Jimmy Smits
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.
Born: 09 July 1955
Played In
TV Show
Jul 2025
Dexter: Resurrection
Miguel Prado
TV Show
Oct 2022
East New York
Chief John Suarez
Movie
Sep 2022
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited)
TV Show
May 2022
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Senator Bail Organa
Movie
Jun 2021
In the Heights
Kevin Rosario
Movie
Aug 2020
The Tax Collector
The Wizard
TV Show
Sep 2019
Bluff City Law
Elijah Strait
Movie
Sep 2019
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
Self
Movie
May 2018
Who We Are Now
Carl
TV Show
Dec 2017
America's Untold Story
Self - Narrator
TV Show
Feb 2017
24: Legacy
Senator John Donovan
Movie
Dec 2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Bail Organa
TV Show
Aug 2016
The Get Down
Francisco 'Papa Fuerte' Cruz
TV Show
Feb 2016
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Dr. Fauci
TV Show
Mar 2015
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
TV Show
Sep 2014
How to Get Away with Murder
Isaac Roa
TV Show
Sep 2013
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Victor Santiago
TV Show
Sep 2010
Outlaw
Cyrus Garza
Movie
Nov 2009
Mother and Child
Paco
TV Show
Oct 2009
Latin Music USA
Narrator
Movie
Feb 2009
Backyard
Mickey Santos
TV Show
Sep 2008
Sons of Anarchy
Nero Padilla
Movie
Apr 2008
Roberto Clemente
Narrator
TV Show
Sep 2007
Cane
Alex Vega
Movie
Sep 2007
The Jane Austen Book Club
Daniel
TV Show
Oct 2006
Dexter
Miguel Prado
Movie
Apr 2006
¡Yo soy Boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas!
Himself
Movie
Sep 2005
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
Self
Movie
May 2005
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Senator Bail Organa
Movie
Jan 2005
Lackawanna Blues
Ruben Santiago Sr.
TV Show
Sep 2004
The Tony Danza Show
Self - Guest
TV Show
May 2004
TV Revolution
TV Show
Sep 2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
Movie
Jun 2002
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
Movie
May 2002
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Senator Bail Organa
Movie
Sep 2001
America | A Tribute to Heroes
Self
TV Show
Sep 2000
Latin Grammy Awards
Self
Movie
Aug 2000
Bless the Child
Agent John Travis
Movie
May 2000
Price of Glory
Arturo Ortega
Movie
May 2000
Adventures in Wild California
Narrator
Movie
Feb 2000
The Million Dollar Hotel
Geronimo
TV Show
Nov 1999
The Early Show
Self
TV Show
Sep 1999
The West Wing
Matthew Santos
TV Show
Jun 1998
ALMA Awards
Movie
Nov 1997
Lesser Prophets
Mike
Movie
Oct 1997
Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special
Old King Cole (voice)
TV Show
Aug 1997
The View
Self
Movie
Aug 1997
Murder in Mind
Peter Walker
Movie
Jul 1997
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Self
TV Show
Sep 1996
The West
Self
TV Show
Jun 1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self - Guest
Movie
Mar 1996
Marshal Law
Jack Coleman
Movie
Jan 1996
Animal Charm: Golden Digest
Himself (Archival Footage)
Movie
May 1995
My Family
Jimmy
TV Show
Mar 1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Prince Felipe (voice)
TV Show
Mar 1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Old King Cole (voice)
Movie
Feb 1995
Solomon & Sheba
King Solomon
Movie
Feb 1994
The Cisco Kid
Cisco Kid
TV Show
Sep 1993
NYPD Blue
Bobby Simone
Movie
Jul 1993
Gross Misconduct
Justin Thorne
TV Show
May 1993
The Tommyknockers
Jim 'Gard' Gardner
TV Show
May 1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Movie
Feb 1992
The Broken Cord
David Norwell
Movie
Jun 1991
Fires Within
Nestor
Movie
May 1991
Switch
Walter Stone
TV Show
Sep 1990
Cop Rock
Victor Sifuentes (uncredited)
Movie
Apr 1990
Vital Signs
Dr. David Redding
Movie
Sep 1989
Old Gringo
Gen. Tomas Arroyo
Movie
Nov 1988
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Victor Sifuentes
Movie
Sep 1988
Glitz
Vincent Marra
TV Show
Sep 1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
Movie
Nov 1987
Stamp of a Killer
Richard Braden
TV Show
Sep 1987
The Highwayman
Bo Ziker
Movie
Jun 1987
The Believers
Tom Lopez
Movie
Jan 1987
Hotshot
Stars Team Member
Movie
Sep 1986
L.A. Law: Pilot
Victor Sifuentes
TV Show
Sep 1986
L.A. Law
Victor Sifuentes
Movie
Jun 1986
Running Scared
Julio Gonzales
Movie
Jan 1986
Rockabye
2nd Policeman
TV Show
Sep 1985
Spenser: For Hire
Movie
Sep 1984
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
Eddie Rivera
TV Show
Sep 1984
Miami Vice
Eddie Rivera
TV Show
Jul 1980
A Capitol Fourth
Self
TV Show
Oct 1975
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
TV Show
Apr 1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
TV Show
Mar 1953
The Oscars
Self
TV Show
Jan 1952
Today
Self
TV Show
Jan 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
TV Show
Jan 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member