Jimmy Smits, born July 9, 1955 in Brooklyn, New York, is an American actor who plays the role of Neron 'Nero' Padilla on the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Making his debut on the episode "Sovereign" in the series' fifth season, Jimmy plays the role of a co-owner of an escort agency with an exit strategy who becomes a mentor for Jax Teller. Playing a recurring role through the series' fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons, he was in a relationship with Gemma Teller Morrow and was last seen in the series' finale episode, "Papa's Goods", in the series' seventh, and final, season.
Biography[]
Smits was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Cornelius Smits, is Surinamese while his mother, Emilina, is Puerto Rican. Smits identifies himself as Puerto Rican, and was raised in a strict devout Roman Catholic family. "Jimmy" is the name on his birth certificate, rather than "Jim" or "James". He has two sisters, Yvonne and Diana. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood and spent time in Puerto Rico during his childhood. Smits earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College in 1980 and an MFA from Cornell University in 1982. Though born in New York, Smits has deep Puerto Rican roots and frequently visits the island. In 2001, he was arrested for his participation in protests against U.S. Navy bombing practices on the Puerto Rican offshore island of Vieques.
Selected Filmography[]
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones as Senator Bail Organa
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Senator Bail Organa
- Star Wars: Rogue One as Senator Bail Organa
- NYPD Blue as Detective Bobby Simone
- L.A. Law as Victor Sifuentes
- Dexter as Miguel Prado
- Cane as Alex Vega
- The West Wing as Matthew Santos
- Switch as Walter Stone
- How To Get Away With Murder as Dr.Isaac Roa
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Jimmy Smits is one of the many actors from the TV series Dexter to have a role in Sons of Anarchy. The others are: Kenny Johnson, Billy Brown, Peter Weller, Douglas Bennett, Glenn Plummer, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Olivia Burnette, Brad Carter, Josh Wingate and Al Vicente.
External Links[]
Appearances[]
 Season 5 appearances
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| "Sovereign" | "Authority Vested" | "Laying Pipe" | "Stolen Huffy" | "Orca Shrugged" |
| "Small World" | "Toad's Wild Ride" | "Ablation" | "Andare Pescare" | "Crucifixed" |
| "To Thine Own Self" | "Darthy" | "J'ai Obtenu Cette" | ||
| Season 6 appearances
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| "Straw" | "One One Six" | "Poenitentia" | "Wolfsangel" | "The Mad King" |
| "Salvage" | "Sweet and Vaded" | "Los Fantasmas" | "John 8:32" | "Huang Wu" |
| "Aon Rud Persanta" | "You Are My Sunshine" | "A Mother's Work" | ||