NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - The Drink with Kate Snow: Jimmy Smits

Episode Date: November 24, 2019

Jimmy Smits is an Emmy-Award winning actor best known for his role as Victor Sifuentes in 'L.A Law,' and he's back on TV playing another lawyer in 'Bluff City Law.' His love of acting began in high school when he did the unthinkable - quitting the football team to join the drama club.

Hey, everyone, this is Kate Snow, and I'm excited to share this conversation that I had with actor and television staple Jimmy Smits. We met at Le Mans at Rockefeller Center for a drink or three, and he told me the story of how he got into acting. This interview is part of my series, The Drink with Kate Snow. You can find more of these conversations about how people overcome failure, persevere and make it to the top of their field. It's all on NBC News.com slash the drink. What would you like? What's your drink? A libre, or mojito, or piña colada. Jimmy Smith, no one has ever ordered multiple drinks. I love this. I was going to drink English breakfast tea.

True story. You really were. And then you got here. And I was like, OK. You grew up in New York City. Yeah. All over the place. All over the place. Why did you move so many times? Economics. There were times when mom wasn't doing too good and we needed to be closer to other family within the Bronx, mostly in Brooklyn. And is it true that you gave up football at some point for the drama club? I went to a school that was very proficient in football in New York City.

And I got I was able to get on team. I went up to camp with them. You're what, 6'3"? Yeah. Okay. I'm a big schmo. And I got into the varsity and jumped the junior varsity. And then September came around and this is a championship team. Yeah. It was like the drama club was like...

You can't give up the football team mid-season. I did. Wow. That's okay. That says a lot. I got a drink behind this, guys. Well, I think it worked out. We both went to Cornell. We've met before because of this. Big Red. Go Big Red. Cheers to that. Cheers. At that time they had a very intensive Master of Fine Arts program. It was like being in a monastery, you know, 6 a.m. at the ballet bar. But they gave me such a wonderful toolbox, Kate. That's the only way I can say it. I don't think people know this about you, that you're, because they see you as a TV guy.

Yeah. Right? TV box. TV guy. But you did theater for years. Yeah, yeah. Not off-road way, regional theater. Hi, Vickis Quintus.

The attorney, huh? So you went from LA law to now Bluff City law on NBC, which I can't help but wonder if that's like full circle for you right I know it's a different show but you started I mean the LA law was really your big is that fair to say like I'm watching you went huge right character rhythms are totally different I mean that was 1980 you know that guy's the kind of bouncy, idealistic attorney. And this guy that I'm doing now is a rock in a lot of ways.

And I think the law has something to do with theater in a way, too. Because there's opening arguments, there's closing arguments, there's dealing with the performing for the jury and directing energies. It reminds me of doing a play. I could see that. I want you to come back to the firm, Sid. I want you fighting for what's right. There's so much content out there.

And by the way, I downloaded, I started watching Bluff City Law on the app. Oh, cool. I mean, on the train, right? Because I was on my way home. Yeah. But that's the world that we're in now. Is that scary as an actor? Or is it that there's so much content?

Is it scary or exciting? I think it's great because there's so many venues for new voices and content that you might think would be marginalized at one point, whether it be empowered women or minorities, you know, or different countries showcasing different shows. You're watching a thing from... Israel or wherever. Yeah, absolutely. And the networks have to kind of, they have to really contend with it. Biggest hurdle?

To find people that are like-minded, but to convince people when there's those stereotypical barriers that they have put up about what you should be or could be, that you're more than your ethnicity or more than your geographic region or your... Six foot three. or you know whatever the case may be more fun to play a good guy or a bad guy i don't think a character is good or bad yeah but just it's just that what's the point of view best advice you ever got hang in there just hang

in there and trust trust this advice you wish you'd gotten, like when you were 18? Enjoy the ride. You seem to be still enjoying it. I could have found ways to enjoy it more. You're so busy sometimes that, at least I am so busy that I forget to just take a sip of the mojito. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jimmy, thank you so much. God bless you, Kate. It's terrific.