Jimmy Smits

About Jimmy Smits

Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor. 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, Bradley Whitford, and Martin Sheen. 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.

Smits was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Cornelis Smits, was a Surinamese immigrant of Dutch descent who managed a silk-screening factory. His mother, Emilina, was a Puerto Rican who worked as a nurse. He has 2 sisters, Yvonne and Diana. He grew up in a devoutly Catholic family in a working-class neighborhood and spent time in Puerto Rico during his childhood. 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.

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 films Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.