Jimmy Smits

Biography for Jimmy Smits

Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is a Surinamese and Puerto Rican-American actor, perhaps best known for his long-running roles on the TV series L.A. Law and NYPD Blue. He earned an M.F.A. from Cornell University in 1982. Though born in New York, Smits has deep Puerto Rican roots and he frequently visits the island.

Smits has received various nominations for Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, and he won an Emmy in 1990. A wider audience became aware of Smits for his appearance as Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan in the Star Wars Episodes II and III.

He currently plays the role of Representative Matthew Vicente Santos of Houston, Texas in the American television drama The West Wing. Congressman Santos is the Democratic nominee for President in the fictional presidential election that will take place in November 2005 on the series. His main opponent is Republican Senator Arnold Vinick of California. Because of the show's traditionally liberal leanings, many fans speculate that Santos will win the contest, though the producers of the series insist that they have not yet decided who will win.

It is on television that Jimmy Smites became known to the general public. After a recurring role in the law of Los Angeles from 1986 to 1991, this native of Brooklyn of Puerto-Riana origin embodies from 1994 to 1998 the inspector Bobby Simone in the Cult series Nypd Blue which earned him five nominations Emmy Award for best actor. At the same time, it appears in a few feature films as in the shoes of a blonde from Blake Edwards, My Family alongside a very young Jennifer Lopez, The Million Dollar Hotel by Wim Wenders or the Elected against Kim Basinger. In 2002, he joined the Star Wars galaxy and slipped into the Senator Bail Organa costume in Star Wars: Episode II - The attack of the clones. A discreet role that takes on major importance three years later in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, where his character adopts a little girl named Leia ...

Jimmy Smites is an American actor born July 9, 1955 in Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his role as Victor Sififentes in the television series "L.A. Law" and for having interpreted the character of Bobby Simone in "NYPD Blue". Smits also played in films such as "Star Wars: Episode II - The attack on clones" and "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", in which he embodies the character of Bail Organa.

Smits began his acting career in the theater, where he played in productions such as "The Battle of Angels" by Tennessee Williams and "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams. He also won an Obie Award in 1981 for his performance in the play "The Cristiada".

In addition to his roles on television and cinema, Smits also played in Broadway productions, especially in "Anna in the Tropics" and "The Motherf ** Ker with the Hat". In addition to his acting work, Smits is also an active activist for Latinos' rights in the United States. He notably co -founded the national organization Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.

In summary, Jimmy Smites is a talented and versatile American actor who played in a variety of theatrical, television and cinematographic productions. In addition to his acting work, he is also an activist for the rights of Latinos.

Photos

Filmography

Trivia

• Graduate of Cornell University, M.F.A. '82
• Smits has been living with Wanda De Jesus since c. 1986.
• He has a Puerto Rican mother and a Suriname father. He is a partner in "The Conga Room" club in Los Angeles, Ca. His partners are Jennifer Lopez,Paul Rodriguez and Brad Gluckstein.
• Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Theatre degree from Brooklyn College in 1980.
• Turned down the offer to play a character named Flinn on NYPD Blue. The character in question was later renamed Det. John Kelly, played by David Caruso. Ironically, after Caruso's departure from the show in 1994, Smits accepted the role of Det. Bobby Simone (Det. Kelly's successor).
• Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1991
• Has had a difficult time returning to television in recent years. In 1998, after leaving "NYPD Blue," he signed a deveolpment deal with ABC, but nothing ever came of it. Three years later, in 2001, he was set to play the lead in the NBC show "UC:Undercover," but his commitments to ABC forced him to back out just four days before the pilot was shot. Shortly after, in September 2001, he inked a new seven-figure deal with ABC to develop a series for the 2002-2003 television season, but once again, the deal failed to produce a series. Later, in 2002, he turned down the chance to play the lead in "CSI:Miami" and backed out of the lead role in "Boomtown" at the last minute. In 2004 he was attached to star in a Jerry Bruckheimer produced drama for NBC called "City of Dreams" as an L.A. private investigator who caters to the rich and famous. However, script problems eventually caused that project to be scrapped. Finally, in August 2004 he inked a deal to join the cast of "The West Wing" for the 2004-2005 season, and a few weeks later, made a separate deal with ABC and Touchstone studios to develop and star in a new series after his time on "The West Wing."

Quotes

"They'd say, 'Explain this again: If you finish this degree, you'll be able to teach high-school drama?'" -- Former "NYPD Blue" on his parents' reaction after he told them he wanted to be an actor - USA Weekend (August 1999)

"Celebrity hits like a bomb. So you have to find what makes you stable in the storm. Then, no matter what's happening around you, no matter what the hype or the publicity, you can still manage to make leaps in your work as an artist."

Family

• Spouse : Barbara Smits (1981 - 1987) (divorced) 2 children
• Divorced father of two.

Author of the card

• Creation date: 01/07/2003 by abdest
• Last update: 02/07/2008 by abdest