Olmos stands and delivers at Columbia College

The "Battlestar Galactica" actor spoke about ethics in Hollywood.

By Erin Kaplan

Published March 13, 2009

Actor, director and film producer Edward James Olmos took the stage at Columbia College on Tuesday evening to discuss ethical issues in Hollywood and some broader topics as well.

Olmos, best known now for playing Admiral William Adama on Sci-Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" and his work in the films "Stand and Deliver" and "American Me," spoke at great lengths about ethics and morals in society.

"Basically, I don't know very much," Olmos said.

What he did know a lot about, however, was how he felt he kept his moral integrity intact throughout the 62 years of his life.

Olmos, who grew up on Los Angeles's east side, started playing baseball when he was young to keep out of the gangs that had invaded his community. During those years, he became the Golden State batting champion, but his friends suggested that he go into acting. Olmos has been in the film industry ever since.

At one point during Olmos' presentation, he challenged the crowd to think of one Latino whom the country at large considers an American hero, to which few in the audience responded.

"This is why I do 150 of these speeches every year," Olmos said. "This is why I leave my wife and my kids and family and come out to talk to you, because you aren't exposed to enough Latinos."

Many of Olmos' works include stories of Latinos, most notably "Stand and Deliver," which tells the story of a calculus teacher in an inner city Los Angeles high school who motivated students to improve in standardized testing. Another film that deals with Latino issues in which Olmos has preformed is "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez."

"If we don't make these kinds of films, nobody is going to," he said about the film.

Olmos said "Battlestar Galactica" also deals with issues of diversity, and said, because of the show's subject matter and cast of characters, it had "the best range of multiculturalism I've ever worked with."

Olmos discussed ethical and moral lessons he's learned in his own life.

"I've lived my life giving more than I receive, and I've received a lot," he said. "And I'm here to tell you that it works."

When he spoke broadly about the film industry, Olmos' message was darker.

"The ethics of my industry are brutal," Olmos said. "They could care less about morality."

Olmos emphasized that "the intention equals the content in our art," while drawing parallels to films like "Psycho," "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park" to emphasize how films can leave a lasting imprint on the subconscious.

Columbia College President Gerald Brouder, who provided an introduction the event, asked the audience: "Does the filmmaker, who has a tremendous amount of power, have an ethical and moral responsibility to tell the truth?"

Olmos would answer this question with a resounding yes.

"When you direct, your sense of truth, your integrity comes out," Olmos said. "You have to be honest to the point of understanding."

Olmos said "American Me" was a much more ethical presentation of gangs and gang life than other popular movies such as "The Godfather," because it refused to romanticize their world.

To emphasize this, he said "American Me" was the single most viewed film by law enforcement officers across the world dealing with gang crime.

Linda Claycomb, interim nursing director at Columbia College, said she found Olmos' speech interesting.

"I was very interested in his movies, and he leaves such a huge impact on young people's lives," she said.

Olmos said he will be in New York City next week to speak alongside fellow cast members from "Battlestar Galactica" on a panel before the United Nations to discuss human rights issues.

"We're going to talk about culture, and in the end, they're going to hear the very same thing you heard tonight," Olmos said.

If Olmos had any regrets, they never showed in his lecture.

"I'm very proud of my work, and I'm very proud that I can stand before you today," he said.