"Dexter" Star Jimmy Smits Joins Broadway's "God of Carnage"

His character Miguel Prado may have been brutally and tragically murdered on Showtime’s hit serial killer drama Dexter, but in real life, Puerto Rican actor Jimmy Smits is alive, well—and this just in—joining the cast of Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning Broadway play God of Carnage. Beginning Nov. 17, Smits will replace Tony-nominated actor Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale, Dumb & Dumber) in the lead role of Alan Raleigh. He will be joined by a totally new ensemble cast that includes Oscar-winning actress Christine Lahti, Ken Tott (Charlie Wilson’s War) and Annie Potts (Designing Women), who are replacing Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini and Hope Davis, respectively.

God of Carnage, which made its Broadway debut on March 22, 2009, is a commercial and critical success that won multiple 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Actress (Harden), Best Direction and Best Play. The black comedy chronicles the aftermath of a playground altercation between two boys and what happens when their parents meet to talk about it. While Smits is perhaps best known for his television work, this is hardly his first foray into theater acting. He appeared on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in The Tropics, and his other stage credits include Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Hamlet and The Ballad of Soapy Smith. On TV, Smits was the only Latino actor nominated for an Emmy this year for his guest work on season 3 of Dexter. In total, Smits has been nominated for an Emmy 12 times, and has 1 win for his role on L.A. Law in 1990. I am a big fan of Smits's work, but I'm not sure if a black comedy is a good genre for him. Still, I'm excited for a Latino actor with his talent to be representing Latinos on Broadway.

What about you? Are you happy that Smits is Broadway bound? Do you prefer him on TV? Dish in the comments section!