This page covers '''Ed''' and its variants, including '''Eddie''' and '''Edward'''.
This page covers '''Ed''' and its variants, including '''Eddie''' and '''Edward'''.
== Ed ==
{{DisambigTab
|tab1=Ed
* [[Ed Begley Jr.]], the actor who portrayed [[Greenbean]] in the {{TOS|Battlestar Galactica|Original Series}}.
|subtab1_1=Ed Begley Jr.
|tab2=Eddie
== Eddie ==
|subtab2_1=Eddie Seidel Jr.
|tab3=Eduardo
* [[Eddie Seidel Jr.]], the 15 year old boy who committed suicide after the cancellation of the Original Series in 1979, which was reported by the Associated Press.
|subtab3_1=Eduardo
|tab4=Edward
== Eduardo ==
|subtab4_0=Edward Gross
|subtab4_1=Edward James Olmos
* [[Eduardo]], the name of the [[Unnamed characters (RDM)|unnamed co-pilot]] on ''[[Colonial Heavy 798]]'' in the [[Miniseries]]' [[Battlestar Galactica (2005 Novel)|novelization]].
|subtab4_2=Edward Mulhare
|subtab4_3=Edward Prima
== Edward ==
}}
* [[Edward James Olmos]], the actor who portrays [[William Adama]] in the [[Re-imagined Series]].
* [[Edward Mulhare]], the actor who portrayed [[John]] in "[[Experiment in Terra]]".
* [[Edward Prima]], the author of ''[[Dark Day]]'', a book mentioned in the Re-imagined Series.
{{disambig}}
Revision as of 19:43, 25 March 2023
This page covers Ed and its variants, including Eddie and Edward.
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This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. If an article link referred you here, you might want to go back and fix it to point directly to the intended page. Also, if you wanted to search for the term "Ed", click here.
Ed Begley, Jr. (born 16 September 1949 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor.
The son of actor Ed Begley, the junior Begley has a extensive filmography with credits in many television shows since the 1970s.
Nominated for an Emmy for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the 1988 TV medical drama, St. Elsewhere, Begley also appeared on the CW Network show, Veronica Mars.
Eddie Seidel Jr. photo reprinted in The Minnesota Star article entitled "Last Words of a Troubled Boy," printed 29 August 1979.
Eddie Seidel Jr. (September 22, 1963 – August 22, 1979), also known as Edward Robert Seidel, was a 15-year-old Battlestar Galactica fan from Saint Paul, Minnesota whose tragic death became one of the most notable incidents related to the cancellation of the Original Series. Born to Edward L. Seidel and Marilyn E. Clausen, his suicide on August 22, 1979, occurred approximately three weeks after the final rerun of Battlestar Galactica aired on August 5, 1979.[external 1][external 2][external 3]
Background
Edward Robert Seidel Jr., known as Eddie, was described by his family as an intellectually gifted but troubled teenager who struggled with boredom and finding meaningful challenges in life.[external 1][external 4] Born in Saint Paul to Edward L. Seidel and Marilyn E. Clausen, Eddie lived with his father and stepmother Dawn Seidel at 314 E. Bernard St., West St. Paul.[external 3][external 4] He had at least one older sister who lived in the family home.[external 5]
Eddie's parents had divorced in February 1977, and he had initially lived with his mother Marilyn until moving in with his father and stepmother Dawn six months before his death.[external 4] His stepmother indicated that Eddie earned mostly B and B-plus grades in school with occasional A's, but was generally bored with his classes.[external 4] Despite scoring in the 90th percentile on IQ tests (very bright but short of genius), Eddie had been held back in fifth grade and his ninth grade marks were only slightly above average, with his highest grades in math and science.[external 4]
The family lived in Saint Paul, and Eddie worked as a stock boy at a Country Club supermarket to earn spending money.[external 1][external 4] Despite his intelligence, Eddie struggled with finding purpose and direction in his life. His father later reflected that Eddie was "sometimes brilliant" but couldn't find enough in life to keep him interested.[external 4]
Prior to his death, Eddie had been treated by child psychiatrist Dr. Jack V. Wallinga from December 1975 to April 1976, after his father discovered that Eddie had been experimenting with inhalants with friends.[external 4] The psychiatrist described Eddie as "a pretty sad-looking little boy" and noted that projective tests revealed "a very empty, sort of depressed guy, especially in the relationship with his father."[external 4] Dr. Wallinga had urged the parents to spend more time with Eddie and to return for more counseling if matters worsened.[external 4]
Previous Interventions and Psychological Treatment
In 1975, after Edward Seidel Sr. caught Eddie sniffing gasoline with friends, he arranged for psychological treatment.[external 4] Eddie was treated by child psychiatrist Dr. Jack V. Wallinga from December 1975 to April 1976.[external 4]
Dr. Wallinga described Eddie as "a pretty sad-looking little boy who spoke up all right and could smile."[external 4] In IQ tests, Eddie scored in the 90th percentile, indicating he was very bright but short of genius level.[external 4] However, projective psychological tests revealed "a very empty, sort of depressed guy, especially in the relationship with his father."[external 4]
According to Dr. Wallinga's assessment, Eddie was unhappy with the large amount of time his father spent working on the family's new home, noting that "Dad didn't play any sports with Eddie. He was too busy working on the house."[external 4] At the time of treatment, Eddie's parents were moving toward their February 1977 divorce, and both worked, leaving Eddie feeling neglected.[external 4] The parents' occasional fighting also distressed the boy, and he had turned to inhalant abuse as an escape mechanism.[external 4]
Dr. Wallinga also noted that Eddie had been born with a congenital hip problem and had spent a year of his infancy in a body cast, which the psychiatrist believed could have affected his early emotional development: "The cast puts you into a shell. Touching, handling, that can be care that babies need."[external 4]
During his treatment, Eddie's academic struggles were evident. Despite his high IQ scores, he was held back in fifth grade, and his ninth grade marks were only slightly above average, with his highest grades in math and science.[external 4] A sketch Eddie drew for Dr. Wallinga showed a school in flames, which the psychiatrist characterized as "a fairly angry drawing."[external 4] Eddie had hated school but was looking forward to attending senior high because it offered more elective courses.[external 4]
Before concluding Eddie's treatment, Dr. Wallinga urged the parents to spend more time with their son and instructed them to return for more counseling if matters worsened.[external 4] When informed of Eddie's death, Dr. Wallinga reflected: "It sounds like (matters) did. I think this was an empty boy in an empty marriage."[external 4]
Regarding Eddie's television obsession, Dr. Wallinga noted that during his treatment period, Eddie was a Star Trek fan who would throw tantrums if his TV time was cut down, but television "wasn't prominent then. It was what he turned to when he was bored and nothing was going on."[external 4] The psychiatrist concluded that Eddie "didn't have the resources or support to make it through adolescence, which is a high-risk time for suicide, when you might not see far enough into the future when things might change."[external 4]
Devotion to Battlestar Galactica
Eddie Seidel Jr. developed an intense obsession with Battlestar Galactica that consumed much of his life.[external 6][external 4] His small bedroom at 314 E. Bernard St. overlooked Lily Lake, a West St. Paul pond, but Eddie spent far more time watching the color television he had purchased with his own earnings than looking out the window.[external 4]
Eddie had previously been a devoted Star Trek fan, making audio tapes of episodes and creating memo pads with "Captain's Log" letterheads.[external 4] When Battlestar Galactica premiered in fall 1978, Eddie transferred his devotion to the new series, forsaking Star Trek reruns.[external 4] He had his bedroom painted dark blue to resemble deep space and filled it with every model and poster related to Battlestar Galactica.[external 4][external 4] His collection included audio recordings of all the episodes, the motion picture soundtrack album, and an extensive array of merchandise.[external 4]
Eddie's stepmother Dawn recalled his routine: "He'd come out here humming and get himself a glass of milk and fix himself something to eat so he could go back in and get ready to watch his program. He was always in best spirits when it was time for his program to come on the air."[external 4] When Eddie came home from work, "within not even five minutes we would hear 'Battlestar Galactica' - the music."[external 4]
His most recent acquisition was a plastic model of the Galactica world's terrain, for which he had thrown a tantrum when a hobby shop took too long with his special order, leading him to scour the Twin Cities to find another store that stocked it.[external 4] Eddie later requested in his will that this model be placed on his tombstone, though his parents ultimately placed it in his casket instead, doubting the plastic would withstand the weather.[external 4]
When ABC announced the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica in April 1979, Eddie was devastated.[external 7] On July 23, 1979, and on other occasions, he called ABC to plead that the series be continued.[external 4] According to ABC vice president Julie Hoover, the network received many appeals from youths about the Battlestar cancellation, though no caller sounded "desperate" enough to warrant special attention.[external 4]
Death
On August 22, 1979, Eddie Seidel Jr. returned home from his job as a supermarket stock boy and retreated to his bedroom.[external 1] After writing what his family described as a last will and testament, he left the house on his moped and drove to the High Bridge in Saint Paul.[external 1] Around 1:00 AM, Eddie's older sister discovered the note he had left behind.[external 5]
The note contained Eddie's final thoughts and his expression of despair over the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica.[external 1] His famous last words, as reported in the media, were: "They canceled my show. ABC canceled my show."[external 5]
In the pre-dawn hours of August 22, 1979, Terry Brown reported someone on the High Bridge to police.[external 1] Officers Mark Pearson and Mike Morehead responded to the call and arrived at the scene to find Eddie positioned on the bridge railing.[external 1][external 4][external 8]
The two officers engaged in conversation with Eddie, trying to persuade him to come down from the dangerous position.[external 1] During their attempts to talk him down, Eddie told Officers Pearson and Morehead that he was upset about the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica.[external 4] Despite their persistent efforts and attempts at negotiation, the officers were unable to dissuade Eddie from his tragic course of action.[external 1]
After the extended conversation with police, Eddie jumped approximately 200 feet to his death, landing on the ground beside the Mississippi River.[external 9] His parents, Edward Seidel Sr. and Dawn Seidel, arrived at the scene approximately ten minutes after Eddie had jumped.[external 4] The family had been alerted after Eddie's sister discovered his note and they realized he was missing.[external 1]
Eddie Seidel Jr. was buried on Friday, August 24, 1979.[external 4]
Family Response
Following Eddie's death, his family expressed the profound impact that Battlestar Galactica had on their son's life. Dawn Seidel, his stepmother, stated: "I hope we never ever see it on TV again, because it would just crush us."[external 4] She noted that Eddie's "whole life was wrapped up in the television space show."[external 4]
Edward Seidel Sr. reflected on his son's death, saying: "I really should have tried to get him into a gifted children type situation, but it's too late to look back and say I should have."[external 4] He also expressed his newfound understanding of television's influence, stating: "I was never sure it did influence kids that bad, but now I'm convinced it does."[external 4]
The incident has since become a frequently cited example of the intense fan devotion that Battlestar Galactica inspired and the emotional impact of its cancellation on viewers.[external 12] The story has been referenced in various Battlestar Galactica fan communities and historical accounts of the series.
Some fans have speculated that the character Colonel Sydell from Galactica 1980 may have been named in tribute to Eddie Seidel, though this connection has not been officially confirmed.[external 13]
Significance
Eddie Seidel Jr.'s death represents one of the most tragic consequences of Battlestar Galactica's cancellation and serves as a reminder of the profound emotional connection that science fiction television can create with its audience. The incident occurred during a period when Battlestar Galactica fans were actively campaigning for the show's renewal, including organized protests outside ABC studios.[external 12]
The timing of Eddie's suicide was particularly poignant, as it occurred just weeks before ABC announced Galactica 1980, a continuation of the Battlestar Galactica universe that premiered in January 1980. Additionally, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, another science fiction series that might have appealed to Eddie's interests, premiered on September 20, 1979, less than a month after his death.
This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Miniseries novelization separate continuity, which is related to the Re-imagined Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.
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Edward James Olmos was born February 24, 1947, in East Los Angeles, Calif., and raised in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. He played baseball as a way to avoid street gangs and drugs, and became the Golden State batting champion. Turning to rock music in his teens, he became lead singer in a band he named Pacific Ocean (because it was "the biggest thing on the West Coast"), which released a record in 1968. Around this time he was attending East Los Angeles College and California State University, performing in clubs, and studying acting. His son Bodie Olmos portrays Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza.
Biographical Notes
He married Kaija Keel, daughter of actor Howard Keel, in 1971, having two sons with her: Mico and Bodie. At this time, he started working as an actor in theater and television (in which he appeared in such iconic television series as Hawaii Five-O, Canon, Police Woman, Kojak, and Starsky and Hutch) for a number of years until his mesmerizing performance in the dramatic musical Zoot Suit (1978) led to a Tony Award nomination, a Los Angeles Drama Circle Award and a Theatre World award.
As a result of this recognition, he recreated the role for the film of the musical, thus kick-starting his film career; later that year he starred in Wolfen. This success was quickly followed-up with the acclaimed historical drama The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez and Ridley Scott's landmark Blade Runner.
Following this, he took on the role of Lt. Martin Castillo in the 1980's hit TV series Miami Vice. During his 5-year tenure on the series, the role earned Olmos an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, plus an additional nomination each.
In 1989 Olmos received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Jaime Escalante, the dedicated, real-life math teacher of Stand and Deliver, and in 1992 he made his directorial debut with the powerful feature film American Me, in which he also starred. In that year he also divorced his first wife, Kaija Keel, after 21 years of marriage.
He was honored with a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award nomination for his work in the 1994 HBO production The Burning Season, the story of Brazilian political activist Chico Mendes. Olmos also played Jose Menendez in the CBS miniseries Menendez: A Murder in Beverly Hills that year, and was the executive producer of the award-winning NBC documentary Lives in Hazard. In 1994 he also re-married to actress Lorraine Bracco. This marriage was also to end in divorce in 2002, after a 5-year separation.
In 1995 Olmos starred with Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales in the landmark Latino-American drama My Family / Mi Familia, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gregory Nava. Olmos starred in the ABC miniseries Dead Man's Walk, the prequel to Lonesome Dove, and played Abraham Quintanilla, the strong, supportive father of singing star Selena in the hit biographical drama Selena. Olmos physically transformed himself for the role, gaining 60 pounds.
Olmos' recent work includes appearing in 2 segments of the critically-acclaimed television drama series The West Wing, in which he played Supreme Court hopeful Judge Roberto Mendoza. He also took the title role of the 2002 NBC miniseries Steve Martini's The Judge, for which he earned an Outstanding Actor nomination from the American Latino Media Arts Awards; the PBS series American Family, created by Gregory Nava; the Showtime telefilms Bonanno: A Godfather's Story, The Princess and the Barrio Boy, and In the Time of the Butterflies, with Salma Hayek, in which he played Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo. He provided the voice of the wise Pre-Columbian village chief in DreamWorks' animated The Road to El Dorado. Among his many other films are Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, Caught and The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, based on a Ray Bradbury story.
He has hosted or narrated documentaries including Zapatista, The Unfinished Journey (directed by Steven Spielberg), Good Cop, Bad Kid and Father, Son: America's Desperate Passage.
Other endeavors
The Americanos Project, produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution as a national museum tour, a feature documentary on HBO, a book of photographs and text about the Latino community across America, a CD, and a concert extravaganza; and the 2002 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, co-produced by Olmos and featuring the work of more than 100 Latino filmmakers representing 13 countries.
In 2006, Olmos served as Director for made for television feature film Walkout, based upon the true story of a Mexican-American student activist who protests the ant-Mexican bias present in the American educational system at the time. Olmos worked with Battlestar Galacticas' Exodus director Félix Enríquez Alcalá on this project, who served as the features co-producer.
Olmos participates in many humanitarian efforts, which include working with the David Rockefeller Foundation in the recruitment of new teachers for U.S. schools. He is the executive director of the Lives in Hazard Educational Project, a national gang-prevention program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, and a national spokesperson for the Southwest Voter Registration Project, where he helps the Latino community in its pursuit of citizenship and voter registration; the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; and the AIDS Awareness Foundation. He played an instrumental role in the clean-up efforts after the Los Angeles riots, the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake and Hurricane Andrew in Florida, and Hurricane Mitch in Central America.
For his work portraying Admiral William Adama on Battlestar Galactica, Olmos has been nominated for an ALMA Award. The ALMA Award recognizes positive portrayals of Latinos in television, film, and music.
Olmos was briefly mentioned in the book GIT-R-DONE by Larry the Cable Guy as The Faceless Anouncer.
Olmos currently performs in bilingual commercials for Farmer's Insurance.
In January 2008, Olmos had an asteroid named after him. It is called 5608 Olmos.[1]
In October 2009, Olmos appeared in the CNN documentary series Latino in America. He was featured in a segment focusing on Latino actors and their contributions to American television and cinema and his work on Battlestar served as the highlight of his segment. He was also interviewed program host Soledad O'Brien[2].
Joining Battlestar Galactica
Although Edward James Olmos was always the first choice for the role of William Adama, he was initially reluctant to join the show. "When I first got involved with this, I didn't really want to be on a television show and I certainly didn't want to be on a show called Battlestar Galactica," he recalled. "So I initially said, 'Thank you, but no thank you.'" However, after being convinced to read the script for the Miniseries, he changed his mind, finding it "very moving and very honest" and comparing it favorably to his experience on Blade Runner.[Book 1]
Olmos was thrilled with the journey his character took over the first season, noting Adama's transformation from a "jovial, good-natured father figure to being a very serious and possibly a slightly dark character who has to sell these myths to people to give them some hope."[Book 3]
Regarding the Original Series, Olmos chose not to watch it in preparation for his role. "I've kind of stayed clear of the original because it was always made clear to me that our show wasn't going to be the same as their show, and I didn't think I could gain anything from watching it," he explained.[Book 4] He famously advised die-hard fans of the original not to watch the new series, a comment that generated a significant amount of "hate mail" before the show aired.[Book 5]
Olmos was originally scheduled to direct "Flesh and Bone" but a scheduling conflict led to him directing "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" instead. He noted the challenge of the episode was to "walk a fine line making it in a way that didn't hurt the integrity the show had built up to that point," given its lighter, more comedic tone.[Book 6]
Mulhare also portrayed Devon Miles, mentor to Michael Knight in the television series Knight Rider, also produced by Glen A. Larson
He first came to attention of Americans in 1957 when he replaced Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady. Mulhare also starred in the 1968 TV series The Ghost And Mrs. Muir as Captain Daniel Gregg, a role that Rex Harrison played in the original 1947 movie version.
Mulhare's film credits included Von Ryan's Express (1965) with Frank Sinatra and Our Man Flint (1966).
Edward Mulhare never married and died in Los Angeles of lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 74.
USA
