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Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American actor perhaps best known for his long-running roles on the TV series L.A. Law as Victor Sifuentes, the firm's pro-bono lawyer, and as Det. Bobby Simone in NYPD Blue as well as his role on The West Wing as congressman and the successor to President Jed Bartlet, President Matt Santos. As an actor, he is noted for his portrayal of earnest, honest men with deep moral convictions.
Early life Smits was born to a Surinamese Dutch father and a Puerto Rican mother. He earned his bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College in 1980 and an MFA from Cornell University in 1982. Though born in New York, Smits has deep Puerto Rican roots and frequently visits the island. He participated in protests against U.S. Navy bombing practices in the Puerto Rican offshore island of Vieques. Career 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 who becomes Princess Leia's adoptive father, in the Star Wars films Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He also starred in the multigenerational story of a Chicano family in My Family/Mi Familia in 1995. Smits also played the Conky Repairman on Pee-wee's Playhouse as one of the show's memorable characters, and in one of his earliest roles. Another notable early role played by Smits was that of Eddie Rivera in the series premiere of Miami Vice. In the episode, he was Sonny Crockett's original partner, only to be shortly killed off in a sting gone wrong. The West Wing Smits played the role of Congressman Matt Santos of Houston, Texas in the final two seasons of the American television drama The West Wing. The series ended with Santos' inauguration as President of the United States after winning the presidential election. He defeated moderate Republican Senator Arnold Vinick of California (played by Alan Alda). Because of the show's assumed liberal leanings, many fans had speculated that Santos would win the contest, though the producers of the series insisted that they had not decided early on who would win, and in fact reported to The New York Times that until co-star John Spencer's death, they had planned on electing Vinick. Personal life Smits was married to Barbara Smits from 1981 until their divorce in 1987. They have two children, Taina (born in 1973) and Joaquin (born in 1983). Since 1986, Smits has been in a relationship with actress Wanda De Jesus. They reside in Los Angeles. Smits helped found the (*) National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries. Filmography/TV History | ||||||||
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