Jimmy Smits (born July 9, 1955) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actor, primarily in movies, soap operas and television. Smits is perhaps best known for his long-running roles on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law as Richard Dysart's youngest uptight law partner, Victor Sifuentes, who was also the firm's pro-bono lawyer (a role he played from 1986 to 1991), and as Dennis Franz's second partner, Det. Bobby Simone, in NYPD Blue (a role he played from 1994 to 1998), a police officer who was a widower, as well as his role on The West Wing as congressman and presidential candidate Matt Santos, opposite Alan Alda, Bradley Whitford, Martin Sheen and Dule Hill. He most recently played Alex Vega, the main character on CBS's prime-time serial, Cane. As an actor, he is noted for his portrayal of earnest, honest men with deep moral convictions.
Graduate of Cornell University, M.F.A. '82
Divorced father of two.
Smits has been living with Wanda De Jesus since c. 1986.
He has a Puerto Rican mother and a Suriname father. He is a partner in "The Conga Room" club in Los Angeles, Ca. His partners are Jennifer Lopez,Paul Rodriguez and Brad Gluckstein.
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Theatre degree from Brooklyn College in 1980.
Turned down the offer to play a character named Flinn on NYPD Blue. The character in question was later renamed Det. John Kelly, played by David Caruso. Ironically, after Caruso's departure from the show in 1994, Smits accepted the role of Det. Bobby Simone (Det. Kelly's successor).
Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1991
Has had a difficult time returning to television in recent years. In 1998, after leaving "NYPD Blue," he signed a deveolpment deal with ABC, but nothing ever came of it. Three years later, in 2001, he was set to play the lead in the NBC show "UC:Undercover," but his commitments to ABC forced him to back out just four days before the pilot was shot. Shortly after, in September 2001, he inked a new seven-figure deal with ABC to develop a series for the 2002-2003 television season, but once again, the deal failed to produce a series. Later, in 2002, he turned down the chance to play the lead in "CSI:Miami" and backed out of the lead role in "Boomtown" at the last minute. In 2004 he was attached to star in a Jerry Bruckheimer produced drama for NBC called "City of Dreams" as an L.A. private investigator who caters to the rich and famous. However, script problems eventually caused that project to be scrapped. Finally, in August 2004 he inked a deal to join the cast of "The West Wing" for the 2004-2005 season, and a few weeks later, made a separate deal with ABC and Touchstone studios to develop and star in a new series after his time on "The West Wing."
