Jimmy L. Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as lawyer Victor Sifuentes in the 1980s and 1990s legal drama L.A. Law, detective Bobby Simone in the 1990s and 2000s NYPD Blue crime drama, Matt Santos in the political drama The West Wing, and as an actor in Switch (1991), My Family (1995). The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) and In the Heights (2021). He also appeared as Bail Organa in the Star Wars franchise and as ADA Miguel Prado in Dexter. From 2012 to 2014, he joined the main cast of Sons of Anarchy as Nero Padilla. Smits also portrayed Elijah Strait in the NBC drama series Bluff City Law. But it`s his legal personas that fans seem to remember the most.
NBC`s top drama priority for the 2019-20 season, “Bluff City Law,” was heavily promoted but lost after its debut on Sept. 23. September, which attracted 4.6 million viewers and remained the highest-rated episode of the series, viewers. “I have received applications to be a keynote speaker at the Hispanic Bar Association of New Mexico, the Illinois Bar Association. I always felt like it was a little bit above my salary, but it`s a nice icing on the cake when your character resonates with the audience. In the mid-1980s, Smits performed in numerous performances at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York, Cornell`s summer repertoire program. In 1982, he played Max in Cabaret, Paul in Loose Ends and the lead role in Pudd`nhead Wilson. Smits has participated in the Public Theatre`s New York Shakespeare Festival, playing Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night in 2002 and Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing” in 2004.
In 2003, Smits starred in the Broadway production of Nilo Cruz`s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics, which ran at the Royal Theatre. From November 2009 to February 2010, he appeared alongside Christine Lahti, Annie Potts and Ken Stott in the critically acclaimed Broadway play God of Carnage, replacing Jeff Daniels. From December 2012 to March 2013, he performed in Chicago in The Motherfucker with the Hat at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. But L.A. Law and Bluff City Law aren`t the only court dramas in which Smits has played a lawyer. The eight-part Outlaw series debuted in 2010 and flew completely under the radar of most viewers despite the high-quality cast. Sydney studied law with Anthony (Michael Luwoye), who is extremely sympathetic from the first moment. Sydney`s best friend, Briana (MaameYaa Boafo), could give a glimpse of what Sydney was like before jumping into corporate law and the kind of person she can become again now that she`s back home. Created by Dean Georgaris and Michael Aguilar, “Bluff City Law” played television veteran Jimmy Smits as Elijah Strait, a legendary local civil rights lawyer who is reunited with his lawyer`s daughter, played by Caitlin McGee, in the first episode. Smits followed his Emmy-winning role in L.A. Law with the hit series NYPD Blue, then in The West Wing, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy and How to Get Away with Murder.
And for Brooklyn Nine fans, he`s Amy Santiago`s father. One of Smits` best-known roles was as Detective Bobby Simone on the ABC television show NYPD Blue, in which he starred from 1994 to 1998. He received several Emmy nominations for his performance in the series and reunited with former co-star Dennis Franz at the 2016 Emmy Awards. He is a two-time winner of the ALMA Award. In the final scene of the premiere, paralegal and assistant Emerson (Stony Blyden) calls Elijah “Daddy.” (Did Emerson`s “It`s Nice to Meet You at Last” anticipate this revelation?) We`ll have to wait and see exactly how Sydney reacts to the revelation that she has a half-brother – and the fact that her father didn`t inform her. After all, he should have expected the truth to come out as soon as possible if the three worked at the same company. It`s finally official: NBC has canceled the Memphis-based legal drama “Bluff City Law.” Smits joined the cast of Sons of Anarchy in season 5 as Nero Padilla, a high-ranking pimp who describes himself as a “companion.” He builds a relationship with Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal) and forms an alliance and mentorship with Gemma`s son, the main character Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam). Bluff City Law was written by co-creator/executive producer Dean Georgaris and Michael Aguliar, with the former writing the screenplay.[15] David Janollari will also produce the television series Universal Television. Beginning in 1986, Smits played Victor Sifuentes in the first five seasons of the television series L.A. Law,[11] for which he was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and won in 1990.
[12] Elijah is a renowned civil rights lawyer who tries to reconcile with his daughter Sydney after the death of his mother and ex-wife. Having played lawyers in three court dramas, Smits finds it an honour to hear that his roles have inspired people to join the legal profession. Smits played Congressman Matt Santos of Houston, Texas, in the final two seasons of the NBC television series The West Wing[13] with his colleague John Spencer. His character eventually ran for president of the United States and won. NBC`s new legal drama, Bluff City Law, marks Jimmy Smits` return to the world of legal drama after starring in L.A. Law, Outlaw and the White House drama The West Wing. That said, you might think it would be an old hat for the Emmy and Golden Globe winner, but at TCA, he told us otherwise. The panel, which included Smits and McGee, as well as executive producers Aguilar, Georgaris and David Janollari, called the show a legal drama, but the focus is on the father-daughter relationship. McGee points out that there is a conflict with the way they treat the law, saying that Elijah tends to be more “conservative”, while Sydney likes to “wage war” when it comes to cases.
Jimmy Smits is a well-known face on television and synonymous with judicial and police dramas. After playing Victor Sifuentes in L.A. in the 1980s and 90s. Law, Smits has created an impressive resume filled with quality projects and acclaimed guest roles. “There was a lot to refresh,” Smits said of his return to the legal game of television. “You`re trying to make the most of the experience you`ve had.” He added that his Elijah Strait character in Bluff City Law doesn`t have the same bounce in his crotch as L.A.