Jimmy Smits
Acting • Born 1955-07-09
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.
Filmography
88 credits
The Million Dollar Hotel
Movie • 2000
Geronimo
Switch
Movie • 1991
Walter Stone
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Movie • 2002
Senator Bail Organa
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Movie • 2005
Senator Bail Organa
Bless the Child
Movie • 2000
Agent John Travis
The Jane Austen Book Club
Movie • 2007
Daniel
The Believers
Movie • 1987
Tom Lopez
Backyard
Movie • 2009
Mickey Santos
Mother and Child
Movie • 2009
Paco
Old Gringo
Movie • 1989
Gen. Tomas Arroyo
Running Scared
Movie • 1986
Julio Gonzales
Lesser Prophets
Movie • 1997
Mike
Adventures in Wild California
Movie • 2000
Narrator
My Family
Movie • 1995
Jimmy
Vital Signs
Movie • 1990
Dr. David Redding
Murder in Mind
Movie • 1997
Peter Walker
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Movie • 1997
Self
Price of Glory
Movie • 2000
Arturo Ortega
Marshal Law
Movie • 1996
Jack Coleman
Gross Misconduct
Movie • 1993
Justin Thorne
Lackawanna Blues
Movie • 2005
Ruben Santiago Sr.
The Cisco Kid
Movie • 1994
Cisco Kid
Glitz
Movie • 1988
Vincent Marra
Roberto Clemente
Movie • 2008
Narrator
Animal Charm: Golden Digest
Movie • 1996
Himself (Archival Footage)
Fires Within
Movie • 1991
Nestor
The Broken Cord
Movie • 1992
David Norwell
Stamp of a Killer
Movie • 1987
Richard Braden
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
Movie • 2005
Self
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
Movie • 2022
Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited)
¡Yo soy Boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas!
Movie • 2006
Himself
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Movie • 2016
Bail Organa
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
Movie • 1984
Eddie Rivera
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Movie • 1988
Victor Sifuentes
Who We Are Now
Movie • 2018
Carl
Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special
Movie • 1997
Old King Cole (voice)
In the Heights
Movie • 2021
Kevin Rosario
Solomon & Sheba
Movie • 1995
King Solomon
Hotshot
Movie • 1987
Stars Team Member
America | A Tribute to Heroes
Movie • 2001
Self
The Tax Collector
Movie • 2020
The Wizard
Rockabye
Movie • 1986
2nd Policeman
L.A. Law: Pilot
Movie • 1986
Victor Sifuentes
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
Movie • 2019
Self
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
Movie • 2002
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Victor Sifuentes
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
The Tony Danza Show
TV • 2004
Self - Guest
Sons of Anarchy
TV • 2008
Nero Padilla
Spenser: For Hire
TV • 1985
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV • 1996
Self - Guest
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Eddie Rivera
Today
TV • 1952
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
The Early Show
TV • 1999
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
TV • 2016
Dr. Fauci
Cane
TV • 2007
Alex Vega
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
TV Revolution
TV • 2004
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
ALMA Awards
TV • 1998
The West
TV • 1996
Self
Outlaw
TV • 2010
Cyrus Garza
Dexter
TV • 2006
Miguel Prado
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
The West Wing
TV • 1999
Matthew Santos
24: Legacy
TV • 2017
Senator John Donovan
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self - Guest
The Get Down
TV • 2016
Francisco 'Papa Fuerte' Cruz
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
TV • 2013
Victor Santiago
Latin Grammy Awards
TV • 2000
Self
The Tommyknockers
TV • 1993
Jim 'Gard' Gardner
East New York
TV • 2022
Chief John Suarez
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV • 1995
Prince Felipe (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV • 1995
Old King Cole (voice)
Obi-Wan Kenobi
TV • 2022
Senator Bail Organa
Latin Music USA
TV • 2009
Narrator
Bluff City Law
TV • 2019
Elijah Strait
How to Get Away with Murder
TV • 2014
Isaac Roa
America's Untold Story
TV • 2017
Self - Narrator
A Capitol Fourth
TV • 1980
Self
The Highwayman
TV • 1987
Bo Ziker
NYPD Blue
TV • 1993
Bobby Simone
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Nominee
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Audience Member
Cop Rock
TV • 1990
Victor Sifuentes (uncredited)
Dexter: Resurrection
TV • 2025
Miguel Prado