Although this Hispanic hunk's character died quickly in his TV debut on the
Miami Vice pilot, Smits parlayed what could have been 15 minutes of fame into a multi-decade career. His five-year stint on
L.A. Law as a rags-to-riches lawyer turned Smits into a star, earned him an Emmy and helped pave the way for Latino actors who were sick of only playing criminals. In 1994, he joined the taboo-breaking
NYPD Blue as a sensitive detective who wasn't afraid to show his backside. While Smits appeared in a handful of films along the way, including two
Star Wars movies, he's most frequently seen on the small screen. In 2004, he signed on to play a Democratic presidential candidate-turned-president-elect on the last two seasons of
West Wing. After that series ended, Smits executive-produced and starred on the short-lived CBS drama
Cane---a casualty of the 2007-08 writers' strike---which he immediately followed with a Season 3 stint on Showtime's acclaimed
Dexter. Smits also devotes his time to a number of charitable causes, including the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, which he co-founded in 1997 to promote Hispanic talent in the performing arts.
Jimmy Smits Fast Facts:
- Mother was from Puerto Rico and father was from Dutch Guiana (now Surinam).
- Before high school, lived for two years in Puerto Rico, where he learned to speak Spanish.
- Worked as a union labor organizer during his college years.
- An investor (along with Paul Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez) in the Conga Room, an L.A. dance club/restaurant that showcases Latino music.
- Made his big-screen debut in the 1986 buddy-cop film Running Scared.
- On the political drama West Wing, his character, Democratic president-elect Matthew Santos, was loosely based on Barack Obama, who was not yet even a U.S. senator at the time.
- Reprised his Star Wars role of Sen. Bail Organa for the popular video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
- Jimmy Smits Relationships:
- Barbara Smits - Ex-wife
- Cornelis Smits - Father
- Diana Smits - Sister
- Emelina Smits - Mother
- Joaquin - Son
- Taina - Daughter
- Wanda De Jesús - Significant Other
- Jimmy Smits Awards:
- 1987 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1988 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1989 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1990 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Winner
- 1991 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1992 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1995 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1996 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor for a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1997 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1998 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1999 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1991 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 1996 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Winner
- 1997 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 1999 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1998 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1998 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1994 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Winner
- College:
- City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY (BA, 1980); Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (MFA, 1982)