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 ach
of us, at some point in our lives, is forced
to deal with challenge. It would be nice if
life were easy, if our futures were certain,
and if the road ahead were laid out before
us, but this is not the case.
When I was nine, I encountered my first real
life challenge. I was uprooted from New York
and moved to Puerto Rico. Although we were a
bilingual household, I was now forced to
speak only Spanish, in school as well as at
home. Initially, the change was traumatic,
as I lost touch with life in the United
States, but the three years I spent in
Puerto Rico cemented my cultural ties and
shaped my outlook on life. It removed from
me the fear of starting something new, as
well as the threat of taking chances.
I am a first-generation American. My mother
is from Puerto Rico, and my father is from a
Dutch colony in South America now known as
Suriname. They are not college educated, but
they are successful as parents and as
people. My parents instilled in me and my
two younger sisters that college was a
challenge we needed to accept. My two
sisters have their own professional careers,
and I hold a Masters in Fine Arts from
Cornell University.
When I was in high school, my drama teacher,
who was doing his graduate work at Brooklyn
College, used to take us to plays that he
had directed at the college. When I decided
to attend college, I entered the City
University system of New York since it
provided an excellent education and since
the tuition was affordable. Both the Theater
Arts and Education departments there were
strong, and I was able to do many plays
under the direction of one of my professors,
Bernie Barrows, who was working
professionally at the time. It was Bernie
who encouraged me to pursue theater and
graduate work, particularly since I showed
an interest in the classics. His
recommendation that I get a strong
foundation was emphasized by the work of
actors like Raul Julia and James Earl Jones,
both of whom were excellent at their craft
and both of whom were involved in the
Shakespeare festival. Like these men, I was
a minority actor who aspired to depth and
versatility.
During my first year of college, I
encountered a new challenge — fatherhood.
What a blessing it was to have a baby
daughter, and what havoc fatherhood created
with my academic schedule. I would take the
earliest possible morning classes, come home
to feed and take care of my daughter, work
afternoons at a Brooklyn youth development
program where I had performed community
service work while in high school, and then
return to school to work on the plays.
Jimmy
Smits on the set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
I began college as an education major with a
theater minor with the intention of
eventually teaching speech and theater. My
parents were very pleased that they would
have a teacher in the family. When I decided
that
I would go to graduate school, I had,
without my
parents’ knowledge, already
changed my major to theater. They were
elated but said, “So, with an M.F.A. you’ll
be able to become a college professor!” It’s
not
that they were negative about the acting
profession, but rather that their scope was
limited to what they felt was
a “secure”
future for their son. Even after I graduated
from Cornell
and they discovered my true intentions, |
they said, “So, you’ll be able to teach
if it doesn’t work out. Right?”
My parents had seen me go through a
metamorphosis while I was in graduate
school. They were aware that there were
times that I had doubts about continuing
school. Many of my friends were working in
the theater, and I wondered if I should just
be “out there” trying to get practical work
experience instead of being in a
conservatory-type master’s program. Yet, I
never quit. I was raised to accept the
challenges I had set for myself. Because of
graduate school, I have felt well grounded
and able to realize my potential as an
actor. Graduate school gave me the
confidence I needed to be able to fulfill my
dream.
A positive attitude is essential in the
entertainment industry. An actor, unlike the
person who works two or three jobs during
the course of his life, constantly auditions
for new projects. The business is rife with
competition and rejection. . .even for me. .
.even now. There are always projects you
want to do as an actor that for some reason
or other, having nothing to do with your
talent, don’t materialize. You might even be
rejected because of ethnic prejudice.
Whatever the reason for the adversity you
face, you must never abandon your
aspirations.
Through education, especially higher
education, a person becomes well-rounded,
particularly in the field of performing
arts. Certainly, there are those who become
successes, even superstars, and never attend
college. However, on a personal level,
college and graduate school made me a better
actor. Although I want to continue acting, I
would like to be able to produce and direct,
giving myself more creative control and
nurturing projects from their inception. Of
course, too, because of my background, I’d
like to advance Latino themes and tell
positive stories that are accessible to all
audiences. My education has prepared me for
these tasks and has given me the mettle to
persevere.
Today,
when I speak in front of youth groups, I
advise kids to follow their dreams. I
explain that no matter who or what stands in
your way, forge ahead. Never look back and
be forced to say, “I should have” or “I
could have.” If your goal is not realized,
at least you know that you have given your
all.
I encourage my own children to pursue
whatever interests them and to follow their
dreams with unwavering passion. You, do the
same! Face challenge head on, accept it, and
conquer it. The benefit in the end is worth
any struggle. |
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Emmy Award and Golden
Globe-winning actor Jimmy Smits has established
himself as one of the most versatile actors working in
film, television and on the stage. He is one of the few
actors who can move effortlessly from television to film
to stage and back again.
After an influential and
successful role in the critically acclaimed series
NYPD Blue, Mr. Smits returned to television once
again in a powerful role on NBC’s The West Wing,
playing a Houston congressman who aspires to the White
House.
Mr. Smits has enjoyed an
exemplary television career. He received six consecutive
Emmy nominations for his role as Victor Sifuentes on
L.A. Law (winning the Emmy in 1990) and also five
Emmy nominations for his role as Bobby Simone on the
Emmy-winning drama NYPD Blue. Additionally, he
has three Golden Globe nominations — one of which he won
— and four SAG Award nominations. His highly touted
departure from NYPD Blue also won the Humanitas
Award.
In theater, Mr. Smits was
most recently seen on stage in New York Public Theatre’s
presentation of Much Ado About Nothing for the
2004 summer season of Shakespeare-in-the-Park. A few
months earlier, he starred on Broadway in Nilo Cruz’s
Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics.
Prior to his recent |
stagework, Mr. Smits played
Senator Bail Organa in Star Wars: Episode II-Attack
of the Clones and reprised the role in Star Wars:
Episode III- Revenge of the Sith. Mr. Smits can also
be seen in George C. Wolfe’s Lackawanna Blues for
HBO Films. The story, told from the perspective of
Junior, a young boy growing up in 1956, revolves around
a rooming house run by Rachel “Nanny” Crosby, who shapes
the lives of her boarders as she cares for them. Mr.
Smits also starred in New Line Cinema’s Price of
Glory.
Mr. Smits has involved
himself in various charitable organizations over the
years and has been a strong advocate for education. In
1997, he co-founded the National Hispanic Foundation for
the Arts, along with actors Esai Morales, Sonia Braga
and Washington attorney Felix Sanchez, to promote
Hispanic talent in the performing arts. The program
offers graduate scholarships and cash grants at
prominent colleges and universities in order to expand
career opportunities and increase access for Hispanic
artists and professionals while fostering the emergence
of new Hispanic talent.
Some of the other
organizations Mr. Smits is involved with include the New
York Public Theatre (for which he also serves on the
board of directors), the Fulfillment Fund, United Way,
the Police Athletic League, Project Angel Food, and the
L.A. Free Clinic. |
