Jimmy Smits
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.
Known For
Saturday Night Live
1975
The View
1997
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015
Dexter
2006
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
The West Wing
1999
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
2013
Sons of Anarchy
2008
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
Golden Globe Awards
1944
Golden Globe Awards
1944
Filmography
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host · 1975
The View
as Self · 1997
The Late Late Show with James Corden
as Self - Guest · 2015
Dexter
as Miguel Prado · 2006
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest · 1988
The West Wing
as Matthew Santos · 1999
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
as Victor Santiago · 2013
Sons of Anarchy
as Nero Padilla · 2008
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
· 1992
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self · 2003
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Audience Member · 1944
NYPD Blue
as Bobby Simone · 1993
How to Get Away with Murder
as Isaac Roa · 2014
L.A. Law
as Victor Sifuentes · 1986
L.A. Law
as Víctor Sifuentes · 1986
Tony Awards
as Self - Presenter · 1956
Miami Vice
as Eddie Rivera · 1984
The Tony Danza Show
as Self - Guest · 2004
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
as Dr. Fauci · 2016
Dexter: Resurrection
as Miguel Prado · 2025
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
as Captain Alejandro Perkins · 2023
The Oscars
as Self · 1953
Today
as Self · 1952
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Prince Felipe (voice) · 1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Old King Cole (voice) · 1995
Spenser: For Hire
· 1985
Obi-Wan Kenobi
as Senator Bail Organa · 2022
East New York
as Chief John Suarez · 2022
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
as Senator Bail Organa · 2005
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
as Senator Bail Organa · 2002
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Bail Organa · 2016
The Early Show
as Self · 1999
Cane
as Alex Vega · 2007
24: Legacy
as Senator John Donovan · 2017
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Self - Guest · 1996
A Capitol Fourth
as Self · 1980
Cop Rock
as Victor Sifuentes (uncredited) · 1990
The Get Down
as Francisco 'Papa Fuerte' Cruz · 2016
The Tax Collector
as The Wizard · 2020
In the Heights
as Kevin Rosario · 2021
Latin Grammy Awards
as Self · 2000
The West
as Self · 1996
The Tommyknockers
as Jim 'Gard' Gardner · 1993
Bluff City Law
as Elijah Strait · 2019
TV Revolution
· 2004
Mother and Child
as Paco · 2009
The Million Dollar Hotel
as Geronimo · 2000
The Highwayman
as Bo Ziker · 1987
Running Scared
as Julio Gonzales · 1986
Bless the Child
as Agent John Travis · 2000
My Family
as Jimmy · 1995
Mickey's 60th Birthday
as Victor Sifuentes · 1988
The Jane Austen Book Club
as Daniel · 2007
Switch
as Walter Stone · 1991
The Believers
as Tom Lopez · 1987
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
as Eddie Rivera · 1984
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
as Bail Organa (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2022
Outlaw
as Cyrus Garza · 2010
America's Untold Story
as Self - Narrator · 2017
Vital Signs
as Dr. David Redding · 1990
Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
as Self · 2005
Lackawanna Blues
as Ruben Santiago Sr. · 2005
Who We Are Now
as Carl · 2018
America | A Tribute to Heroes
as Self · 2001
Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special
as Old King Cole (voice) · 1997
ALMA Awards
· 1998
Solomon & Sheba
as King Solomon · 1995
Hotshot
as Stars Team Member · 1987
Beyond the Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood
as self · 2026
Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage
as Self · 2019
The Cisco Kid
as Cisco Kid · 1994
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
· 2002
Marshal Law
as Jack Coleman · 1996
Gross Misconduct
as Justin Thorne · 1993
Murder in Mind
as Peter Walker · 1997
Old Gringo
as Gen. Tomas Arroyo · 1989
Stamp of a Killer
as Richard Braden · 1987
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
as Self · 1997
Roberto Clemente
as Narrator · 2008
Backyard
as Mickey Santos · 2009
Fires Within
as Nestor · 1991
Rockabye
as 2nd Policeman · 1986
¡Yo soy Boricua, pa' que tú lo sepas!
as Himself · 2006
Price of Glory
as Arturo Ortega · 2000
L.A. Law: Pilot
as Victor Sifuentes · 1986
Glitz
as Vincent Marra · 1988
Lesser Prophets
as Mike · 1997
Adventures in Wild California
as Narrator · 2000
Latin Music USA
as Narrator · 2009
The Broken Cord
as David Norwell · 1992
Animal Charm: Golden Digest
as Himself (Archival Footage) · 1996