Jimmy Smits
There just aren't enough positive portrayals of Latino life in film.Collection: Positive
I have no tattoos at all - it was a huge undertaking for me in the '80s to let my parents know I was piercing my ear when I did 'L.A. Law.'
I work out, but I'm not doing it specifically because I show my butt on TV.
I like the gypsy aspect of this business.
The hits and the misses. I just want to keep the at-bats solid.
If you're given gifts or blessings in your life, it's up to you to help the guy coming up behind you.
My comfort zone has always been in an ensemble-type atmosphere.
I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that, if possible, they should pursue an advanced degree. I am convinced that education is the great equalizer.
The Latino population has become such a presence. We are part of the American tapestry in a very profound way, in every area you can think of, and are very significant in popular culture.
I get my jolt of energy in New York. I get mi familia vibe in New York.
Latino people have come up to me and said they were motivated to become a lawyer because they saw me play one on TV - and you can't discount how great it is when they tell me I was the first.
I left 'L.A. Law' after five years when my contract was up because I felt I had done all I could do with the character. I didn't walk off the show with a three-picture deal to pursue this wonderful film career.
Celebrity hits like a bomb.
For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting.
I'm an actor. I love to act. That's my job. I'll leave the politicking to others.
I've been in California for about 15 years now. You're always in your car and insulated. I miss New York so much.
I've been very lucky to work on a wide variety of projects, including two long-run and top-10 dramatic television shows. That is why it is so important to offer a helping hand to the next generation of young Latinos coming up behind me.
I never thought television would or could be a long-term commitment.
If you're afraid to live your life in a glass bubble, how can you do what we do in this industry?
In my college years, I worked as a union labor organizer. I was just one of the many workers trying to do my part to help the community.
It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and have trained hard enough to know how many different ways you can counterattack in any situation, at any moment.
Just give me a good role that allows me to hone my craft, and I am a pretty happy camper.
There are no right and wrong ways to work in this business, but there are some basic common-sense practices. Work very, very hard and always be prepared; never give up; and once you get the job, give them more than they ever expected: - Shine!
There's something so familial and intimate between a boxer and his trainer.
When we are out there selling a new picture, when did it become part of the deal that you have to sell the family? To use the juicy part of your life to get attention? I'm not blaming the reporters. It's the system.
You have to find what makes you stable in the storm. Then, no matter what's happening round you, no matter what the hype or the publicity, you can still manage to make leaps in your work as an artist.
As an actor and as a performer, I've felt that the education system has really helped me in a lot of ways... there was always a teacher or a professor along the way that kept pushing me to the next stage.
Education is the key in so many ways.
Media images are so important to young people feeling positive about themselves.
I've always strived to keep mixing it up, keep doing different things, and work in all different parts of our business.
I'm not a policy wonk - I'm somewhere between being undecided and a surrogate.
I save the rage for the stage.
Unfortunately, considering that we Latinos are really big for movie companies when they have blockbuster releases or new cable shows, when it comes to the dynamic of supporting our own product, it leaves much to be desired.
When you have celebrity, it's a whole different thing than being an artist.
As an actor, I just want to keep mixing it up.
I had opportunities to stay on shows for long periods of time, and maybe financially that would have been good, but I feel good about trying to keep doing things that are a little bit different than what I've done.
I couldn't see myself doing a traditional sitcom.
I almost feel like sometimes when I'm on location, you miss your home and your family and all that stuff, but it keeps you focused on the work.
I worked on a show called 'West Wing' before. I didn't work with Aaron Sorkin, but he created the show and set the tenor of the show, which was you follow the words of the script perfectly because there's a dramaturgical thing behind it.
'West Wing' was a show about politics.
I'm socially awkward in life, and that's one of the reasons why I do what I do. I'm more about interpreting other people's words.
Everything in moderation, like calories.
When I sit down and sign up for something, I vet where the people are coming from.
Michael C. Hall is an incredibly detailed actor who can convey so much with just an eyebrow.
The friendships I made on 'L.A. Law,' with the cast and Steven Bochco and David Kelley were really wonderful.
I started out in the theater, and my background is classical. I'd love to be in a film version of a Shakespeare play.
The Fourth of July concert is invigorating in so many ways, in terms of what it feels like to be an American.
I grew up in New York City, and I've got wonderful memories of the Fourth of July fireworks.
It just makes you feel proud, more than anything else, that the work has in some way transcended itself.
You can't get so serious as to not realize that what we do is entertainment, but when you have the chance to provoke thought or advance discussion on a topic, it's just the icing on the cake.