15 Roles That Launched A Career

Jimmy Smits, 56

The half-Puerto Rican actor has had memorable roles on award-winning shows like Dexter, The West Wing and NYPD Blue, but it was his Emmy-winning turn as Victor Sifuentes—the firm’s pro-bono lawyer in the drama, L.A. Law (1986-1992)—that first caught the attention of Hollywood casting execs. And they weren't the only ones who were impressed by Smits' skills. From 1986-1991, the Academy of Arts & Sciences honored the talented thesp with five consecutive Emmy nominations for his outstanding work on L.A. Law, and in 1990, Smits won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. To date, he has been nominated for an Emmy 12 times—more than any other Latino star!

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