Jimmy Smits: The Life Story Behind the NYPD Blue Star

Jimmy Smits is an actor who has played some of the most decent men on American television. He was Victor Sifuentes, the idealistic lawyer on LA Law. He was Bobby Simone, the kind, steady detective on NYPD Blue. He was Matt Santos, the honest congressman who becomes president on The West Wing. He was Bail Organa, the noble senator in Star Wars. In each of these roles, he played a man with integrity, a man who tries to do the right thing, even when it is hard. That is not an accident. Smits has built his career on playing men of character, and he has done it with a warmth and a dignity that few actors can match.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a Puerto Rican father and a Surinamese mother, and he grew up in a working-class family. He did not come from Hollywood. He came from a neighbourhood, from a family that worked hard, and from a life that taught him the value of education, of community, and of hard work. He studied at Brooklyn College, he earned a master’s degree at Cornell University, and he began his career on the stage in New York. He was a theatre actor first, and that training has stayed with him throughout his life.

His story is also a story about representation. He was one of the first Latino actors to play leading roles on American television, not as a stereotype, but as a full, complex, and respected character. He has used his fame to support Latino artists, to fight for better roles, and to help young people from backgrounds like his own. He is a quiet man, a private man, and a man who has let his work speak for itself. This is the story of Jimmy Smits, an actor who has spent forty years playing good men, and who has become one himself.

Brooklyn Roots: A Puerto Rican Father and a Surinamese Mother

Jimmy Smits was born on 9 July 1955 in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Cornelis Smits, was from Puerto Rico, and his mother, Emilina, was from Suriname, a country on the northern coast of South America. The family lived in a working-class neighbourhood in Brooklyn, and Smits grew up in a home where two cultures met. He spoke English and Spanish, he ate food from both traditions, and he learned to move between different worlds. That ability to move between worlds would become one of his greatest strengths as an actor.

Brooklyn in the 1960s was a tough, lively, and diverse place. It was a borough of immigrants, of working families, of people trying to build a better life. Smits grew up in that world, and he learned its lessons early. He learned that hard work matters, that family matters, and that education is the way to a better life. His parents believed in education, and they encouraged him to study, to read, and to think about his future. He was a good student, and he was a thoughtful boy, more interested in books and ideas than in trouble.

As a teenager, he began to think about acting. He was drawn to the theatre, to the idea of telling stories, and to the power of a live performance. But he was also practical. He knew that acting was an uncertain career, and he knew that he needed an education first. He went to Brooklyn College, where he studied and where he began to act in earnest. He appeared in college productions, he worked with other young actors, and he discovered that he had a real talent for it. He was not a flashy performer. He was a steady, honest, and thoughtful one, and that quality would define his entire career.

After Brooklyn College, he went on to Cornell University, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting. Cornell is one of the most respected universities in America, and its theatre programme is demanding. Smits threw himself into it, studying, rehearsing, and performing. He learned the craft of acting from the ground up, and he learned it well. When he finished his studies, he was ready to begin his professional career, not as a star, but as a working actor, a man who would build his life one role at a time.

The Stage in New York and the First Television Roles

Jimmy Smits began his professional career on the stage in New York City. He appeared in plays, he worked with theatre companies, and he learned the discipline of live performance. Theatre is a hard teacher. There is no second take, no camera to hide behind, and no editor to save a weak moment. An actor on stage must be present, must listen, and must keep going even when something goes wrong. Smits learned these lessons early, and they stayed with him. He became known as a reliable, talented, and hardworking actor, the kind of performer that directors and fellow actors trust.

His first film role came in 1984, in the film Running Scared, in which he played a small part. It was a modest beginning, but it put him on the screen, and it gave him experience in front of a camera. He followed it with a role in the film The Believers, and he began to work in television, taking on guest roles in popular shows. He was patient, and he was determined. He knew that a career is built slowly, and he was willing to wait for the right roles.

In 1986, he got the role that would change his life. He was cast as Victor Sifuentes in LA Law, a new television series about a law firm in Los Angeles. Victor was a young, idealistic, and passionate lawyer, a man who believed in justice and who fought for his clients. Smits played him with warmth, humour, and conviction, and audiences loved him. The show was a huge success, and it ran for eight seasons. Smits was on the show for five of those seasons, from 1986 to 1991, and during that time he became one of the most famous actors on television.

LA Law was important for Smits for another reason. Victor Sifuentes was one of the first Latino leading characters on American television who was not a stereotype. He was a professional, a smart and successful lawyer, a man with a family, a man with dreams and flaws. Smits played him as a full human being, and Latino audiences saw themselves in him in a way they had rarely seen before. It was a breakthrough, not just for Smits, but for television itself. He had opened a door, and many other actors would walk through it.

NYPD Blue: Bobby Simone and an Emmy

In 1994, Jimmy Smits joined the cast of NYPD Blue, one of the most acclaimed police dramas in television history, playing Detective Bobby Simone. Bobby was a kind, steady, and deeply decent man, a detective who cared about the people he served, who listened, who thought before he acted, and who tried to do the right thing even when it was hard. Smits played him with a quiet strength that made him one of the most loved characters on television. Audiences trusted Bobby Simone, because Smits made him feel real, like a man you would want as a friend, as a colleague, as a detective on your case.

NYPD Blue was a tough, realistic, and often dark show, and it was known for its strong writing and its powerful performances. Smits was at the centre of it for four seasons, from 1994 to 1998, and his work on the show earned him some of the best reviews of his career. In 1995, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Bobby Simone. It was a well-deserved honour, and it recognised a performance that was subtle, honest, and deeply moving.

The character of Bobby Simone also had a powerful storyline. He fell in love with Diane Russell, another detective on the show, played by Kim Delaney, and the two of them built a relationship that was one of the most beloved in the series. Later, Bobby became ill, and his death in the series was one of the most emotional moments in television history. Smits played those final episodes with extraordinary grace and courage, and audiences wept for a character they had come to love. It was a reminder of how powerful television can be, when it is done well, and how much an actor can mean to an audience.

After NYPD Blue, Smits continued to work in television and film, taking on roles that showed his range. He appeared in the film The Jane Austen Book Club, and he took on a recurring role in the series Outlaw. He was not chasing fame. He was doing work he believed in, with people he respected, and he was building a career that was based on quality, not on quantity. That choice has defined his entire professional life.

Star Wars, The West Wing, and Dexter

In 2002, Jimmy Smits joined the Star Wars universe, playing Bail Organa, a senator from Alderaan, in Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones. Bail Organa is a noble and courageous man, a leader who fights against the rise of the Empire, and a father figure to Princess Leia. Smits played him with dignity and warmth, and he returned to the role in Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, and later in the film Rogue One and in the television series Obi-Wan Kenobi. For a new generation of fans, he became a beloved part of the Star Wars story, a man who represented hope, decency, and resistance in a dark time.

In 2004, he joined the cast of The West Wing, playing Matt Santos, a congressman from Texas who runs for president. Santos is an idealistic, honest, and thoughtful man, a politician who believes in public service and who wants to make the country better. Smits played him with the same quiet strength he had brought to Bobby Simone, and the storyline of Santos’s campaign for the presidency became one of the most acclaimed arcs in the history of the show. Audiences loved Santos, because he represented the kind of politician they wished existed in real life: honest, smart, and decent.

In 2008, Smits joined the cast of Dexter, playing Miguel Prado, a district attorney who becomes friends with Dexter Morgan, the serial killer at the centre of the show. The role was darker than anything Smits had played before. Miguel is a charming, ambitious, and ultimately dangerous man, and Smits played him with a complexity that surprised audiences. It was a reminder that he could play more than just good men. He could play a man who was good on the surface and troubled underneath, and he could do it with the same skill he brought to every role.

These three roles, in Star Wars, The West Wing, and Dexter, show the range of Smits’s career. He has played a senator in a galaxy far away, a president in Washington, and a district attorney in Miami, and each of them feels real. He has worked in science fiction, in political drama, and in crime thriller, and he has been excellent in all of them. That versatility is rare, and it is one of the reasons his career has lasted for so long.

Sons of Anarchy, How to Get Away With Murder, and Later Work

Jimmy Smits has continued to work steadily in television and film into his sixties and seventies, taking on roles that show new sides of his talent. He appeared in Sons of Anarchy, playing Nero Padilla, a former gang member who tries to build a legitimate life. Nero is a man who has made mistakes, who has done terrible things, and who is trying to change. Smits played him with a mixture of toughness and tenderness, and the character became one of the most loved in the series. It was a role that asked him to show a man who was both dangerous and kind, and he did it beautifully.

He also appeared in How to Get Away with Murder, playing Dr. Isaac Roa, a therapist, and in the series Bluff City Law. In 2021, he appeared in the film In the Heights, playing Kevin Rosario, a father who runs a taxi company in Washington Heights and who wants a better life for his daughter. The film was a celebration of Latino culture in New York, and Smits’s performance as a loving, hardworking father was widely praised. It was a fitting role for an actor who has spent his career playing men of decency and character, and who has always been proud of his Latino heritage.

He has also worked on stage throughout his career, returning to the theatre whenever he can. The stage is where he began, and it remains a place he loves. He has appeared in productions in New York and in Los Angeles, and he has spoken about the joy of live performance, about the connection with an audience, and about the discipline that theatre demands. For Smits, theatre is not a stepping stone to film. It is a craft in its own right, and it is one he has never given up. The stage keeps an actor honest, because there is no editing and no second take, and Smits has always valued that honesty.

In recent years, he has also become a mentor and an advocate for young Latino actors. He has spoken about the need for better representation, about the importance of telling Latino stories, and about the power of education. He has worked with organisations that support young artists, and he has used his fame to open doors for others. He is a quiet man, but his actions speak loudly. He has built a career that is based on talent, on hard work, and on a commitment to his community.

Family, Community, and a Private Life

Away from the screen, Jimmy Smits has built a life that is centred on his family and his community. He was married to Barbara Smits, with whom he has two children, and he has spoken about the importance of family in his life. He has also been in a long-term relationship with the actress Wanda De Jesus, and the two of them have built a life together that is grounded in love, respect, and shared values. He is a private man, and he has guarded his personal life carefully, preferring to let his work speak for itself.

He has also been active in his community, supporting organisations that help young people, that promote education, and that celebrate Latino culture. He has worked with the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, an organisation that supports Latino artists, and he has spoken at schools and community events. He believes that success comes with a responsibility to help others, and he has lived by that belief. He is not a man who seeks attention for his charity work. He does it quietly, because he believes it is the right thing to do.

He has also stayed close to his roots in Brooklyn and in New York. He has spoken about the neighbourhood where he grew up, about the family that raised him, and about the values that shaped him. He is proud of his Puerto Rican and Surinamese heritage, and he has never hidden it. He has used his platform to celebrate that heritage, to tell stories about it, and to show the world that Latino culture is rich, diverse, and beautiful. That pride is at the heart of everything he does.

In recent years, he has continued to act, to work on stage, and to support the causes he cares about. He is no longer a young actor, but he is still a working actor, and he is still giving some of the best performances of his career. He has found a balance between work and life, between fame and privacy, that many actors never find. That balance is a testament to his character, and it is one of the reasons he is so respected.

Why Jimmy Smits Still Matters

Jimmy Smits matters because he showed America what a Latino leading man could be. Before him, Latino actors on television were often cast as criminals, as servants, or as comic relief. Smits played a lawyer, a detective, a congressman, and a senator, and he played them with dignity, intelligence, and warmth. He showed audiences that Latino men could be heroes, leaders, and good fathers, and he did it without ever making a big speech about it. He simply did the work, and the work spoke for itself.

He also matters because of the characters he created. Bobby Simone is still remembered as one of the finest detectives in television history, a man who was kind, steady, and decent in a world that was often cruel. Matt Santos is still remembered as the president America wished it had, a man who believed in public service and who tried to do the right thing. Bail Organa is still remembered as a symbol of hope in the Star Wars universe. These characters matter because they show us what a good man looks like, and they remind us that decency is a kind of strength.

His work will last. LA Law will still be watched by people who love great legal drama. NYPD Blue will still be watched by people who love great police drama. The West Wing will still be watched by people who love great political drama. Star Wars will still be watched by people of all ages, all over the world. And somewhere, a young Latino actor will watch Jimmy Smits and understand that it is possible to build a career with dignity, to play men of character, and to change the way the world sees you. That is a powerful legacy.

He has also been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a recognition of a career that has lasted for decades and that has touched millions of people. The star is a small thing, a piece of pavement with a name on it, but it means a great deal to an actor who started on the stage in New York and who built his life one role at a time. It is a sign that the industry, and the public, recognise what he has done, and that his work will be remembered long after the shows end.

My Take:

When I think about Jimmy Smits, I think about a man who has played good men for forty years, and who has become a good man himself. That is not a small thing. In Hollywood, it is easy to play a hero on screen and be a different person in real life. Smits seems to be the same person on and off the screen: decent, thoughtful, hardworking, and kind. I admire that consistency. It tells me that he is not acting when he plays a good man. He is showing us who he really is, and that is a rare and beautiful thing.

I admire his performance as Bobby Simone more than any other single performance in this story, because Bobby is a character who teaches us something important about what it means to be a good person. Bobby is not a perfect man. He makes mistakes, he gets angry, he struggles with his own past. But he is kind, he listens, he cares about the people he serves, and he tries to do the right thing, even when it is hard. In a television world full of cynical, violent, and selfish detectives, Bobby Simone was different. He was a man who believed in decency, and Smits played him with such quiet strength that audiences fell in love with him. When Bobby died in the series, people wept, because they had lost a friend. That is the power of great acting, and Smits gave it to us.

What I find most interesting about him is his patience. He did not become a star overnight. He studied at Brooklyn College, he earned a master’s degree at Cornell, he worked on the stage in New York, and he built his career slowly, role by role. He waited for the right parts, and when they came, he was ready. That patience is a lesson for anyone who is starting out in any career. You do not need to be famous at twenty-five. You need to learn your craft, to work hard, and to be ready when your moment comes. Smits was ready, and his moment lasted for forty years.

I also admire his work as a Latino actor, because he changed television. Before him, Latino men on American television were rarely shown as professionals, as leaders, or as heroes. Smits played a lawyer, a detective, a congressman, and a senator, and he played them as full human beings. He did not make a big speech about it. He simply did the work, and the work changed the way people saw Latino men. That is a powerful form of activism, the kind that does not shout, but that changes minds slowly, through stories, through characters, and through the simple act of being seen. I think that is more effective than any protest, because it reaches people in their living rooms, in their hearts, and it stays with them.

There is a sadness in his story too, and I want to be honest about it. I think about the fact that he had to fight for good roles, that Hollywood did not always offer him the parts he deserved, and that he was sometimes overlooked because of his background. I think about the fact that he won an Emmy for NYPD Blue, but that he was not always given the leading roles that his talent deserved. That is a shame, because he is a great actor, and the world would be better if great actors were given more chances. But he did not let that stop him. He kept working, he kept choosing good roles, and he built a career that he can be proud of.

If I have a criticism, it is a small one, and it is really about television rather than about Smits himself. I wish he had been given more leading roles in films, because I think he could have carried a film on his own, just as he carried television shows. He is a leading man, in the best sense of the word, and I think the film industry missed an opportunity by not giving him more chances. But he did not need film stardom to have a great career. He built a great career on television, on stage, and in the hearts of his audience, and that is enough.

What I learn from Jimmy Smits is a lesson about decency. In a world that often rewards the loudest, the cruelest, and the most selfish people, Smits shows us that decency is a kind of strength. Bobby Simone is strong because he is kind. Matt Santos is strong because he is honest. Bail Organa is strong because he is brave. These are not weak men. They are strong men, and their strength comes from their character, not from their fists or their guns. I think that is an important lesson, especially for young men, who are often told that strength means violence or dominance. Smits shows us that strength can mean kindness, patience, and integrity, and that is a better kind of strength.

I also learn something about education from his life. He went to Brooklyn College, he went to Cornell, he earned a master’s degree, and he built his career on a foundation of learning. He did not rush. He studied, he prepared, and he became a craftsman. That is a lesson for all of us. Education is not a waste of time. It is the foundation of a good life, and it is the thing that gives you the skills to do your work well, for a long time. Smits is proof of that.

When I watch his work now, I see a man who has grown older, but who has not grown weaker. The older Smits is even better than the younger one, because he has more to draw on, more life, more experience, more understanding. His performance in In the Heights, as a father who wants a better life for his daughter, is the work of a man who has lived, who has loved, and who has learned. I hope he keeps working for many more years, because the world needs more of him, more of his decency, more of his quiet strength, and more of his belief in the power of good men.

In the end, I think Jimmy Smits teaches us that a good life is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about being the most decent person in the room, about doing your work well, about caring for your family, and about helping others. He has done all of those things, quietly, steadily, and for forty years. That is a life well lived, and a story worth telling. I hope young actors look at his career and understand that you do not need to be a star to be great. You need to be good, you need to be honest, and you need to keep going. Smits did that, and he is great.

One more thought stays with me. In NYPD Blue, Bobby Simone dies, and his death is one of the saddest moments in television history. But the show does not end there. Life goes on, the other characters go on, and Bobby’s memory lives on in the people he touched. I think that is a good image for Smits’s whole career. He has touched many people, through his characters, through his work, and through his example, and that touch will last long after the shows end. That is a legacy, and it is a beautiful one.

I also keep thinking about his work in In the Heights, because it shows a different kind of father. He plays Kevin Rosario, a man who runs a taxi company, who works hard, and who wants a better life for his daughter. It is a small role, but it is a warm one, and it is full of love. He plays Kevin as a man who has sacrificed for his family, who has worked long hours, and who is proud of his daughter’s dreams. Latino audiences recognised that father immediately, because he is a father they know, a man who works, who loves, and who hopes. Smits played him with such honesty that the film became more than a musical. It became a story about family, about dreams, and about home.

Another thing that moves me is his work on stage, because it shows where he started and where he still belongs. He began in the theatre in New York, and he has returned to it throughout his career. The stage is a hard place, with no camera, no second take, and a live audience that expects the truth. Smits has never been afraid of that. He loves the theatre, he respects it, and he has used it to keep his skills sharp. That is a lesson for any actor: never forget where you started, and never stop doing the work that made you good in the first place.

I also think about his role in Sons of Anarchy, because it shows a side of him that people do not expect. He plays Nero Padilla, a former gang member who is trying to build a legitimate life, a man who has done terrible things and who wants to change. It is a dark, complicated, and deeply human role, and Smits plays it with a mixture of toughness and tenderness that is a joy to watch. He is not just a good man in that role. He is a man who has been bad, who knows it, and who is trying to be better. That is a more honest kind of character, and Smits plays it beautifully.

Finally, I think about what his career means for young Latino actors who want to play leading roles. He showed them that it is possible, that a Latino man can play a lawyer, a detective, a congressman, and a senator, and that audiences will love him for it. He did not do it by shouting. He did it by working, by being excellent, and by letting his characters speak for themselves. That is a quiet kind of revolution, and it is one that has changed television forever. Young actors today have more chances because Smits fought for them, simply by doing his work well, for forty years.

I also think about the way Smits has handled being a private man in a public business, because he has guarded his personal life carefully, and he has done it with grace. He does not share everything on social media, he does not talk about his private life in interviews, and he does not seek attention for himself. He lets his work speak for him, and that is a rare and dignified choice in a world where celebrities share everything. It tells me that he knows who he is, that he does not need the world’s approval, and that he values his privacy as much as his fame. That is a lesson for all of us: you do not owe the world your private life, and you can be successful without giving it away.

There is one more thing I want to say about Jimmy Smits, and it is about the way he has carried the weight of representation without ever making a show of it. He was one of the first Latino actors to play leading roles on American television, and that is a heavy thing to carry, because it means that every role you play is watched, judged, and held up as an example. Smits carried that weight with grace, never complaining, never making a speech about it, simply doing his work well, year after year, and letting the characters speak for themselves. That is a quiet kind of courage, the kind that does not make headlines, but that changes the world slowly, one living room at a time. Young Latino actors today have more chances because Smits did his work well, because he proved that a Latino man could be a lawyer, a detective, a congressman, and a senator, and because audiences loved him for it. That is a legacy that will last.

Frequently Asked Questions

What role won Jimmy Smits an Emmy Award?

He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1995 for playing Detective Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue, a kind and steady detective who became one of television’s most loved characters.

Who did Jimmy Smits play on LA Law?

He played Victor Sifuentes, a young and idealistic lawyer, on LA Law from 1986 to 1991. The role made him famous and was one of the first Latino leading characters on American television.

Who is Bail Organa in Star Wars?

Bail Organa is a senator from Alderaan and a leader of the resistance against the Empire, played by Jimmy Smits in Star Wars: Episode II, Episode III, Rogue One, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

What character did Jimmy Smits play on The West Wing?

He played Matt Santos, a congressman from Texas who runs for president. Santos is an honest and idealistic politician, and his campaign became one of the most acclaimed storylines in the show.

What was Jimmy Smits’s role in Dexter?

He played Miguel Prado, a district attorney who becomes friends with Dexter Morgan. The role was darker than his usual characters, showing a charming man with a dangerous side.

Where did Jimmy Smits study acting?

He studied at Brooklyn College and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Cornell University. He began his professional career on the stage in New York City.

What is Jimmy Smits’s background?

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Puerto Rican father and a Surinamese mother. He grew up in a working-class family and is proud of his Latino heritage.