MovieChat Forums > Miami Vice (1984) Discussion > Was Edward James Olmos on the wrong show...

Was Edward James Olmos on the wrong show or just a better actor ?!?!?!?!

posted 9 years ago by blackturkdog
18 replies | jump to latest

He was very intense in "Vice" as if he was in the wrong type of show or he was a much better actor than everyone. Everyone else were animated .yelling, demonstrative. Lt. Castillo walk softly but carried a big stick. Sometimes, I thought he was some sensei. It was like Vanessa Redgrave in Cruise's first Mission: Impossible. She appeared later on near the end of the movie was on screen for about 5 minutes but she shifted the whole mood of the film.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] DroverChicago 9 years ago

Castillo was the counterweight to hothead Tubbs and volatile Crockett, the perfect supervisor/mentor to keep them in check and keep the whole operation on an even keel. And he's been in the game long enough to understand the futility of it all in a way that Crockett and Tubbs haven't accepted yet.

[–] SeussMeTub 9 years ago

Well said, I agree- Castillo was a good contrast to the hyper kinetic Crockett and Tubbs.

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DIE, FANBOY, DIE 

[–] DCJerzeygrl 9 years ago

Edward James Olmos is a talented actor and a wonderful human being.
I wish him all the best!

[–] tbirdman-1 8 years ago

Edward James Olmos was the perfect fit for the role of Lt. Martin Castillo.
Imho he was so much better as the supervisor/boss of Crockett & Tubbs and
I much preferred him over his predecessor Gregory Sierra. Who lasted all of
five episodes as Lt. Lou Rodriguez in the first season. Rodriguez was the
stereotypical career police supervisor who was old school and by the book
though didn't really appeal to me nor the other viewers. I was so glad
when he left for good and was replaced by Olmos. Who made Miami Vice the
great classic 80's TV series that it became over time! P.S. Gregory Sierra
was a bit distracting as every time he was on camera I could not help
being reminded of his two previous 70's sitcom roles. As Fred Sanford's
obnoxious Puerto Rican neighbor Julio Fuentes and as Det. Sgt. Chano Amenguale
on Barney Miller. Sierra was all wrong for the role in Miami Vice!

Lorenzo Sunny Arizona

"I am James "Sonny" Crockett!

[–] chester-copperpot-1 8 years ago

You're completely right, actingwise Edward James Olmos played in a completely different and better category. He's a far better actor than any of the others, and he shows it with such small means. He totally owned the floor in any scene he was in, and he didn't even have to raise his voice. And no, it didn't ruin the dynamic, it added something to it. Because of the spectral change in acting ability, it gave scope to the show. It gave the show a depth on a whole new level, and I dare say some intellectual credibility. Like hiring Lotte Lenya as a Bond-villain for From Russia With Love, it gave the show some credibility it wouldn't have had without him. Yes, he differed in scope and ability, and made the show all the better for it.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 months ago

This is 1 of the best posts that I have encountered. How can we get more contributors like you? First, shoot all the assholes, maybe? Thank you for your exemplary contribution.

[–] TMC-4 (19392) 4 years ago

Lt. Castillo is how I would imagine what Batman (at least, Michael Keaton's interpretation) would be like if he were a police officer instead of a costumed vigilante. Both characters you could say, are very enigmatic, low-key intense, stoic, and don't like do a lot of long-winded monologuing.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 4 years ago

I've never thought he was anything but a one-note actor. That's mostly going by BSG. I haven't seen much of Miami Vice.

[–] jdforyou1983 (1469) 3 years ago

Edward James Olmos was definitely the best actor on the show

[–] R_Kane (15828) 2 years ago

He was more than “the best actor.” He was the best personality. He gave the show gravitas. Consider Michael Mann‘s pitch for the show: “MTV Cops.” Brilliant pitch. Something the dullard but empowered sons-in-law given power by wedding the right bimbo could understand between toots of coke. When she reviewed the film Drugstore Cowboy, the legendary pauline kale wrote in The New Yorker that Scott Glenn’s character “looks like he ejaculates bullets.” Same for Castilo—and he DOES NOT use rubbers.