Jimmy Smits is an American actor who has a net worth of 12 million dollars. He has amassed most of his wealth through his acting career, which has spanned four decades. Over the years, Jimmy has primarily appeared in roles where he has played lawyers and detectives. Some of the shows in which he played these roles include L.A. Law, The West Wing, and NYPD Blue.
Besides the detective roles, Smits has appeared in other shows that he did not play these roles, and they include Running Scared and My Family.
Early Life, Education, and Career
Jimmy was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother was a Puerto Rican, while his father was from Suriname, but he identifies as a Puerto Rican. Jimmy grew up in a Catholic family, and as such, he followed the church’s doctrines.
Regarding his education, after elementary education, Jimmy proceeded to high school, where he became a top athlete. He participated in various games, including football. Upon graduating from high school, he moved to Brooklyn College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1980.
After college, Jimmy decided to venture into the acting industry, with his earliest role coming in 1984 in an episode of Miami Vice. Two years later, he landed a major role in L.A. Law, where he played a lawyer. Following his spectacular performance, this role catapulted him into national fame. Besides, he continued appearing on the show for five seasons.
Furthermore, his role in L.A. Law helped him receive several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, which he won in 1990. He also appeared on other shows, including My Family. He also landed another major role in NYPD Blue. This role also had a significant impact on Jimmy’s acting career. He went on to win a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Award. He also won several other awards. Over the years, Jimmy has continued to appear in films and television shows that have done well both nationally and internationally.
Salary
Jimmy Smits earned varying salaries for his various roles. For instance, for his role in Outlaw, he was earning 150,000 dollars per episode. The show had eight episodes, and therefore, Jimmy made over 1 million from the show. He has not revealed details of how much he earned while appearing in L.A. Law. However, given that he appeared for about five seasons, he must have earned a good amount of money.
Legal Troubles
Jimmy Smits has faced some legal troubles which have had a negative impact on his finances. In his early acting career, he found himself in a scuffle with the police, which led to his arrest. In 1987, he was arrested, and after his girlfriend learned of this, she came and caused a commotion; this resulted in the physical assault of police officers, and Jimmy and his girlfriend were both arrested.
Jimmy and his girlfriend pleaded guilty to battery charges; they were fined 150 dollars, 18 months probation, and were supposed to do 50 hours of community service.
Generally, Jimmy Smits’ 12 million dollars net worth is the result of his various endeavors in the entertainment industry and the various decisions that have influenced his life.