Jimmy Smits
0 FOLLOWERS • 40 CREDITS • JUL 9, 1955 • 69
Biography
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as U.S. Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing. He is also notable for his portrayal of Bail Organa in the Star Wars franchise, and Miguel Prado in Dexter.
Beginning in 1986, Smits played Victor Sifuentes in the first five seasons of the NBC television Steven Bochco legal drama L.A. Law, for which he was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1990. In 1999, Smits received the HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).
He appeared in films including Switch (1991), My Family (1995), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007).
Smits appeared as Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), in which the character becomes Princess Leia's adoptive father. He reappeared as Bail Organa in the game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) and the spinoff movie Rogue One (2016). He later reprised the role for Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
Smits played the role of Congressman Matt Santos of Houston, Texas, in the final two seasons of the NBC television drama The West Wing.
In Dexter season 3, he played the role of Miguel Prado, an assistant district attorney who befriends the title character. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
He portrayed the character Alex Vega in the CBS TV series Cane, which aired from September 25, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and was subsequently canceled by the network due to the 2007 Screen Writer's Guild strike.
In the fall of 2010, he starred in NBC's short-lived series Outlaw, about a U.S. Supreme Court justice who leaves the bench to return to practicing law. From 2012 to 2014, he joined the main cast of Sons of Anarchy as Nero Padilla. He also portrayed Elijah Strait in the short-lived NBC drama series Bluff City Law.
He starred in The Get Down, a musical drama television series which debuted in 2016 on Netflix. In 2021, He played Kevin Rosario in the musical film In the Heights.
He stars as Chief John Suarez on the CBS police drama East New York.
Known For
Tony Awards
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
How to Get Away with Murder
Golden Globe Awards
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Saturday Night Live
The Early Show
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Miami Vice
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Today
The Highwayman
The Oscars
The Tax Collector
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
Dexter
Sons of Anarchy
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
The West Wing
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
L.A. Law
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Running Scared
In the Heights
The Get Down
East New York
Obi Wan Kenobi - The Patterson Cut
Latin Grammy Awards
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Cane
Switch
Solomon & Sheba
Bluff City Law
Marshal Law
Outlaw
Production Credits
Originals for Netflix
Stay ahead of Netflix Original releases with the Unofficial app, where you can set reminders, track shows, follow favorite actors, and engage with other fans—all in one place!
Get