Jimmy Smits

Jimmy Smits
Born	July 9 1955 (1955-07-09) (age 52) Brooklyn, New York  United States
Spouse(s)	Barbara Smits (1981-1987)
Awards Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Series - Drama 1990 L.A. Law Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama 1996 NYPD Blue

Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actor, primarily in movies, soap operas and television. Smits is perhaps best known for his long-running roles on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law as Richard Dysart's youngest uptight law partner, Victor Sifuentes, who was also the firm's pro-bono lawyer (a role he played from 1986 to 1991), and as Dennis Franz's second partner, Det. Bobby Simone, in NYPD Blue (a role he played from 1994 to 1998), a police officer who was a widower, as well as his role on The West Wing as congressman and presidential candidate Matt Santos, opposite Alan Alda, Martin Sheen and Dule Hill. He most recently played Alex Vega, the main character on CBS's prime-time serial, Cane. As an actor, he is noted for his portrayal of earnest, honest men with deep moral convictions.

Biography

Early life

Smits was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Cornelis Smits, was a Spanish Jew from Suriname of Dutch descent who managed a silk-screening factory. His mother, Emilina, was from Puerto Rico who worked as a nurse.^[1][2] He has 2 sisters, Yvonne and Diana. He grew up in a devoutly Catholic family^[1] in a working-class neighborhood and spent time in Puerto Rico during his childhood.^[3][4] Smits earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College in 1980 and an MFA from Cornell University in 1982. Though born in New York, Smits has deep Puerto Rican roots and frequently visits the island. He was arrested for his participation in protests against U.S. Navy bombing practices in the Puerto Rican offshore island of Vieques.^[5]

Career

Smits as Bail Organa in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

A wider audience became aware of Smits for his appearance as Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan who becomes Princess Leia's adoptive father, in the Star Wars film Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He also appeared in the Star Wars film, Episode II: Attack of the Clones He also starred in the multigenerational story of a Chicano family in My Family/Mi Familia in 1995. Smits also played the Conky Repairman on Pee-wee's Playhouse as one of the show's memorable characters, and in one of his earliest roles. Another notable early role played by Smits was that of Eddie Rivera in the series premiere of Miami Vice. In the episode, he was Sonny Crockett's original partner, only to be shortly killed off in a sting gone wrong. Smits was to have hosted the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards broadcast, but it was called off because of the terrorist attacks that day. He instead hosted a non-televised press conference to announce the winners. Smits played the role of Congressman Matt Santos of Houston, Texas in the final two seasons of the American television drama The West Wing, joining fellow L.A. Law alumnus John Spencer. The series ended with Santos' inauguration as President of the United States after winning the presidential election. He defeated moderate Republican Senator Arnold Vinick of California (played by Alan Alda). The producers of the series reported that they had not decided early on who would win, and in fact reported to The New York Times that until Spencer's death, they had planned on electing Vinick.

Personal life

Smits was married to Barbara Smits from 1981 until their divorce in 1987. They have two children, Taina (born in 1973) and Joaquin (born in 1983). Since 1986, Smits has been in a relationship with actress Wanda De Jesus. They reside in Los Angeles. Smits helped found the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts^[6] to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries. Jimmy is also an advocate for diagnostic colorectal screening and has appeared in a public service commercial.

Filmography/TV roles

• Miami Vice (1984) TV Episode .... Eddie Rivera
• Rockabye (1986) (TV) .... 2nd Policeman
• Spenser: For Hire (1986) TV Episode .... Hector Valdes
• Running Scared (1986) .... Julio Gonzales
• Hotshot (1987) .... Stars Team Member
• The Believers (1987) .... Tom Lopez
• The Highwayman (1987) (TV) .... Bo Ziker
• Stamp of a Killer (1987) (TV) .... Richard Braden
• Glitz (1988) (TV) .... Vincent Marra
• Pee-wee's Playhouse (1989) TV Episode .... Your authorized conky repairman
• Old Gringo (1989) .... Gen. Tomas Arroyo
• Vital Signs (1990) .... Dr. David Redding
• Cop Rock (1990) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Victor Sifuentes
• Switch (1991) .... Walter Stone
• Fires Within (1991) .... Nestor
• The Broken Cord (1992) (TV) .... David Norwell
• L.A. Law .... Victor Sifuentes (1986-1991)
• The Tommyknockers (1993) (TV) .... Jim 'Gard' Gardner
• Gross Misconduct (1993) .... Justin Thorne
• The Cisco Kid (1994) (TV) .... Cisco Kid
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995) TV Series (voice) .... Old King Cole
• Solomon & Sheba (1995) (TV) .... King Solomon
• My Family/Mi Familia (1995) .... Jimmy Sanchez
• The Last Word (1995) .... Actor (Martin)
• Marshal Law (1996) (TV) .... Jack Coleman
• Murder in Mind (1997) .... Peter Walker
• (1997) (TV) (voice) .... Old King Cole
• Lesser Prophets (1997) .... Mike
• Adventures in Wild California (2000) .... Narrator (voice)
• The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) .... Geronimo
• Price of Glory (2000) .... Arturo Ortega
• Bless the Child (2000) .... Agent John Travis
• Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) .... Senator Bail Organa
• NYPD Blue (1994-1998 & 2004) .... Det. Bobby Simone
• Lackawanna Blues (2005) (TV) .... Ruben Santiago Sr.
• Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) .... Senator Bail Organa
• The West Wing (2004-2006) .... Congressman/President Matthew Santos
• Cane (2007) (TV) .... Alex Vega

References

External links

• Jimmy Smits at the Internet Movie Database
• http://www.hispanic-today.com/smits_article.html