Jimmy Smits Quotes

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Jimmy Smits

Profession : Actor

Birth : July 9, 1955

I have and will continue to vigorously pursue opportunities in all mediums.

Jimmy Smits

I'm usually very analytical when I'm prepping stuff: real into the head thing.

Jimmy Smits

I don't want to have the bounds put on me in terms of mediums.

Jimmy Smits

For me, the bottom line is what's on the page.

Jimmy Smits

Of course you draw from yourself, but the artistic nourishment you want to get is be versatile, do something different, and I think I got a chance to do that in a lot of different ways.

Jimmy Smits

When you're doing 22 shows on network television, the writers are going on vapors towards the end and, as an actor, you're just trashed by the end.

Jimmy Smits

The great thing about working in cable is that, since the season is truncated - we only do 12 shows - the writers are more at ease in terms of mapping out the trajectory of the story and the characters.

Jimmy Smits

Doing a truncated series is like doing a long movie, which allows for a certain artistic freedom. After just 12 episodes, you can take a breather and do other things for your career.

Jimmy Smits

As an actor, it's hard to approach any character with negatives.

Jimmy Smits

An actor tries to be versatile, to immerse himself in a different culture.

Jimmy Smits

We tend to think of World War II and all the atrocities that happened, and people say, 'Never again.' But these things are still happening. The Amnesty International files are big.

Jimmy Smits

My life hasn't changed that much. Sure, people recognize me, and airports can get tough, but the people who stop me tend to be real nice.

Jimmy Smits

That 'who's the sexiest' business is a crock that the media cooked up to sell magazines, so while I say thank you very much, I don't put much stock in it.

Jimmy Smits

My central strength as an actor is the fact that I'm 6 foot 3. A certain power emanates from my size, juxtaposed with the fact that I try to find an element of sensitivity in every character I play. People enjoy seeing that because it goes against what we're led to expect as far as the way men are supposed to be - macho and all that.

Jimmy Smits

I have been in rooms with people arguing over a character that's not really fleshed out: that, just because the surname is Latino, that automatically means you have an accent.

Jimmy Smits

I've been told that I wasn't Latino enough, which was code for 'street' enough.

Jimmy Smits

I was asked to speak at a bar association, because there's an upswing on college applications - in general and for Latinos - because of 'L.A. Law.' I went to a couple of functions, and I just felt an energy: It was, you're doing a good job, but do you realize how important it is?

Jimmy Smits

I have carried the burden of being a role model for some time. And that's great. The body of work I've done has afforded me that opportunity.

Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits

My comfort zone has always been in an ensemble-type atmosphere.

Jimmy Smits