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Jimmy Smits Biography

Birth Place:
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Profession
Actor

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

Awards

  • 2008Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 2005Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1999Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: nominated
  • 1998Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1997Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1997Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1997Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1997Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: nominated
  • 1996Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1996Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama: winner
  • 1996Independent Spirit Awards-Best Male Lead: nominated
  • 1995Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1994Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: winner
  • 1991Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1989Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
  • 1987Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated

Relationships