American actor (born 1955)
Jimmy Smits
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Born
| Jimmy L. Smits
(
1955-07-09
)
July 9, 1955
(age 68)
New York City, U.S.
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Education
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Occupation
| Actor
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Years active
| 1984?present
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Known for
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Spouse
|
Barbara Smits
(
m.
1981;
div.
1987)
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Partner
| Wanda De Jesus
(1986?present)
|
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Children
| 2
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Jimmy L. Smits
(born July 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s?1990s legal drama
L.A. Law
,
NYPD
Detective
Bobby Simone
on the 1990s?2000s police drama
NYPD Blue
,
Matt Santos
on the political drama
The West Wing
, and for appearing in
Switch
(1991),
My Family
(1995),
The Jane Austen Book Club
(2007), and
In the Heights
(2021). He also appeared as
Bail Organa
in the
Star Wars
franchise and as ADA
Miguel Prado
in
Dexter
. From 2012 to 2014, he joined the main cast of
Sons of Anarchy
as
Nero Padilla
. Smits also portrayed Elijah Strait in the
NBC
drama series
Bluff City Law
.
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Smits was born in
Brooklyn, New York
. Smits's father, Cornelis Leendert Smits (1929?2015), was from
Paramaribo
,
Suriname
, and was of
Dutch descent
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
Smits's mother, Emilina (nee Pola; 1930?2015), was
Puerto Rican
, born in
Penuelas
.
[4]
[5]
He and his two sisters, Yvonne and Diana, grew up in a working-class neighborhood.
[6]
[7]
When he was ten years old, he moved to Puerto Rico for a couple of years. Until then he did not speak Spanish. He described attending a Spanish-only school as "jarring" and "traumatic."
[8]
Smits was raised in a strict, devout
Roman Catholic
family. He identifies as Puerto Rican
[6]
[7]
[9]
and frequently visits Puerto Rico.
Smits was an athlete in his youth. He graduated from
Thomas Jefferson High School
and earned a
bachelor's degree
from
Brooklyn College
in 1980 and an
MFA
from
Cornell University
in 1982.
[10]
Career
[
edit
]
One of Smits's early roles was playing
Sonny Crockett
's original partner on the first episode of
Miami Vice
in 1984. In the first five minutes of the episode he falls victim to a
car bomb
.
Beginning in 1986, Smits played Victor Sifuentes in the first five seasons of the NBC television
Steven Bochco
legal drama
L.A. Law
,
[11]
for which he was nominated for six
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
, winning in
1990
.
[12]
Also in 1986, Smits made his feature film debut as drug dealer Julio Gonzalez in the comedy/action cop film
Running Scared
starring
Billy Crystal
and
Gregory Hines
. In 1989, Smits had a leading role in the romantic adventure
Old Gringo
as
Jane Fonda
's love interest.
Additionally, Smits played a repairman on
Pee-wee's Playhouse
, and he starred in the multigenerational story of a
Chicano
family in the film
My Family
(1995), alongside
Edward James Olmos
and
Jennifer Lopez
.
One of Smits's most acclaimed roles was that of Detective
Bobby Simone
on the
ABC
television program
NYPD Blue
, in which he starred from 1994 to 1998. He received several Emmy nominations for his performance on the series and was reunited with his former co-star
Dennis Franz
at the 2016
Emmy Awards
presentation. He won the ALMA award twice.
Smits was scheduled to host the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards broadcast on September 11, 2001. It was canceled due to continuous news coverage and out of respect for the victims of the
terrorist attacks
earlier that day. He did host a non-televised press conference to announce the winners.
Smits appeared as
Senator Bail Organa
of
Alderaan
in
Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack of the Clones
(2002) and
Star Wars: Episode III ? Revenge of the Sith
(2005), in which the character becomes
Princess Leia
's adoptive father. He reappeared as Bail Organa in the game
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
(2008) and the spinoff movie
Rogue One
(2016). He later reprised the role for
Obi-Wan Kenobi
(2022).
Smits played the role of
Congressman
Matt Santos
of
Houston, Texas
, in the final two seasons of the NBC television drama
The West Wing
,
[13]
joining fellow
L.A. Law
alumnus
John Spencer
. His character eventually ran for and won the U.S. presidency.
In
Dexter
season 3, Smits played the role of Miguel Prado, an assistant district attorney who befriends the title character.
[14]
Smits was nominated for an
Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
for the role.
Additionally, Smits portrayed the character Alex Vega in the CBS TV series
Cane
, which aired from September 25, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and was subsequently canceled by the network due to the 2007 Screen Writer's Guild strike.
Smits joined the
Sons of Anarchy
cast in
season 5
as
Nero Padilla
, a high-level pimp who refers to himself as a "companionator". He builds a relationship with
Gemma Teller Morrow
(
Katey Sagal
) and forms an alliance and mentorship with Gemma's son, the central character
Jax Teller
(
Charlie Hunnam
).
[15]
Smits starred in
The Get Down
, a musical drama television series which debuted in 2016 on
Netflix
.
[16]
On February 25, 2019, news outlets reported that Smits was cast as Elijah Strait in NBC drama series
Bluff City Law
[17]
and it was picked up to series on May 6, 2019.
[18]
Bluff City Law
brings Smits back to TV courtrooms on a steady basis for the first time in over a quarter century since his role in
L.A. Law
.
[19]
In 2021, Smits played Kevin Rosario in the musical film
In the Heights
.
[20]
Stage performances
[
edit
]
In the mid-1980s, Smits acted in numerous performances at the Hangar Theatre in
Ithaca, New York
, Cornell's summer repertory program. In 1982 at the Hangar his roles included Max in
Cabaret
, Paul in
Loose Ends
, and the lead in
Pudd'nhead Wilson
. Smits has participated in the
Public Theater
's New York Shakespeare Festival, playing the role of Duke Orsino in
Twelfth Night
in 2002 and Benedick in
Much Ado about Nothing
in 2004. In 2003, Smits starred in the Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play,
Anna in the Tropics
, by Nilo Cruz, performed at the Royale Theatre. From November 2009 to February 2010, he appeared opposite
Christine Lahti
,
Annie Potts
, and
Ken Stott
in the critically lauded Broadway play
God of Carnage
, replacing
Jeff Daniels
. In December 2012 through March 2013, he appeared in Chicago in
The Motherfucker with the Hat
, at
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
.
Filmography
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
Video games
[
edit
]
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
Smits has received multiple nominations and awards for his work in film and television. He is the recipient of one
Golden Globe Award
for his role on
NYPD Blue
as well as one
Primetime Emmy Award
for
L.A. Law
.
[21]
Throughout his career on television, he has garnered eleven
Screen Actors Guild Awards
nominations, winning once in the
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
in 1995 for
NYPD Blue
. He starred on
The West Wing
from 2004 to 2006 and won an
ALMA Award
for his role. And in 2012, guest starred on
Dexter
, for which he was nominated for his twelfth
Primetime Emmy Award
and winning a
Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
.
[22]
In 1999, Smits received the HOLA Award for Excellence from the
Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors
(HOLA). He also received the Ackerman Leadership Award for his work "championing bilingual and bicultural mental health and social services for Latino families."
[23]
On June 4, 2021, he was awarded the 2,696th star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
[24]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Smits was previously married to Barbara Smits. They have two children.
[
citation needed
]
He has been in a relationship with actress
Wanda De Jesus
since 1986. They live together in
Los Angeles
.
[10]
In 1987, Smits pled guilty to disturbing the peace following an altercation with police at his residence where he was charged with battery and resisting arrest.
[25]
[26]
Smits helped found the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts
[27]
[28]
to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications, and entertainment industries. He is also an advocate for diagnostic colorectal screening and has appeared in a public service commercial.
[29]
In 2010, he filmed a PSA for Detroit Non-Profit
Cass Community Social Services
[30]
and also served as the Honorary Chair of their 6th Annual "Catch the Fireworks With Cass" event.
[31]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"In Step With: Jimmy Smits"
.
Parade Magazine
. January 2, 2005. Archived from
the original
on January 17, 2006.
- ^
"Obituary of Cornelis Smits"
. Marine Park Funeral Home. 2015
. Retrieved
June 8,
2016
.
- ^
Smith, Warren Allen (2011).
In the Heart of Showbiz: A Biographical Triography of Variety Recording ... - Warren Allen Smith - Google Books
. Lulu.com.
ISBN
9781257042524
. Retrieved
December 21,
2016
.
- ^
Taking Charge Through Education, by Jimmy Smits
Archived
November 29, 2014, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Obituary of Emelina Pola Smits"
. Marine Park Funeral Home. 2015
. Retrieved
June 8,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Jimmy Smits ? Redbook
Archived
September 27, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
a
b
"Education, Learning and Research Resources Online - Gale"
.
www.gale.com
. Retrieved
October 6,
2018
.
- ^
Parsi, Novid (December 26, 2012).
"Jimmy Smits Interview"
.
Time Out Chicago
.
Time Out Group
. Retrieved
January 9,
2021
.
- ^
Hernandez, Lee (July 9, 2010).
"EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Smits on Playing Outlaws: "There Might Be An Ethnicity Thing to It"
"
.
Latina
. Retrieved
July 1,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
"Jimmy Smits"
.
Biography.com
. Retrieved
February 2,
2016
.
- ^
McKENNA, KRISTINE (August 7, 1987).
"Jimmy Smits: A Latino Look And Class Act On 'L.a. Law'
"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
ISSN
0458-3035
. Retrieved
October 19,
2017
.
- ^
"Jimmy Smits"
.
- ^
"The Jimmy Smits interview"
.
POLITICO
. Retrieved
October 19,
2017
.
- ^
"Jimmy Smits Joins Dexter. Couldn't You Just Die?"
. TV Guide. June 5, 2008. Archived from
the original
on August 30, 2008.
- ^
Bill Keveney (October 1, 2012).
"On 'Sons of Anarchy,' new faces and new fears"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
October 23,
2012
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (August 11, 2015).
"Baz Luhrmann's Netflix Series 'The Get Down' To Take Production Hiatus"
. Deadline
. Retrieved
June 8,
2016
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (February 25, 2019).
"Jimmy Smits To Star In NBC Legal Drama Pilot 'Bluff City Law'
"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
May 8,
2019
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (May 6, 2019).
"Drama 'Bluff City Law' Starring Jimmy Smits & Kal Penn Comedy 'Sunnyside' Picked Up To Series By NBC"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
May 8,
2019
.
- ^
Huver, Scott (September 20, 2019).
"Jimmy Smits returns to the TV courtroom"
.
CNN
. Retrieved
February 6,
2020
.
- ^
Sanders, Hosea; Jordan, Marsha (June 8, 2021).
"Lin Manuel Miranda's 'In The Heights' movie stars veteran actors Jimmy Smits, Olga Merediz"
.
abc7chicago
. Retrieved
June 11,
2021
.
- ^
"42nd Primetime Emmy Award Nominees and Winners"
.
Emmys.com
. Retrieved
July 12,
2014
.
- ^
"JIMMY SMITS RECEIVES STAR ON HOLLYWOOD'S WALK OF FAME"
. Hispanic Lifestyle
. Retrieved
July 12,
2023
.
- ^
"Jimmy Smits: Accomplished Actor, And Tireless Latino Advocate"
.
NBC News
. Retrieved
May 1,
2018
.
- ^
Sesin, Carmen (June 2, 2021).
"Actor Jimmy Smits gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame"
. NBC
. Retrieved
July 12,
2023
.
- ^
Frederick M. Muir, Los Angeles Times,
'L.A. Law' Star Smits Arrested in Alleged Attack on 3 Officers
, August 12, 1987
- ^
Associated Press,
'L.A. Law' Star Jimmy Smits Pleads No Contest
, November 25, 1987
- ^
"Mission Statement"
.
HispanicArts.org
.
- ^
Guadalupe, Patricia (October 7, 2015).
"Hispanic Arts Gala Awards Latino Talent, Pushes for Greater Numbers"
. NBC News
. Retrieved
April 13,
2016
.
- ^
"Colorectal Cancer | Cancer Screening and Prevention | Health & Senior Services"
.
health.mo.gov
. Retrieved
March 2,
2021
.
- ^
Catch the Fireworks With Cass 10'- Jimmy Smits PSA
, retrieved
March 2,
2021
- ^
"6TH Annual Catch the Fireworks with Cass"
. Hour Detroit
. Retrieved
April 13,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
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1959?1975
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1976?2000
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2001?present
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Cross-cutter
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Individual
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Discontinued
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Award
ceremonies
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International
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National
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Artists
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People
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Other
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