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