Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.'

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

My career aspirations as an actor have always been driven foremost by the creative desire to be versatile.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

I think education was the key for me, and that's what I tell kids. That base in the classics gave me something to springboard from, which I wouldn't have had if I'd come out to Los Angeles early and been guest punk of the week on 'Hill Street Blues.'

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

Everything in moderation, like calories.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

The Fourth of July concert is invigorating in so many ways, in terms of what it feels like to be an American.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

Nude scenes aren't fun.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

I've been in California for about 15 years now. You're always in your car and insulated. I miss New York so much.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

I grew up in New York City, and I've got wonderful memories of the Fourth of July fireworks.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

At first, I took theater courses on the side. Then, theater became my minor; then it was my major.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

As an actor, you think to yourself, 'I want to do good work,' but you also want the work that you do to make an impact in some way.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

Media images are so important to young people feeling positive about themselves.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

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.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

'West Wing' was a show about politics.

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits

There's show business, and the business is sometimes in capital letters. You just have to give it your best shot when up at bat.