Academy Award nominee, Emmy winner and groundbreaking Latino actor Edward James Olmos has kept quiet about his battle with throat cancer, but has now come out to inform fans of his struggles and recovery.
Sitting down for an interview on the podcast Mando and Friends, the 76-year-old Edward James Olmos said being diagnosed with cancer allowed him to put his life into perspective. “It was an experience that changed me totally, the understanding of how wonderful this life is. I’ve been through some experiences that have gotten me close to death, but that was really close.”
Fortunately, the actor–perhaps best known for his remarkable performance in 1988’s Stand and Deliver and playing Commander William Adana on 2004-2009’s Battlestar Galactica–won the battle. And now that Edward James Olmos has completed chemotherapy and radiation, he can truly put the energy into recovering from his bout with cancer. He in particular has cited his fitness level as one of the factors in helping him press on. “One thing that I’m very grateful for was that I was in condition to fight this…I was in good condition–and I still am. I swim a mile a day at least, sometimes two miles a day. Every day, seven days a week. And then I row and do weights.”
This is all quite commendable, especially since Edward James Olmos shed an extreme amount of weight while battling with cancer. “There were times in the months of treatment that the body gives up. And I didn’t want to take my food through my stomach…They had to get 2,500 calories into my body every day. That was ridiculous, that was so hard.”
In addition to the aforementioned roles, Olmos also had a prominent role on Miami Vice, as well as memorable roles in Blade Runner (which he reprised for Blade Runner 2049) and Selena (playing the slain singer’s father/manager Abraham). He even joined the MCU with season two of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Next week marks the start of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, which Edward James Olmos co-founded in 1997.
What is your favorite Edward James Olmos performance on the big or small screen? Let us know in the comments section below!