| The Quotable Jimmy Smits | |||||
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| Jimmy Smits' Famous Lines | |||||
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| Jimmy Smits Quotes |
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| America's culture is changing. but most of our media doesn't reflect it. That's where I feel our show is different. We're not on a soapbox about it, but we are a little more realistic. At 19, I had a family. I'm from Brooklyn, that's not Manhattan. All the people I know are not connected with the business. That gives me an equilibrium. Celebrity hits like a bomb. Change is very hard to effect. In America particularly, change only comes out of money. But that's OK. It's a ripe time to implement change. And I'm in there trying; that's all I can say. Considering what TV is, I could have wound up in a much worse situation. Every day you're up for work at 4 or 5 am. And you might get off that night-or you might shoot right until 2 in the morning. It's very tough to have a life. Everything that's going to be in that particular scene you can see. The animatronics guy explains to you and can show you in great detail, with pictures, what the creature behind your left shoulder is gonna be like. For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting. Honestly, there's four years where I'm ignorant of my culture. Every now and then, I'll see a clip of something or hear a piece of music. And I just don't have a reference. In my life, those years were very different. I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that, if possible, they should pursue an advanced degree. I am convinced that education is the great equalizer. I don't think it hurt me to leave NYPD Blue. I was very sad about the relationships I had on the show. Although I'm still in contact with them, I'm not seeing them on a daily basis. I know what it is to be a father. I know what it is to have dreams that are frustrated. I left L.A. Law on great terms with the producer. I fulfilled my commitment. But I'm in a different head space in terms of what I want to do as an actor. I like the gypsy aspect of this business. I never thought television would or could be a long-term commitment. I think for most actors, there is a tremendous need to give back to the community at large and for me, giving back to my community was a concept engrained in me by my parents. I think you really need a strong sense of self. You just try to remember what got you here. 'Cause it's very easy to get swept up in hype. I try not to give advice unless really pressed for it because I think every person will enter this field in their own way. I want my own son to have the best. But I want to make sure I'm not pushing him too hard. I wanted to shed Bobby the day I walked off the set. I'm a big one for education. In this business, I don't know what I'll get the chance to try. But I do know that, as an actor, I feel equipped for any role. I'm always looking for roles that show a different side of me, and while TV audiences are used to seeing me as the idealistic lawyer or heroic cop, this guy is very flawed. I'm an actor, and what I do for a living relates to humanity. I'm an actor. I love to act. That's my job. I'll leave the politicking to others. I've been in California for about 15 years now. You're always in your car and insulated. I miss New York so much. I've been very lucky to work on a wide variety of projects, including two long-run and top-10 dramatic television shows. That is why it is so important to offer a helping hand to the next generation of young Latinos coming up behind me. If you're afraid to live your life in a glass bubble, how can you do what we do in this industry? In my college years, I worked as a union labor organizer. I was just one of the many workers trying to do my part to help the community. In series TV, the money is very good. And everybody's always telling you how great you are. There's a certain acceptance of things. In terms of media control, media influence, we're going into a whole new phase. And I don't mean just Madonna's video. It's easy to get complacent here. The money's good and the beach is close and people tend to settle for less. You can get caught up in that. It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and have trained hard enough to know how many different ways you can counterattack in any situation, at any moment. It's like riding a bike, no matter how long it's been since the last time your rode the bike, it's just a matter of refining your tools. I've been in the ring, I know what it's like to get hit. It's that hero mentality. Sometimes you want to see someone win, and in this case it's not just one person, it's a family. It's like every other family, going through all these trials and tribulations, and we can still come out on top. So I think it's about communication in a family. Just give me a good role that allows me to hone my craft, and I am a pretty happy camper. Learning to use that intuitive, emotional thing is important. But to understand dramatic structure, to learn what literature really is; those things are valuable, too. Maybe I just have a problem with commitment. Minute for minute, I think we give a good 47 minutes out there. But 10 years from now, I expect a lot more from the group I've been working with. My biggest satisfaction is when I hear that they have finished their graduate program, or have gotten their first break on TV, or in Film, and knowing that they are firmly on the road to becoming America's next new star. My father was very strict with my sisters and me. My parents didn't get it. Their knowledge of the industry is what they see on the box. But they're proud. On film, I had never done comedy. I'm kind of perceived as a straight man. Since I started working onstage, my game plan was to make a mark there and maybe do some films. But always come back to theatre. Steven Bochco called and said this was the last year of the show. The crew didn't know I was coming. They put a fake name on my trailer, and there I was! Suriname is a fascinating place. There are all these different ethnicities - Dutch, black, Indians, mixed race. Years ago, black slaves escaped and went back into the bush, and the Indians taught them to survive. That's what I love most about boxing, the one-on-one competition: when the bell rings, it's just you and the other guy. The scholarship program not only helps talented individuals take that first crucial step up the career ladder, it creates a network of young Hispanic professionals. 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! There are so many people around the world who have been vastly following this, much more so than I have. Especially now with the internet, and there being so many websites, that you can go through catalogues of the historical information of this world. There was always this little problem mixing politics with the amorous thing. There's something so familial and intimate between a boxer and his trainer. There's this real Dutch side to me. I keep promising my dad that we're going to go to Holland someday. Maybe this year. Throughout the years, I've spent time speaking at schools and encouraging students to pursue their dreams. I always try to listen to aspiring young actors and writers and give advice when I'm asked. When we are out there selling a new picture, when did it become part of the deal that you have to sell the family? To use the juicy part of your life to get attention? I'm not blaming the reporters. It's the system. Whole families coming in minivans, with the support of grandmothers as well as the fathers. We saw the discipline that's involved, the pride of the family. You get nowhere in this business by burning bridges. You have to find what makes you stable in the storm. Then, no matter what's happening round you, no matter what the hype or the publicity, you can still manage to make leaps in your work as an artist. You spend a lot of time getting suited up, especially with all of the accoutrements that my character has, so a large part of the day is getting ready. The days are not super long. You've probably been on film sets before where the directors have what they call video village, with the director sitting behind a little monitor watching the video. The video village on a George Lucas movie is like nothing else you could imagine. They've got these huge, 50-inch plasma screens. For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting. I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that, if possible, they should pursue an advanced degree. I am convinced that education is the great equalizer. |
| Quotes About Jimmy Smits |
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