Las Cruces announced this past December that Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Edward James Olmos (for Miami Vice) will receive the Mark Medoff Humanitarian Award at the Las Cruces International Film Festival following a screening of his film, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the Rio Grande Theatre.
Olmos is also a Tony, Spirit Awards and Academy Award-nominated actor who is most recognized as Admiral William Adama on the SyFy series Battlestar Galactica and for his role as Jaime Escalante in the movie Stand and Deliver among so many others. However, his seminal role will always be that of El Pachuco in Luis Valez’s theatrical and film production Zoot Suit which launched his career in Hollywood.
His humanitarian work can be traced back to the L.A. Riots when he so famously took up a broom to help clean up the mess in the aftermath of the riots. He has served on the board of children’s hospital in L.A. and Miami. He has been active in emergency relief efforts, from organizing a relief fund for the victims of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake to advocating for the victims of the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake. He served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and for the non-profit Southwest Voter Registration Project which helps, among other things Latinos register to vote.
Comedian and actor George Lopez will also be awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award during the same event.