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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
July 9, 1955
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Jimmy L. Smits
Jimmy Smits
2.3 Popularity
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
8.5
Miguel Prado
Dexter: Resurrection
2025
7.1
Chief John Suarez
East New York
2022
7.3
Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited)
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
2022
7.0
Senator Bail Organa
Obi-Wan Kenobi
2022
7.1
Kevin Rosario
In the Heights
2021
5.6
The Wizard
The Tax Collector
2020
7.5
Elijah Strait
Bluff City Law
2019
0.0
Self
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
2019
5.6
Carl
Who We Are Now
2018
0.0
Self - Narrator
America's Untold Story
2017
Credits
Dexter: Resurrection
as Miguel Prado
2025
8.5
East New York
as Chief John Suarez
2022
7.1
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
as Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited)
2022
7.3
Obi-Wan Kenobi
as Senator Bail Organa
2022
7.0
In the Heights
as Kevin Rosario
2021
7.1
The Tax Collector
as The Wizard
2020
5.6
Bluff City Law
as Elijah Strait
2019
7.5
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
as Self
2019
0.0
Who We Are Now
as Carl
2018
5.6
America's Untold Story
as Self - Narrator
2017
0.0
24: Legacy
as Senator John Donovan
2017
6.2
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Bail Organa
2016
7.5
The Get Down
as Francisco 'Papa Fuerte' Cruz
2016
7.3
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
as Dr. Fauci
2016
5.9
The Late Late Show with James Corden
as Self - Guest
2015
5.3
How to Get Away with Murder
as Isaac Roa
2014
7.8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
as Victor Santiago
2013
8.2
Outlaw
as Cyrus Garza
2010
4.0
Mother and Child
as Paco
2009
6.6
Latin Music USA
as Narrator
2009
0.0
Backyard
as Mickey Santos
2009
6.4
Sons of Anarchy
as Nero Padilla
2008
8.4
Roberto Clemente
as Narrator
2008
0.0
Cane
as Alex Vega
2007
5.6
The Jane Austen Book Club
as Daniel
2007
6.5
Dexter
as Miguel Prado
2006
8.2
¡Yo soy Boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas!
as Himself
2006
10.0
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
as Self
2005
2.0
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
as Senator Bail Organa
2005
7.5
Lackawanna Blues
as Ruben Santiago Sr.
2005
5.7
🎬
The Tony Danza Show
as Self - Guest
2004
6.1
🎬
TV Revolution
2004
0.0
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002
6.2
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
as Senator Bail Organa
2002
6.6
America | A Tribute to Heroes
as Self
2001
6.2
Latin Grammy Awards
as Self
2000
7.0
Bless the Child
as Agent John Travis
2000
5.3
Price of Glory
as Arturo Ortega
2000
4.5
Adventures in Wild California
as Narrator
2000
6.2
The Million Dollar Hotel
as Geronimo
2000
5.9
The Early Show
as Self
1999
6.2
The West Wing
as Matthew Santos
1999
8.2
🎬
ALMA Awards
1998
0.0
Lesser Prophets
as Mike
1997
5.3
Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special
as Old King Cole (voice)
1997
6.0
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
Murder in Mind
as Peter Walker
1997
5.3
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
as Self
1997
5.0
The West
as Self
1996
8.4
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Self - Guest
1996
3.9
Marshal Law
as Jack Coleman
1996
3.7
Animal Charm: Golden Digest
as Himself (Archival Footage)
1996
5.0
My Family
as Jimmy
1995
7.4
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Prince Felipe (voice)
1995
6.0
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Old King Cole (voice)
1995
6.0
Solomon & Sheba
as King Solomon
1995
6.2
The Cisco Kid
as Cisco Kid
1994
3.8
NYPD Blue
as Bobby Simone
1993
7.0
Gross Misconduct
as Justin Thorne
1993
5.1
The Tommyknockers
as Jim 'Gard' Gardner
1993
5.6
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
5.4
The Broken Cord
as David Norwell
1992
5.0
Fires Within
as Nestor
1991
3.7
Switch
as Walter Stone
1991
5.9
Cop Rock
as Victor Sifuentes (uncredited)
1990
4.0
Vital Signs
as Dr. David Redding
1990
4.5
Old Gringo
as Gen. Tomas Arroyo
1989
5.5
Mickey's 60th Birthday
as Victor Sifuentes
1988
6.7
Glitz
as Vincent Marra
1988
4.3
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
5.4
Stamp of a Killer
as Richard Braden
1987
5.0
The Highwayman
as Bo Ziker
1987
7.3
The Believers
as Tom Lopez
1987
5.9
Hotshot
as Stars Team Member
1987
3.8
L.A. Law
as Victor Sifuentes
1986
7.0
L.A. Law: Pilot
as Victor Sifuentes
1986
0.0
Running Scared
as Julio Gonzales
1986
6.0
Rockabye
as 2nd Policeman
1986
8.0
Spenser: For Hire
1985
6.7
Miami Vice
as Eddie Rivera
1984
7.5
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
as Eddie Rivera
1984
7.7
A Capitol Fourth
as Self
1980
0.0
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
1975
7.0
Tony Awards
as Self - Presenter
1956
5.9
The Oscars
as Self
1953
7.0
Today
as Self
1952
5.6
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee
1944
7.2
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Audience Member
1944
7.2