Jimmy Smits
A commanding actor who brought grounded dignity and simmering intensity to roles as lawyers, detectives, and a groundbreaking presidential candidate.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American actor·Birthday: July 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jimmy Smits possesses a rare on-screen authority, the kind that can quiet a room with a glance. Born in Brooklyn to a Surinamese father and Puerto Rican mother, he broke through in the 1980s as attorney Victor Sifuentes on "L.A. Law," a role that made him a star and a symbol of Latino representation in prime time. He never allowed himself to be pigeonholed. He followed that success by bringing a soulful, heartbreaking depth to Detective Bobby Simone on "NYPD Blue," a performance that redefined the tough cop archetype. Smits has a knack for entering established television universes and immediately making them his own, as he did later playing Congressman (then President) Matt Santos on "The West Wing," a character that felt startlingly prescient. Across film and TV, from "Star Wars" to "Sons of Anarchy," he consistently projects intelligence and moral weight, choosing characters who operate from a core of principle, even when flawed. His career is a masterclass in sustained, dignified stardom.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jimmy was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jimmy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Jimmy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on "L.A. Law."
- Portrayed Presidential candidate Matt Santos on "The West Wing," a landmark role for Latino representation in American politics narrative.
- Played pivotal roles in two major franchises: Bail Organa in the "Star Wars" prequels and sequel, and Nero Padilla on "Sons of Anarchy."
Did You Know?
He helped found the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts alongside actors like Esai Morales.
He earned a Master of Fine Arts from Cornell University after initially studying community theater at Brooklyn College.
He is a dedicated fan of the New York Mets baseball team.
“You have to be strategic about the roles you take, especially as a person of color, because you’re not just representing yourself.”
