Edward James Olmos has plenty left to say. To impart all his wisdom as an artist and an activist, the beloved 78-year-old Cal State LA alumnus is planning a long life of 200 years.

“People used to laugh at me when I said 120 years. Now they think I’m completely nuts,” he said. “I’m trying to set the world record at 200 years, and if I can’t I’ll die trying.”

Cal State LA welcomed back the actor-director-producer along with about 400 of his fans for “An Evening with Edward James Olmos” at The Luckman Theatre on Friday, Oct. 10. The event, which kicked off the “We Are LA: Community Weekend,” featured a conversation between Olmos and College of Arts and Letters Dean Stephen Trzaskoma, a screening of his 1982 film The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, and the belated presentation of the 2024 Prism Award.

“Tonight, we honor one of our own, Edward James Olmos—Academy Award-nominated actor, activist, philanthropist, and lifelong champion for our communities,” Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes said. “This is more than an award ceremony and a screening. This is a homecoming, a celebration of connection and culture.”

Olmos was originally scheduled to receive the Prism Award in October 2024 during EagleCon, Cal State LA’s annual science fiction and fantasy conference, but he was unable to attend due to a family emergency.

The award is given annually to creators for their outstanding contributions to diversity in speculative media. Olmos portrayed iconic roles in two of the most influential sci-fi stories of all time: Gaff in the film Blade Runner (1982) and Admiral William Adama in the series reboot of Battlestar Galactica (2003-09).

His storied 50-plus-year career also includes equally unforgettable performances in such films as Stand and Deliver (1988), American Me (1992), and Selena (1997); the TV series Miami Vice (1984-89); and both the stage and film versions of Zoot Suit (1978 and 1981, respectively).

Olmos, who charmed the audience with his wit, credits his time at Cal State LA and growing up in East LA as the foundation for his success.

“First of all, this isn’t the campus I went to,” he said. “I left here in 1968. None of this was here, and it’s so beautiful now.”

“I learned everything here,” he continued. “This is the root. The root is the amount of time you spend doing something. I spent all my time here, and on the stage and in bars singing and dancing. I was working on the Sunset Strip as a rock and roll singer, and I’d come here and study sociology and criminology.”

He expanded on his answer during a backstage interview following the Prism Award presentation and on-stage conversation.

“I am really what happens when you embrace your culture, your understanding of where you come from, and when you apply yourself to the fullest,” he said. “This is what happens: we all become really strong through an understanding of ourselves.”

Olmos said that sense of self helped guide him in his choice of projects. Known as much for his activism as he is for his artistic endeavors, Olmos said his early successes with Zoot Suit and Blade Runner gave him the freedom to reject roles that did not align with his ideals.

He said he is most recognized for his Oscar-nominated depiction of Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver. The inspirational film, based on the true story of a math teacher who pushed his students at James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles to great academic heights, has long been shown in classrooms across the country, inspiring both students and educators.

Olmos’ other key roles include Abraham Quintanilla in Selena, Paco in My Family (1995), and the voice of Chicharron in the animated Coco (2017).

“These movies have become centerpieces of the Chicano movement, of the Chicano people,” Olmos said. “These are our stories. There have only been maybe two films and maybe one TV show that weren’t in my wheelhouse. I did them as favors to friends, but I’ve only pretty much told the stories that I wanted to tell.”

For the Cal State LA event, organizers tasked Olmos to pick which of his films would be screened. He said The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez was an easy choice.

The critically acclaimed film stars Olmos as the title character, a Mexican American farmer who is accused of killing a sheriff in Texas in 1901. In 2022, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”

“This is the best film I have made in my life,” he said. “The aesthetic of this movie is now understood by many. We teach it. You don’t romanticize it, you don’t glamorize it, you don’t exploit it, you don’t manipulate it.”

Olmos, who overcame throat cancer in 2022, continues to work. He is in constant search of projects that convey the Chicano experience honestly.

He said he wants to bring a biopic of Master Sergeant Raul Perez “Roy” Benavidez, a Medal of Honor recipient during the Vietnam War, to the big screen. He is looking to produce, direct, and act in a film version of Luis Miguel Valdez’s 2018 play Valley of the Heart.

“I almost died three years ago from cancer of the throat,” he said. “Life is fragile. I want to live as long as I possibly can because it’s more important now than ever to tell these stories.”

The “We Are LA: Community Weekend” celebrated two days of connection, culture, community, and Golden Eagle pride. On the same evening as the Olmos event, the Golden Eagles men’s and women’s soccer teams hosted a double header against Cal State Monterey Bay at University Stadium. The men’s team posted an impressive 3-1 victory, but the women’s team fell short in a 2-1 heartbreaker.

The weekend festivities continued on Sunday, Oct. 12, as Cal State LA participated in the roll/walk/ride at CicLAvia in the heart of Los Angeles.

Community Weekend was affiliated with the University Convocation and Investiture of Eanes as the ninth president of Cal State LA.

“It was beautiful, very emotional,” Olmos said of his return to campus. “I was crying up there. Tonight was very special, and it was full of provocative thoughts. The university isn’t a place to hold back. I spoke the truth. I spoke it loud and clear and straight.” 

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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 22,000 students and has more than 270,000 distinguished alumni.