Jimmy Smits
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jul 9, 1955 (age 71)
- Place of birth
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Credits
- 89
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
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016Movie
Bail Organa
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005Movie
Senator Bail Organa
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002Movie
Senator Bail Organa
Dexter
2006TV
Miguel Prado
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
2013TV
Victor Santiago
Sons of Anarchy
2008TV
Nero Padilla
Filmography
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood
2026Movie
self
Dexter: Resurrection
2025TV
Miguel Prado
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
2023TV
Captain Alejandro Perkins
East New York
2022TV
Chief John Suarez
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
2022Movie
Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited)
Obi-Wan Kenobi
2022TV
Senator Bail Organa
In the Heights
2021Movie
Kevin Rosario
The Tax Collector
2020Movie
The Wizard
Bluff City Law
2019TV
Elijah Strait
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
2019Movie
Self
Who We Are Now
2018Movie
Carl
America's Untold Story
2017TV
Self - Narrator
24: Legacy
2017TV
Senator John Donovan
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016Movie
Bail Organa
The Get Down
2016TV
Francisco 'Papa Fuerte' Cruz
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
2016TV
Dr. Fauci
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015TV
Self - Guest
How to Get Away with Murder
2014TV
Isaac Roa
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
2013TV
Victor Santiago
Outlaw
2010TV
Cyrus Garza
Mother and Child
2009Movie
Paco
Latin Music USA
2009TV
Narrator
Backyard
2009Movie
Mickey Santos
Sons of Anarchy
2008TV
Nero Padilla
Roberto Clemente
2008Movie
Narrator
Cane
2007TV
Alex Vega
The Jane Austen Book Club
2007Movie
Daniel
Dexter
2006TV
Miguel Prado
¡Yo soy Boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas!
2006Movie
Himself
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
2005Movie
Self
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005Movie
Senator Bail Organa
Lackawanna Blues
2005Movie
Ruben Santiago Sr.
The Tony Danza Show
2004TV
Self - Guest
TV Revolution
2004TV
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003TV
Self
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002Movie
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002Movie
Senator Bail Organa
America | A Tribute to Heroes
2001Movie
Self
Latin Grammy Awards
2000TV
Self
Bless the Child
2000Movie
Agent John Travis
Price of Glory
2000Movie
Arturo Ortega
Adventures in Wild California
2000Movie
Narrator
The Million Dollar Hotel
2000Movie
Geronimo
The Early Show
1999TV
Self
The West Wing
1999TV
Matthew Santos
ALMA Awards
1998TV
Lesser Prophets
1997Movie
Mike
Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special
1997Movie
Old King Cole (voice)
The View
1997TV
Self
Murder in Mind
1997Movie
Peter Walker
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997Movie
Self
The West
1996TV
Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996TV
Self - Guest
Marshal Law
1996Movie
Jack Coleman
Animal Charm: Golden Digest
1996Movie
Himself (Archival Footage)
My Family
1995Movie
Jimmy
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995TV
Prince Felipe (voice), Old King Cole (voice)
Solomon & Sheba
1995Movie
King Solomon
The Cisco Kid
1994Movie
Cisco Kid
NYPD Blue
1993TV
Bobby Simone
Gross Misconduct
1993Movie
Justin Thorne
The Tommyknockers
1993TV
Jim 'Gard' Gardner
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992TV
The Broken Cord
1992Movie
David Norwell
Fires Within
1991Movie
Nestor
Switch
1991Movie
Walter Stone
Cop Rock
1990TV
Victor Sifuentes (uncredited)
Vital Signs
1990Movie
Dr. David Redding
Old Gringo
1989Movie
Gen. Tomas Arroyo
Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988Movie
Victor Sifuentes
Glitz
1988Movie
Vincent Marra
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988TV
Self - Guest
Stamp of a Killer
1987Movie
Richard Braden
The Highwayman
1987TV
Bo Ziker
The Believers
1987Movie
Tom Lopez
Hotshot
1987Movie
Stars Team Member
L.A. Law: Pilot
1986Movie
Victor Sifuentes
L.A. Law
1986TV
Victor Sifuentes, Víctor Sifuentes
Running Scared
1986Movie
Julio Gonzales
Rockabye
1986Movie
2nd Policeman
Spenser: For Hire
1985TV
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
1984Movie
Eddie Rivera
Miami Vice
1984TV
Eddie Rivera
A Capitol Fourth
1980TV
Self
Saturday Night Live
1975TV
Self - Host
Tony Awards
1956TV
Self - Presenter
The Oscars
1953TV
Self
Today
1952TV
Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944TV
Self - Nominee, Self - Audience Member