Quotes from Jimmy Smits

I have been in rooms with people arguing over a character that's not really fleshed out: that, just because the surname is Latino, that automatically means you have an accent.

Nude scenes aren't fun.

For me, the bottom line is what's on the page.

What's on the page dictates a lot of what I do. When the words are there, it's easy.

When I grew up, we went to Coney Island and Central Park. We'd find our way to the water and watch the fireworks.

It's great to be able to play the 'bad guy' role, because you always get a lot to do, but I'm always looking at the why - how does a person get to that particular point.

My life hasn't changed that much. Sure, people recognize me, and airports can get tough, but the people who stop me tend to be real nice.

When you're 27 million strong, no one can tell you that you don't belong or expect you to just move along.

I had opportunities to stay on shows for long periods of time, and maybe financially that would have been good, but I feel good about trying to keep doing things that are a little bit different than what I've done.

I don't want to have the bounds put on me in terms of mediums.

All my Latino side is from the Bronx.

Nurturing a project from the ground floor is something I've been wanting to do.

California has been very good to me in terms of the professional arena.

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.

I have carried the burden of being a role model for some time. And that's great. The body of work I've done has afforded me that opportunity.

Every actor has to deal with what's on his plate, and I try to deal with doing the best work possible with the most challenging scripts. I don't base it on whether it's a feature film or a TV-movie or cable.

I've been told that I wasn't Latino enough, which was code for 'street' enough.

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.'

I'm happy that just about on every other show there's a Latino somewhere present, and we're not all the cooks anymore.

There are no right and wrong ways to work in this business, but there are some basic common-sense practices. Work very, very hard and always be prepared; never give up; and once you get the job, give them more than they ever expected: - Shine!

I'm happy David Caruso is out there working.

You gotta find that hook so everybody can grab on to it. So that you're true to the culture but, at the same time, how it relates to the larger tapestry.

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.

When you have celebrity, it's a whole different thing than being an artist.