can't say that man. And and I wish extra money is fantastic. And, you know, the opportunity is fantastic. And I said, you know, but and, you know, my creative control is really, really important to know that you can't do that. I mean, you're a filmmaker, and you're really either had done safe. Yeah.

Yeah, that he had done. And it was a huge success. And he had become mu yesterday. And, but so we hung up, and he called back then, about 10 minutes later and, and offered me more money. And I said, Mikey, I wish I could really do this. This is really amazingly generous of you and wonderful. But I just can't I cannot cannot move forward without having artistic control and without signing with signing a non exclusive contract. And then he says, okay, and he hung up for 10 minutes later, got back up. He says, Well, you got it. I said, What are you talking about? He goes, Well, you got it. You just have to give me a 60 day notice. When you want to leave, and you have to come back. I said, Okay, 60s, two months. So that's fair. I mean, takes you about two, three months to get inside of a character anyway. So I don't want to, I wouldn't want to jump out and do a character next week. You know, hey, I'm leaving tomorrow, I gotta do a movie. You know, I would do that by myself. I would do that. So I said, Okay, two months advance notice, okay. And then he said, then you have artistic control your character. And I said, that's, that's really amazing. And then I said, Wow, that's really amazing. I said, No, I'll take the last offer.

Alex Ferrari 37:30
Yeah, that quadruple that quadruple the original. Yeah, that's the one I want. Yeah, I'll give the last one. Thank you so much, sir. If you want to, if you want to throw a couple more in there. I'm all about it. That's fine. Well, you definitely I mean, you took when you came onto the show a change the show, it changed the energy in the show.

Edward James Olmos 37:48
I don't even want to begin to tell you that what happened. It was it was frightening. Because when I came on the show, and I saw the they sent me real some of the first rough mixes and rough edits of the first three episodes. I was going to be in the fourth. Yeah. And so so I was watching them that was on video. So I was at my house that night, because I had to get on the airplane. I had to be on the airplane at 1030 at night, leaving LAX to be in in Miami by 515 in the morning, and it's a five hour flight and get there about 515 Almost six o'clock. And that had to go straight to the set. And, and put on my wardrobe and go to work. And that's that's a tough one. So I looked at I tried to grasp the whole of the world right away. And so I was watching the first few episodes and they were excellent. They're just really, tom toms Carter directed the pilot. And he did a brilliant job. Really, it was what it was, and this is 1984 it was MTV cop show. It was high intensity music with high intensity drama and in action action. Okay, I mean high intensity, but I noticed something, you know, I had noticed the dismissal that they didn't know they were doing it. Well, I guess they did but they thought it was very cool. And between Crockett and tops, they would look at each other like they would the cameras would be on them. And you know, the be talking to their Lieutenant the first one or the chief of police or the mayor or the governor or the head of the FBI. You know, all these people they had to deal with the CIA, the DEA they were working with inside of all that world. So But wouldn't hierarchy king, they would look at that. Listen to them. Honestly, listen, you know, passionate understanding. And then look at each other. And, you know, kind of like, and then come back together. And you knew on that look that the audience knew on that look that they had they have their own

Alex Ferrari 40:37
As they always do,

Edward James Olmos 40:39
Starsky and Hutch used to do it really well. Yeah. And so he and I had done that show also use music on the 70s, early 70s. So what was funny, was, I said, wow, wow, this is gonna be a tough one. Because, you know, I just felt that by them being able to do that kind of work. Inevitably, it would get a little predictable. They didn't. They didn't care. They were started on the show. As far as they were concerned. They were the show. Without them. There's no, and I said, that's true. But they, they have to have something that's pulling and pushing them. So first episode, the first scene that I did with a long post findable over the inland waterway. Inside of Miami, there's a lot of waterways and we're along the river feeling. And it was an inlet and there was a dead body of a girl half in the water, half potable water. And the scene was I get there and and if I find out, not in the scene, but the people are finding that's Crocketts. Oh, sweetheart, yes. Right. That's right. That's right. Yeah. Okay. It's his high school sweetheart. And so then I'm standing in my community, and I'm standing away from them. Caracas by the waterside, and Tubbs comes out and gets close to me. And he's really close. And he says, you know, this is his, and then he tells me who that is. And then I'm supposed to say something, you know, to him. But I turn when he finishes talking, I turn and I look at him. And I say to him, Don't ever come up to my face like this Detective Detective. And, like, you were I know, going to he did that on camera. He, it wasn't the line. And, and, and then Crockett, you know, he sees it, and comes quickly grabbed him and pulled him away. And the director says, Wow, that was really interesting. I liked that. That was good. I said, Yeah, I liked it, too. That looks good. Doing that one tick, we're done. All right. That was my introduction to Tufts. Okay. And then the next thing that we did was inside the OCB. And it had to be in my office. And when I walked into my office, the very first morning I walked in, remember, I have creative control. So I could change those lines, I could, you know, sit around and do what I needed to do to build something that I was going to start to work on. Okay, with inside my character, they had their thing going and they would show and they were gonna always run the plots and all the character driven stuff would be done through all of us, but they were the ones that were really seeing the whole world through their eyes. So they will have we're gonna have to deal with me. Okay, so I gave my first left hook to Philip Michael Thomas Tubbs. And then I went on FirstNet first of Giustina was going to do with with Crockett was inside the OCB in my office and I walked into my office and there was so much stuff in my office. I mean, that was pictures and there was pipe, things of pipes, like your bad smoke pipes, maybe belong to the old guy. I don't know. But there was junk, everywhere. Oh, you know, dress the hell out of us for years. So I come in, and I tell the set designer, I go hey, can you do me a favor? Because yeah, please take everything out. You just want to take everything. I don't want anything. Leave the desk, the telephone. The left filing cabinet, Mr. Chair, and the filing cabinets protect everything. Not a piece of paper. Not nothing. Oh, and if you can find me some some aspirin little box case they put around. Amazing. Okay, so they did that they did that, you know didn't ask any questions and they did it that no one ever said I don't think we can do or you know, let me let me go ask. Nobody ever said nothing they just did what I asked him just like when I did the scene with they were very respectful and they knew and understood that what I was doing respects of things just like when I asked her my wardrobe, the wardrobe lady call me up and she said, yeah, just need your sizes. I said great. I said that, you know, a 44 Regular and 16 inch neck and 33 inch inseam my sleeve like 16 and I'm giving you an hour and I and she goes okay, I'll get I said do me a favor. And then she goes out she goes, can you get I said can you please get me a black suit from Woolworths or, or CO or some some really cheap place. And to to oh, we have we didn't she tried to you know, calmly because she was this was her show. She was designing I mean she was she had gotten Versace, Armani.

Alex Ferrari 46:38
I mean, they changed. They look Miami Vice changed the way men dressed for years after that.

Edward James Olmos 46:45
And in the world, not just here and everywhere. So because of Versace. And all the big designers who gave them everything. It's just like, the music was so calm and Phil Collins and his mom yeah, it was unprecedented. They have eagles, they had everybody. They had Miles Davis music they had James Brown music they had and they had those characters on the scene and then in the show throughout the duration

Alex Ferrari 47:13
That's how cool that's how cool the show was for everybody. That really want to be in it.

Edward James Olmos 47:18
Yeah, it was really cool to be in the show. But so I'm finished telling the wardrobe lady please put in do me Do me a favor and find me Washington wear suit, put it in the washing machine read as soon as you get it and then hang it up to dry don't dry it in the dryer, hang it up to dry so dry. It's kind of like long and and has no shape just did. And she goes what Mr. Holman said, we have a look and and you know, Michael man, it's a struggle saying Oh, I know. I said I know. I know. Go talk to Michael. And get me a thin tie. Real real thin time because it wasn't the time of the thin tides. Okay. 84 was not the entitlements. Right? Right, right. Be a thin tie. And you can put me in any shirt you want to put me in any color you want to put me but make it a short sleeve. Because I knew I was gonna be Miami first year. That's too damn hot to be wearing long sleeve shirts. And with the suit jacket on Okay, as they put many times they put Crockett and Tubbs and those kind of and it was just ridiculous. humid. Myrtles over rain. So anyway, and I said Oh, and by the way can you get me some? Some? This was the best she almost I can almost feel her like throw up. I go. Can you get me a pair of wrestling shoes? I want to wear wrestling shoes.

Alex Ferrari 48:42
Okay. All right. Oh, come on. Like did you have wrestling shoes?

Edward James Olmos 48:47
Wrestling shoes is the high ankle.

Alex Ferrari 48:49
Yes, I was gonna have to be standing up all day. Oh, but I never I never saw those shoes. I don't remember ever see you.

Edward James Olmos 48:58
If you look back and go back, you'll see. I even used the same style in the same shoe on Battlestar Galactica. Just come to because you're comfortable, comfortable. They're just comfortable shoes to wear. And so she you know, she goes, I have to get back to you to fine. Great. Okay, just talk to Michael manual. He says I believe me. I will. Okay, thank you. I didn't hear from her again. Ever. Again, but I get to work. And of course, there's my black suit. And there's my thin tie. A yellow, a yellow or I think it was out of blue or yellow short sleeve shirt buttoned down collar. You know nothing like the guys were wearing. You guys thought you stood out. And I'm sure I've had I not said anything. I would have probably been wearing an Armani suit. You know,

Alex Ferrari 49:52
That doesn't make sense for your character, but that doesn't make sense

Edward James Olmos 49:57
So anyway, I don't Put me in but she wouldn't have put me in a black suit with

Alex Ferrari 50:13
A wool worth wash and wear suit. For all those for all those listening, I will just Google Woolworth. Google that because I can't explain it,

Edward James Olmos 50:25
It's you know, anyway, so there I am in the scene with Crockett first one. And I'm dressed, you know, and I'm ready to go. And I tell him take everything out of the room. And the director goes, Okay, you ready? Yeah. And okay, quantity illustrators. And so ready. And I said, just, and I go over, and I shut the door tomorrow. And I sit down my desk. And there's nothing on there. I don't have a piece of paper, I had nothing. I had a little box of like I said that aspirin on the corner. And I even think I took it off and put it inside the drawer.

Alex Ferrari 51:03
What business are you doing? Are you doing there's no business for

Edward James Olmos 51:05
I had no business. Right! This was this was the beginning of this. I walk into the damn thing. Carrying a box, my own job, but I don't know anybody. And I'm saying, Excuse me again, tell me where my office is. And they all look at me. And I says I'm Lieutenant and they go right over there. That's your officer. And so that's what, what, that's how I enter the the movie this show, because we had just killed the other guy in the scene in the episode before. So I walk into this see, nobody knows who I am. Nobody knows anything about me. Yeah. So and so I said, Well, that was that was better for me. Because then I could really do some real work, and really throw some curveballs and stuff. And people, you know, some sliders. And people wouldn't know what the heck I was doing. And so which was good for me, and good for the show. Right? Right. Because it knocked everybody into a reality of saying, holy shit, who is this guy? So they weren't looking at me. As the actor coming in. They were looking at me as the lieutenant coming in who they had no fun, you know, this guy was he's kind of weird. You know, and I was weird, because I'm off camera, which is normal that walk around doing that. And I knew I knew them both. And you know, I knew everybody, you know, and I had worked with them throughout the years getting to this, you know, and so I close the door, and I sit down, and the director says, action. And so before he walks in, done, opens the door, and then steps back. And then he wants him and he goes and we do the scene. And okay, and that's okay. They're mirroring. Okay, good. Okay. Okay, we're getting ready to shoot. Okay, everybody. Take one ready bouncer I go just mentally. And I shut the door. And dongles No, no, Ed, Ed, Ed, leaves the door open. I don't leave the door open, and there's no doors here. We're gonna literally use doors because the whole OCB is just like the open area that you walk from one office to the other office. And there's just you're walking through it. And you just, there's no door. I said, when done? Yeah, sure. Right. But I just got on the show. I mean, literally, that walking into the scene, and said You and I don't know you, I don't know anybody. And this is my office and I'm sitting here with nothing. You know, I want the door shot. And he said, Oh, yes, you know, what launches into and I could see the camera department and everybody going,

Alex Ferrari 51:05
Oh, this is okay, we're getting there. But everyone's puffing up their shirts. Now. Let's Okay, let's get ready to star and the new guy. Okay. Let's see. So

Edward James Olmos 54:27
Oh, don't open the camera with me. I said we're done dark. But what are you talking about? Dun dun think? What are you talking about? This is a think of a situation. He goes up. And he walks off the set walks off. And now the director is going what happened? And the first ad is going, everybody just take 10 Everybody and the director, director like I have a very quick call. Really. The first ad has to go over to see what the problem is with Don. So he doesn't come back first and he does. And pretty soon the lighting department and the engineers and, and sound department they everybody's like, gone from the building. I bought myself sitting in the office hours. No out. They just shut down production. He shut down production. I mean, we couldn't move. And then a John Nicola came talk to him in his in his trailer. And after a long, long time period, I don't know how long it took a long time. They finding John Nicola was producing came in and says, Okay, we're ready to go the scope. Good. Okay. So I'm seeing everything okay, down because yeah, yeah, yeah, let's just do it. Okay. I go, Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready. To comes in the door. I'm waiting. And the director goes, everybody ready? Be quiet. Alright, ready? Now everybody now is I mean, beside themselves. Right there watching the situation happened? As if they were like the audience on the screen. Now, they're watching the same way because they don't know what's gonna happen. Right, right. And sure enough, man, it happened. He comes to the door, he goes action comes the door bangs on it. When does it open? When is it open, and it has venetian blinds.

Alex Ferrari 56:55
And it falls in the 80s

Edward James Olmos 56:57
Was that hit the filing cabinet. Bam, they make a big batch sound. And he comes in and he has a document folder. And he throws a folder on the desk. And he says that's the information on the killing over by the riverside. And he says his lines. And then I don't even look. I'm shocked because now character. I'm the lieutenant. And he comes in that way and throws stuff at me that they're just my mindset. And so we walked out, okay. I didn't look at him. I say my lines and leaves. And and are you there?

Alex Ferrari 57:53
No, I lost you lost your video. Oh, there you are. You're back. You're back on my back.

Edward James Olmos 57:58
Okay, so, Alex, so we, he leaves. And the director goes, cut. And I said, Wow, that really worked well. That really, I like that he's done. He like he wouldn't duck. And, literally, that's how we shot the first scene from that day for them. For the first 20 episodes, I never looked at either one of those two guys in the eyes. I remember MC MC. All the scenes are like this. Imagine me doing my interview with you right now like this. Oh my god, you're asking me questions. me answering those questions. Yes.

Alex Ferrari 58:46
I remember that. I actually remember that. Because it's so hot. Even as a young kid. I'm like, that's just the way humans speak.

Edward James Olmos 58:54
Well, not so much. It just it created conflict. Yes, absolutely. in conflict. Yeah. Anytime I was in the scene, there was a conflict. And guess what? Now when those two guys looked at each other, it wasn't about dismissing the character that I was portraying. It was like looking at each other saying this guy's this good pain. And they were not looking at each other with the subtext that dealt more with the reality of a situation than just the Oh yeah. This is a television show. We're here to makin.

Alex Ferrari 59:28
Yeah, like Starsky and Hutch like so?

Edward James Olmos 59:30
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And I didn't mind them. I did mind that. They could dismiss anybody they wanted to. But if they weren't grounded and had a different situation every time they came in, to deal with, right, then they end pretty soon. It became real evident because they started doing tos. Yeah. Okay. And then one moment I remember on the scenes, I looked at the wall stood up and I was looking at the wall. came in. And the director goes, Excuse me, can you like turn a little bit so like to the side of your face? I see why. Shoot the back of my head, shoot the back of my hand and my body. Shoot that. Let that be the don't yet see my face. I don't watch my face all the time, my face. And so remember dancing so bad? It doesn't matter, man. He doesn't look at us anyway. So he was, he was good. Doesn't really matter, man. He doesn't look at us anyway.

Alex Ferrari 1:00:54
And he and he kind of gave he kind of gave up that kind of thing.

Edward James Olmos 1:00:59
Yeah, it changed. It changed everybody's perspective. And I became the villain. I became the bad guy. And the audience, you know, the, the, the, you know, stuff that we'd get back there was built at that time, there was no texting, and there was no, you know, and social media. Yeah, there's no, none of that. And so, but the word was out. Oh, man, we don't really like that tech them and we liked the other guy better. This guy is just like, I don't know, I think he's a bad guy. It's just a bad guy is you know, dressed in black, you never smile and never smile before years.

Alex Ferrari 1:01:34
I know, I know, I never.

Edward James Olmos 1:01:37
But the, that character could not have been written. That was not those those choices would not have they not had the confidence and given me the opportunity to create that character. That character will never materialize in, in, in television, ever. And it changed a lot of perspectives on the unspoken word. The idea of shooting people always talking and while shooting people that were more just listening, and seeing the impact of of things that were being said and done on people who weren't, you know, talking they were just receiving and what it did to them, and how it did that kind of depth in Character Study Group on that show. And well, the people liked it.

Alex Ferrari 1:02:32
I mean, that show, but that show is it's it's unlike any other show. And if you go back, you know, especially those first two or three seasons, it's like watching a masterful feature film every episode. It was just like it was just it was it was so well done. So it was just so out of there was just nothing like it on television, I argued. So there's really nothing ever since of that kind of storytelling that first the use of music and action and character. It the combination it was and Michael Mann just, it was just it was a wonderful, wonderful thing. I have to ask you, because we're we've gone off on down memory road here. I have to ask you about your new film chasing wonders, can you tell me about that project? What drew you to it, and it's it seems such a wonderful.

Edward James Olmos 1:03:16
It's, it's if you get the cheat, I don't know if you had a chance to see. But if you get a chance to see that not too many people will because it was made. It took about six years to make seven years to make. And there's a reason because the actor, the young boy had to grow. He had to get older and so they use the same boy. And that was it was beautifully done. And it's a story a simple story about a family and and the, the unbelievable sacrifices that that people do, you know, common everyday people. This takes place in Australia. Spanish family emigrated to Australia. And when they were in, in Spain, they were they were wine, grape growers for wine. It's really good wine. So he then this takes place on a Greg farm, you know, a winery. And so it's story about a family, simple family and the little boy who has a grandfather actually the grandpa, and that wonderful little story called, you know, the, the, to me, it's become a masterful little piece of work done by most of it's in Spanish, because they wanted that to be Spanish and English. A little more speaks English. You speak Spanish, but he's, you spoke English. And you know, because he's from Australia. He's born there. Kitt Chen. So you see him at the age of about 10 nine or 10 when he starts and then when we come back to them. He's 1617 and starts off with him going back to his father's house in Spain. That's a start, and then backtrack into how we got to be. It's a simple, wonderful little story that the sadnesses people won't be able to see it. It's like, they might be able to see it on streaming. They'll probably.

Alex Ferrari 1:05:25
Yeah, yeah, but it won't be in theory. It wasn't right now theaters is rough for everybody. Yeah,

Edward James Olmos 1:05:30
I had one movie out right now with George Lopez. It was theaters for about a week. Maybe two. But it was a wonderful little story called The Walking with Herb. Oh, yeah. That was a wonderful. Yeah. It's a wonderful story.

Alex Ferrari 1:05:44
Didn't you do? Did you do one in a million with him?

Edward James Olmos 1:05:48
Yes, I did. years ago.

Alex Ferrari 1:05:50
Yeah, I remember that. That was That was amazing. I have to ask you.

Edward James Olmos 1:05:54
One in a million times.

Alex Ferrari 1:05:56
No, no. Oh, God, Jesus. Of course, it was all Paul pop on that.

Edward James Olmos 1:06:02
1 million to 1 million to one. That's Georgia. And I did the puppet show. I did the very last show that he did on the show me the last one. And then this, which I just did, which he did an excellent job. No, George

Alex Ferrari 1:06:19
George's Church is remarkable. I've always been a huge fan of George. And I have to ask you, because I think I think people listening would will kill me if I don't ask you about a little bit about Battlestar Galactica. Because, I mean, it feels like just like, Patrick Stewart was born to play that character in Star Trek, you were born to play your character and Battlestar Galactica, and it's just, again, again, you have that control now that I know that you have creative control over characters. It's changed my entire perspective on your entire career. Because I could I could see now like, okay, standard deliver, got it American meet God, like and you can start going back to all those performances you like, okay, all those choices. Many of those weren't on the page, you actually brought that and to bring what you bring to the Sci Fi world and Battlestar Galactica was just an absolute phenomenon when it when it came out, people were going crazy for it. Go Go fractal, go frack yourself and all that stuff. I remember I was at Comic Con walking around, and I had no idea about it, and I just see these bags, like go frack yourself on like, what is what is fracking? What is going on? And then I started watching the show, I was like, oh my god, this is amazing. How did you get involved with that? And how what was your experience on that show? Because I mean, it was amazing

Edward James Olmos 1:07:36
Experiences the mark because writing was so sure sounds are so well written. It was truly a gift. I gotta say that all the writing so credible. And to me how I got into this was

Alex Ferrari 1:07:58
Last year video that for a second.

Edward James Olmos 1:08:00
Yeah. Yeah. So how I got the role was very simple. The producers asked the casting person we need someone like an Edward James Olmos guy. And one of the producers said the ultra heavy asked him what can be asked of me? Oh, no, man, me. No, we didn't ask you. He turned down Star Trek. So you know, he's that he's gonna do this, that he does. And so they said, we'll just ask him. And so I was working. I was doing a book festival in San Diego, Latino working family Festival, and that I was there working and stuff and something we create a community and been doing it for 20 years. And all of a sudden, you know, my agents call me up and say amen, and they asked me over universal to, to travel. And that traffic, if you come in and talk to about this television show going which is called Battlestar Galactica, the original. Yeah. Wow. I had never seen the original because in 1978, when the original came out, I was doing jujitsu every day, on stage every day, and I didn't have time to watch television. And so but I said, you know, I really it's please read it. Just read it and said, Oh, boy. So I read the first three pages Good, which was a preface it was almost like a sea, like a treatment of how to read the script the world that you're going to enter, had you not had read those first three pages, you would not have understood how this was going to be. Okay. And I must say say that it was a brilliant, brilliant read. And those three pages sold me on reading the whole script. And when I read the whole script this is this is really really exceptional work. So I accepted the invitation to go meet with and I met with them and I met with you know, the directors you know everybody and I will say that the only thing I ask them is that they don't bring about in this world that we're going to create that we keep it like like Blade Runner was Blade Runner when there was no creatures from outer space right there was you know, said keep that integrity you know, cuz I don't mind working with with these. Cylons silent okay, but but don't put us on a world finding this world universal this place all sudden has these creatures you know because the first creature I run into him faint on camera and you're gonna have to write that he had a heart attack and died amazing it was in the contract that was in the contract. That's amazing. Yeah, yes.

Alex Ferrari 1:12:15
It's It's fast. It's fascinating. You're like to hearing you talk now that it's like all these movies and shows that I've grown up with you have had such a major part in at least crafting your story but your your character but by crafting your character, you've craft crafted help craft a show and or movie around your character in many ways. You're not obviously the center of those those movies or anything like that. But you add so much to the tapestry. It's amazing. It's really remarkable. Not going back and reviewing all these performances in my head. It's, it's remarkable. It really is. I'm going to ask you a few rapid fire questions. I asked all my guests, what advice would you give a filmmaker trying to break into the business today?

Edward James Olmos 1:12:59
Discipline yourself to do the things you love to do when you don't feel like doing them. And remember that the more time you have in preparing, the better prepared you'll be.

Alex Ferrari 1:13:16
That's I think that's a t shirt. I think that's a good deal.

Edward James Olmos 1:13:22
Ron Moore, the creator started collecting music.

Alex Ferrari 1:13:27
That's a good teacher to have

Edward James Olmos 1:13:29
On the verge of being so ridiculous.

Alex Ferrari 1:13:34
Now what is the lesson that took you the longest to learn whether in the film industry or in life?

Edward James Olmos 1:13:49
All people know what they say they're interesting. Yeah. It took me a long time for them to beat that out of me, I always thought or you know, the way that they presented and then all of a sudden you find yourself and you always given and I still do the status much positive. And I give everybody the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, total total benefit. And that to me is the key but it took me the longest to learn. I can't really trust an unforced understanding. So the first time you meet someone, omit 99% of time 98% time you do it right on the head. I mean, basically, your friend is a friend. Nice to you. But it took me a while to really learn that there's always that that side of people that could definitely come in. It really hurts. It hurts Not not so much the person receiving it, but the person is doing it. They're the ones who get really hurt. So the ones who are doing it, me and somebody else problem and giving me the problem, and I don't take the problem, the problem stays with them. And they have to deal with it in the way they have to deal with their problems don't mind. And that's the hardest thing in life period.

Alex Ferrari 1:15:27
On any night and three of your favorite films of all time.

Edward James Olmos 1:15:35
My favorite films I'm Mark, I love Lawrence of Arabia. I love I love it. Give me three. Kurosawa havenly Okay, David. And I have to say blue. And those are three director's films that I really appreciate. I get so much out of it along with you, Fellini. And there's so many brilliant. And here. It's great, great directors have been on the planet to make just exquisite films. You know, I have liked a lot of the new films coming in Korea. Oh, yeah. A parasite. Yeah. Beautiful stuff. Excellent. And and I love I love I run the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. That's what this

Alex Ferrari 1:16:38
I've screened there, sir. My films have screened there, yes, over the years.

Edward James Olmos 1:16:43
So, you know, we get to see films that most people don't get to see. Right, I'm so grateful for doing this festival over the last 20 years, I've been so grateful in the one I've been able to understand view that has helped me as an artist and as a creator and also as a human being, to understand myself better. Because when you're when you're only looking at certain types of films made in one area, United States and the commerciality of the films that they make once a while you find artistic films that really do amount to a lot of great work.

Alex Ferrari 1:17:22
And, and one last question, because I think it's really important to I would love to hear your opinion on this. No, I'm a Latino filmmaker, I am Cuban boy from Miami. And, you know, your films over the years Stand and Deliver American Meat. Those are some of the spotlights when I saw a Latino presented in a different light than the general, you know, way that Hollywood presented Latinos, what do you think, now, because you've been fighting that good fight for, for a long time of trying to get you know more Latinos onto the screen and present it and see yourself as you know, as on screen, and that's why I'm loving the heights when it just came out, which is remarkable. Oh, my God, I was like when they showed the when they showed the floor, and I almost cried. I mean, it was remarkable. So in your opinion, where you see things going now, and there is more representation out there? How do you how do you? How do you feel seeing this, because you've been fighting that fight for decades now.

Edward James Olmos 1:18:22
I love it. I mean, it's all it makes us all stronger and better. And then not only the culture that's being represented, but the the ability for other cultures to experience situations through the eyes, these other cultures, and it really makes a difference makes a big difference. And I gotta tell you, the more we get to do that, the more we have diversity inside of our film world, which is I had a choice to continue to do theater, or, or do film, and to do both, you can, but basically, it's really takes a long time to do a film, you know, to develop, because I produce them, direct them. I help write them. And so each project takes anywhere between a year to 10 years, 15 years, American me to 18 years, and to make and so I had to commit myself, if I was trying to do theater, I wouldn't be able to do that kind of work on film at all. And the choice was Okay, so where does where does the where does it the most impact come from the time that I have? I'm already 75 years old. I've been doing this for years anyone by like that. I got a lot of great work that I've been able to accomplish, but I would not have been able to accomplish as much in film and I don't see it here also. And so I really sacrifice being able to On stage, but I did a lot of theater at theater.

Alex Ferrari 1:20:06
Eddie, I appreciate you, my friend, I appreciate all the work you've done over the over the course of your career and fighting the good fight and helping filmmakers and helping get stories on the screen that need to be told. And, and I appreciate I appreciate you so much, my friend. So thank you. Thank you so much for being on the show. I truly appreciate it.

Edward James Olmos 1:20:22
Thank you, Alex, thank you so much for doing this. You're helping a lot of people.