Edward James Olmos reflects on throat cancer battle, reveals his career bucket list project

Veteran actor Edward James Olmos says he is still pursuing meaningful storytelling nearly five decades into his Hollywood career, revealing that his current project, 'Valley of the Heart', remains one of the most special works on his professional bucket list.

Speaking at the opening night of the 25th edition of The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 27, the 79-year-old actor shared details about the upcoming film while discussing whether there were any dream roles or projects left for him to accomplish.

"I'm making one now that's really special," Olmos told People magazine, adding, "It's a thing called Valley of the Heart, which deals with a cultural film between the Mexican-American culture and Japanese-American culture during the Second World War."

He added, "It's beautiful. And it's a love story, and I think people will really appreciate it."

Written as a play by acclaimed writer and director Luis Valdez, Valley of the Heart follows two immigrant families trying to secure a better future for their American-born children in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

According to the official synopsis, the story takes a dramatic turn when the eldest children from the two families fall in love just as the attack on Pearl Harbour throws their communities into uncertainty.

Olmos was full of praise for Valdez and the script, saying, "He's a brilliant writer and what he's done here is a real masterpiece," as quoted by People magazine.

The actor was also joined at the festival by his Office Romance co-star Jennifer Lopez. In the upcoming romantic comedy, Olmos plays Lopez's father, marking the third collaboration between the two performers.

Their professional relationship dates back decades. Lopez portrayed Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film Selena, while Olmos played her father, Abraham Quintanilla. They also appeared together in the 1995 film Mi Familia.

Reflecting on Lopez's impact, Olmos described her as a powerful storyteller and artist.

"Her impact is overwhelming. It's so profound because it touches all humanity," he said, adding, "She's really, really good at telling a story and people like watching her. Cameras love her. She's been a great artist, great storyteller and a great producer... So I'm very grateful that she continues to be on for another 40, 50 years."

Lopez also spoke about reconnecting with Olmos on the red carpet, recalling memories from their time working on Selena.

"I'll tell you what happened. We were standing on the carpet just a few minutes ago," she said during a recent interview, adding, "I was standing with him, and I remember taking the cast photo with Selena and I said, 'Oh my God, do you remember when we did this years ago?' and he goes, 'I remember it well!'" as quoted by People magazine.

She continued, "I was like, 'And here we are.' He's like, 'Here we are.' He's like, 'I'm so proud to be here with you.' I said, 'I love you so much, thank you.'"

Beyond discussing his latest projects, Olmos also reflected on his recovery from throat cancer. The actor was diagnosed in 2022 and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

"There were moments in time when the body almost gave up," he told People magazine, at the 'Office Romance' premiere on May 26.

Olmos credited his medical team for helping him through the challenging period and expressed gratitude for his recovery.

"I'm going three years now since my throat cancer ... I'm very grateful that I got past it," he said, as per People magazine.

The actor also acknowledged that the period following treatment proved particularly difficult, previously sharing in 2024 that, "Once they stopped all of the chemo and all of the radiation and all the treatment is when the body gave up. And that's when it really became difficult," as quoted by People magazine.

As he looks ahead to 'Valley of the Heart' and the release of 'Office Romance', Olmos continues to focus on storytelling that resonates across cultures while celebrating both personal and professional milestones.

'Office Romance' will be released on Netflix on June 5.