Jimmy Smits

Mother was from Puerto Rico and father was from Dutch Guiana (now Surinam). Before high school, lived for two years in Puerto Rico, where he learned to speak Spanish. Worked as a union labor organizer during his college years. An investor (along with Paul Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez) in the Conga Room, an L.A. dance club/restaurant that showcases Latino music. Made his big-screen debut in the 1986 buddy-cop film Running Scared . On the political drama West Wing , his character, Democratic… Show more president-elect Matthew Santos, was loosely based on Barack Obama, who was not yet even a U.S. senator at the time. Reprised his  Star Wars role of Sen. Bail Organa for the popular video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed . ~ Rovi

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