American Me

Year:

1992

Duration:

125 min

Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Romance

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

Edward James Olmos

Awards:

1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1992-03-13

Filming Locations: Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $16,000,000

Opening Weekend: $3,378,100 (USA) (15 March 1992)

Gross: $13,086,430 (USA) Related Links

Cast

Actor

Character

Art Bonilla

Michael Shaner

Sal Lopez

Pedro Santana

Vira Montes

Esperanza Santana

Roberto Martín Márquez

Acha (as Robert Martin Marquez)

Dyana Ortelli

Yolanda

Joe Aubel

Tattoo Artist

Rob Garrett

Zoot Riot Bystander

Lance August

Young Sailor

Cody Glenn

Older Sailor

Don Pugsley

Police Officer

Panchito Gómez

Young Montoya Santana (as Panchito Gomez)

Albert Joe Medina Jr.

Street Mechanic

Alex Solís

Street Mechanic (as Alex Solis)

Raymond Amezquita

Abuelito

Steve Wilcox

Young JD

Richard Coca

Young Mundo

Javier Castellanos

Hazard Kid

Richard Lee-Sung

Restaurant Owner

Eric Close

Juvie Hall Attacker

Christian Klemash

Blond Kid in Yard

Brian Holechek

Juvie Officer (as Brian Joe Holechek)

Rigoberto Jimenez

Big Happy

Edward James Olmos

Montoya Santana

William Forsythe

JD

Pepe Serna

Mundo

Daniel A. Haro

Huero

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

El Japo

Domingo Ambriz

Pie Face

Ron Thompson

Junkie

Glenn Shelton

Visiting Room Guard

Scott Johnstad

Visiting Room Guard

Abraham Verduzco

Paulito - age 7

Grace Morley

JD's Friend

Danny De La Paz

Puppet

Vic Trevino

Cheetah

Robby Robinson

Drug Thief

Paul Bollen

Doc

Guillermo Pérez

Willie-Vato (as Guillermo Perez)

Daniel Villarreal

Little Puppet

Robert Chavez

Sparky

Rafael H. Robledo

El Chucko

Modesto M. Sanchez

Mo

Dennis Ryan Sacco

Paulito - age 11

Tom S. Ventimiglia

Segregation Guard

William Fetzer

Processing Guard

Thomas Richard Gorman III

Processing Guard

George Padilla

Mundo's Attorney

Humberto Madrigal

Veneno

Jaime Gomez

Eddie

Jose Guardado

Samson

Jacob Vargas

Paulito - age 15

Daniel Lujan

Mico (age 9)

Evelina Fernández

Julie (as Evalina Fernandez)

Rodney Rincon

Shoe Salesman

John Rangel

Nelo - age 15

Robert Pucci

Bodyguard

Tony Giorgio

Don Antonio Scagnelli

Sabino Villa Lobos

Tin Man (as Sabino Villalobos)

Armando Briseno

Chuy

Mauricio Ernesto Anzueto

Bam Bam

Manny Perry

Arthur J

Bennie Moore

Ronnie Little

Alex Brown

Eddie Johnson

William Smith

Deacon

Gerald Lynn Walker

BGF Member (as Gerald L. Walker)

William T. Amos

Tank

Irma Aurea García

Lourdes (as Irma Aurea Garcia)

Robert Alvarez

Ralphy (as Roberto Alvarez)

Ken Medlock

Cop

Rolando Molina

Cop

Ana Lizarraga

Julie's Mother

Steven Cisneros

Chivo

Dawud Abdullah

Prison Inmate (uncredited)

Tom Bower

Dornan (uncredited)

Jessica Russell

Waitress (uncredited)

Dave Smith

Prison inmate (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

In the prison parts of the movie, Olmos managed to get on screen real-life gang members from the Bloods and Crips, Aryan Brotherhood, Nazi Lowriders, Hell's Angels, 18th Street, White Fence, La Colonia de Watts, Dogtown, East Side Clover and the infamous Black Guerilla Family.

Share this

Edward James Olmos originally considered Michael Biehn for the role of JD.

Share this

Most of the extras who were dressed as prisoners quit after the first day of filming. They were kept in a gated area next to an open sewer and had to ask guards to use the bathroom. Guards are used to ignoring prisoners, so they mostly ignored extras dressed as prisoners. They weren't given enough water and lunch wasn't served until late in the day. Conditions slightly improved on the second day, but on the third and final day of filming at Folsom Prison there were about 25 of the 200 that showed up on the first day.

Share this

Goofs

When the Mexican inmates are walking up with the mop and bucket to assassinate the African-American inmate, it shows the African-American inmate laying in just a t-shirt on his bed and in the next scene after hes caught on fire he's wearing his long sleeve button up.

Share this

Quotes

J.D.: If we show weakness now, homes, everybody's gonna see it not just the mayates and wops as La Nuestra Familia as well. They're just waiting to make their fucking move. This way we can do it clean. Do what Scagnelli did, form them shoot out.

Share this

Montoya Santana: I hear Little Puppet's name is on a piece of paper, ese.

Share this

Young Montoya Santana: [Mundo is being devoted into the gang] Come on, give me your hand. You know what, ese, White Fence, Maravilla, Lomita, they've been around here longer than us, you know. It's cool. We've got our own clika, strong clika. Finally getting into our own, gaining respect.

Share this