Edward James Olmos began his career as an actor in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1980s that he became known for his work on television (MiamiVice) and Movie (Stand and deliver). In the 2000s, he rose to fame among a whole new generation through a completely different genre, playing Commander Adama in Ronald D. Moore’s reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

Now that he’s been in the business for a full five decades, it’s time for Olmos to slowly settle into the role of mentor, which can be seen in the new film. A quick movementnow streaming on Prime Video. Unfortunately, Decider only had a full 10 minutes with Olmos, so we didn’t have time to ask him for anecdotes about his entire filmography, but we did get all the details on the new film mentioned above and got him to talk a bit about his first film role, the actors who made him fight back against becoming a fanboy, and his political involvement.

DECISION-MAKING: First, an obligatory question: How did you even get involved with this film? Did (writer/director) Kelly Blatz contact you personally?

EDWARD JAMES OLMOS: Yes, they did. They contacted me personally and asked me to be a part of it. They said they really thought of me when they played the role and wrote it, and I was very impressed with the script. It was intense, and I said to myself, “Okay, if the script is good, then you know that the film adaptation will make it even better and the reality will be stronger.” I said this would be a very, very, very intense film, and it is. It’s very powerful.

It’s about motorcycle racing, but it’s really a love story. It’s a family story. It’s a community story. It’s about learning to really understand yourself and learning to be understanding. from Yourself, when you gain strength and you start to become something, when you start living your dream, and when your dream starts to come true, and what happens to you as a human being. Are you ready for that success? And nobody teaches you success. You know, that’s one of the things that’s really interesting. They teach you about the struggle, but nobody ever teaches you, “Okay, now you’re successful. Now what?”

And so I’m very, very happy to be working with Eric Dane, who plays Dean Miller, the young man’s father, and KJ Apa, who plays the young man, is phenomenal, and I think he’s a great artist who you’re going to see in many different things, in different films, in the years to come. And Maya Reficco, who plays his girlfriend, is just stunning and beautiful. They all do an excellent job.

Do you remember the moment when you became a mentor or elder in the plot of a movie?

Oh yeah. My agent was basically like, “You know, you’d be really good at playing a mentor.” And I said, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” And I’m like… (Hesitates.) Of course, I know I look good, but I’m 77 years old, man! (Laughs.) And I have to tell you, I’ve been doing this for 50 years, and I’ll tell you this: I feel very privileged to be in this industry and to have access to stories like this at my age and after the life I’ve lived. I’m very grateful for that. It’s a simple story and we’ll be on Prime Video, so people can watch it straight away. It’s streaming, so I hope they enjoy it.

I will say both in the film and today that you are a man who knows how to wear a hat.

(Laughs.) You too!

Luckily, I saw the movie and it was great. But for those who haven’t seen it, tell me a little bit about how you would define Abel as a character.

Well, Abel is a man who sacrificed his life for others. He always helps. And he runs his motorcycle shop and repairs motorcycles. And he was a racer. He ran. He raced really well. He was one of the best in motorcycle racing at the time. He was young and sacrificed a lot and … you learn about this sacrifice in the film and see that the man fought and tried to help. He is attempt to help. But he sees that the struggle is that people have to take it into their own hands to understand the problems they’re in. And he becomes the mirror of the father and the son in this film and… it’s a very powerful film. And again, it’s about community. It’s about family bonds. It’s about love. It’s about fast, fast motorcycles. (Laughs.) And I’m very grateful that they made the film. I’ve never seen one about this kind of sport, so it’s a good film.

Oh, it’s great. I was just going to say that the racing scenes in particular really stand out.

Yes, I think Kelly did a great job directing the film and he did a great job writing the script as well.

You obviously had some bikes in previous projects that you worked on. It was not long ago that you were at Mayans MC.

Yes, Mayans! But in this case, I never pretended to be a biker, you know? That wasn’t the world (my character) came from. My sons got dragged into it and ended up doing what they did, but… that was a wonderful story too, but very dark.

Absolutely. Do you have a real motorcycle past yourself?

I did when I was younger. I had a Triumph 650 and smaller bikes before that, but I had to get off. I lost two friends and that’s all it took. Two different accidents and it wasn’t their fault and it probably never will. Is the fault lies with the motorcyclist. It’s mostly people who don’t see you on the bike and cut you off or hit you, and then you can’t get away, man. You’re vulnerable as hell.

I have a question that I like to ask everyone, about the first time you actually appeared in front of the camera. According to IMDb, which may not be true… Was your film debut actually in Black Fist?

No. My first appearance in front of the camera where I got my SAG card was in 1972 in a film called Aloha Bobby and Roseand it was a wonderful film. I was an extra in the film, and then they brought me over and asked me if I could speak. (Laughs.) And I said yes, so they gave me a line, or a few lines, and then I went to work, got my SAG card, and started my film career. Because before that I had been acting in the theater.

Speaking of theater, one of your most notable early films that I wanted to ask you about was Zoot Suit.

It was a great experience all round. The play was the highlight.

Yes, I knew it started in the theater.

Yes, and it was wonderful. Wonderful. I think people who saw it in the theater were very grateful to have seen it in the theater. We did that play for years. It started at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and then went on to New York on Broadway, and all I can tell you is that it’s a story that I was very grateful for. I was very lucky to have a chance, and I was prepared for the chance, which is what luck means. When you’re prepared for the chance and the chance comes, it’s called pure luck. (Laughs.) So I was lucky to be able to play the role and create the role. That’s what started my career, starting in 1978. Creating my own roles and just being in control of my characters.

Do you remember the first time you had to resist becoming a total fanboy when meeting someone?

Oh God, yeah. I mean, it’s pretty easy to lose it. I mean, it’s overwhelming. You get that understanding. When I met Anthony Quinn, who was very, very stunning. He was a wonderful human being and a great, great artist. When I met Jack Palance, he was my mentor for a long time and these artists – Rita Moreno is another one – these artists were just so pure in their understanding of their craft and not really full of themselves. They were very down to earth. If you didn’t know them and you only saw them on film or in an interview, you might perceive them as thoughtful, very introverted, but they were all very strong and very, very human and very simple and they had wonderful personalities. Anthony Quinn was incredible. Jack Palance was incredible, a wonderful, good man, human being and Rita Moreno is a beautiful woman and a beautiful artist.

I think I have time for one more. As a Supreme Court nominee in the Bartlett administration, I am curious to hear what you have to say about your work on The western wingYou were already politically active. Did this increase your political commitment?

Well, I’m an activist. Not so much that I tell you how to vote, but… In 1978, I became the national spokesman for the Southwest Voter Registration Drive, and I have to tell you, that’s the most important aspect to me. I’ve come to believe strongly that voting is key. You have to express your opinion through your vote. That’s really the power that gives us as a people in a democracy and in any government. But some governments don’t listen to the voters. You can vote any way you want, and then they come and just usurp everything and change everything. But to answer your question, when I did that, The western wingwhat a beautiful understanding (of politics) that show had. I loved it and was very, very, very happy to have the opportunity to portray Judge Mendoza.

A quick movement is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Will Harris (@NonStopPop) has a long history of conducting long interviews with random pop culture figures for the AV Club, Vulture, and a variety of other media outlets, including Variety. He has also worked on You can’t be serious: The true story of “Airplane”!a book with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. (And don’t call him Shirley.)